To bring more variety in our product range over the next months we visit trade fairs to find different weave combinations. So far, product design has mostly been done by our founder, but this is about to change. So there we went, visiting a trade fair in a megamall with a small team of mothers.

It felt like a school fieldtrip – some of us had never been in such a beautiful mall across Manila before. The marble floors, high ceilings, brass accents everywhere, the ridiculous amount of fancy shops - it was quite eye-opening.

We started by looking at different bag brands in the shops. What do our competitors do? How do they present themselves? And what does their quality look like? After many jokes and giggles, the team felt that our quality is better in most cases! There definitely is a difference between handwork and machine work – from both a textile and a manufacturing perspective! But we also gained food for thought for future projects, and this visit sparked a lot of new ideas.

The trade fair showcased beautifully crafted products from all corners of the Philippines. Sometimes the food proved to be more interesting than our main objective – purchasing new handwoven textiles. The pride of local products was shared among our team too.

Handloom weaving is part of the Filipino cultural history. Every tribe has their own pattern and color combinations, and many patterns tell a story. There are so many options, it was hard to choose. Binakol is a traditional weave coming from North Luzon – the island where Manila is located. This weave is geometrical, and the pattern is supposed to protect because it drives the evil spirits away by confusing them. The pattern comes in many different forms and colors. In combination with bright colored materials, we believe we can bring unique, contemporary products, so we bought many different types to try out. These will be featuring in our December collection – so keep an eye out!