How these slow fashion brands dressed the first Filipino Nobel Prize winner
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MANILA, Philippines – On December 10, Maria Ressa, veteran journalist and CEO of Rappler, made history by becoming the first Filipina to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
While in Oslo to participate in the Nobel Week events, she represented the best that the Philippines has to offer in every way, including clothing. When she gave a speech at the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony, she literally wore the Philippines on her shoulders, pulling on a silver gray blazer with an eye-catching geometric pattern.
The blazer was crafted by Nina Inabel, a Filipino brand that works with the weavers of Ilocos to create designs that honor Filipino culture.
Nina Inabel’s founder Niña Corpuz explained that the fabric they used for the blazer is called binakul – a textile design that originated in Ilocos – and it was very special because it was created as part of the collection of the Pinto Art Museum.
âThe owner of the museum, Dr Joven Cuanang, asked the weavers to use organic cotton from Pinili’s farm, Ilocos Norte. His idea was to use the natural color of cotton so that the yarn was not dyed. This made it different from the bright and contrasting colors typical of binakul. Since the fabric we used was undyed, even people familiar with it inabel will be surprised to see the subdued color that makes it really natural and organic, âshe told Rappler in an email interview.
âWhen I saw him on Maria while she was giving her talk, I was quite moved. His message was so powerful and inspiring, and the blazer complemented her very well on stage. binakul the design was striking but at the same time subtle due to the natural color of the fabric, âshe said.
Dressed by Filipinos
This blazer was just one piece in a complete wardrobe designed and manufactured by Filipinos. Nina Inabel made three more blazers for Maria, including the black blazer she wore to a press conference and a holographic recording for the Nobel Archives.
“Can you imagine, a piece of our Filipino history with Maria in the archives⦠forever!” Niña said.
Two of the blazers were made in the Pinilian design – made in Ilocos Sur and described by Niña as “a brocade-like weave that features patterns that appear to ‘float’, giving it an embossed texture.”
The other two blazers – including the one Maria wore for her Nobel Lecture – featured a psychedelic pattern called kusikus, meaning whirlpool. Niña explained that the motif “represents the waves of the sea since they were used as sails during the galleon trade”.
âIt used to be to protect the user by confusing ‘evil spirits’ – maybe the kind of protection Maria needs too! she said laughing.
Niña, herself a journalist, said she was “super kilo (stunned) to see something I did with local weavers and sewers on stage for the world to see.
“The fact that she wears a piece of Filipino culture and has chosen inabel it was a clear statement of support for all weavers and people who champion local and sustainable products, âshe said.
Pieces from another local brand Filip + Inna also made their way to Norway, including some of their ready-to-wear items and two custom pieces: an embroidered Tboli opera jacket worn by Maria during the visit. royal, and a pina terno that she wore to the Nobel banquet – a design that Filip + Inna calls “the Ressa terno. “
For the brand’s founder, Len Cabili, dressing Maria for Nobel Week was âa dream come trueâ.
âWhen she won the Nobel Prize, I briefly mentioned to my mom that I would like her to wear Filip + Inna,â she told Rappler via email. “It was quite special to see our pieces on a global stage and for a very special occasion – the first Filipino Nobel laureate.”
The opera coat Len designed added a touch of elegance to Maria’s daily outfit. She said the embroidery was inspired by t’boli traditions of nisif (embroidery) and crook (beading) using shell beads. The piece itself was hand embroidered and beaded by the t’boli artisans of Lake Sebu.
As for the Ressa terno – the design was meant as a way to match Maria’s style while working within four weeks. Len shared that they chose the terno because it was “a visual Filipino fashion icon” – that worked for the banquet’s “national dress” dress code.
“We had this terno coat that for years hung in our sample cabinet, I had pulled it out a few months ago, thinking I needed to work on it. When we introduced him to Maria, she loved him and he fit her like he was made for her, âshe explained.
They then made some minor adjustments to the design and added pina fabric (pineapple) on top terno raw silk base, as well as embroidery inspired by the architectural details of the Church of San Sebastian.
âWe wanted a classic look on her and we were happy with the result,â she said.
“From farm to fashionable fabric”
Seeing Filipino-designed and crafted clothes worn on the world stage at a historic event is the time for Niña and Len, who launched their brands to champion Filipino fashion and textiles.
Niña started Nina Inabel in 2017, when she was researching clothes for her daughters that represented their culture. Inabel is the Ilocos weaving tradition, and Niña wanted to use cotton inabel hometown fabric in comfortable, easy-to-wear designs.
After her daughter’s clothes were spotted online by the director of the Pinto Art Museum, she was able to collaborate with another designer from Ilocano using inabel, and after a few parades and fashion exhibitions, more and more people ask him to make clothes for their children using the fabric.
Several years later, Niña now has a happy clientele and, perhaps more importantly, proud weavers who have found the enthusiasm to keep the inabel tradition goes.
âThe weavers are proud to see all of these celebrities, models, professionals and personalities carrying their hard work. They are now more excited to create inabel because they see that there is a demand for it. Hopefully this will encourage the younger generation to embrace the craft so that the tradition doesn’t die out, âsaid Niña.
Niña explained that their clothes not only help the weavers but also the cotton farmers, from whom they source.
âBy buying from small businesses like us who source directly from weavers, you are also helping to provide livelihoods for communities and families. We not only encourage weaving but also the cultivation of cotton. Dr Cuanang, who I work with, has helped a community make the transition from planting tobacco to planting organic cotton. From two hectares, there are now 50 hectares of cotton farm in Pinili, Ilocos Norte, which also uses a solar irrigation system, âshe explained.
Niña added, âHe calls the work we do ‘from farm to fabric to fashion’, and the dream is to sustainably support farmers and weavers by valuing the art and crafts of inabel. “
Sharing culture through craftsmanship
Like Niña, Len works directly with Filipino artisans, who do weaving, embroidery and beadwork for his designs. She started Filip + Inna in 2008, at a time when there was little interest in the type of clothing she was designing.
She first sold her clothes to international customers. Locally, she found a first client in the actress turned politician, the representative of the 4th district of Leyte, Lucy Torres-Gomez.
âIt was word of mouth that we started selling here in the Philippines,â said Len. Little by little, its Filipino clientele is growing.
âWe are very grateful to everyone who continues to support Filip + Inna and our work with Filipino artisans. It’s hard to please the hometown crowd, so every sale or order from the Filipino consumer is a building block of the brand, âshe added.
Beyond supporting local economies, Len stressed that slow and artisanal fashion is also a vehicle for the transmission of culture.
âThe work of the hands engages the five senses throughout the creation process, while the artisans breathe life into it. They share their culture through their know-how to show the desire to do the best of what they are capable of creating. It’s done within the time needed for creation, not in a rush, âshe said. âThere is now a shift to putting the right value on something that is handmade because it lasts, and the story behind it makes it even more valuable. “
Len shared that she recently wore pants from Filip + Inna’s first collection 13 years ago – an example of how handmade clothing stands the test of time.
âHandcrafted fashion has a depth that encourages you to stick with it. In a globalizing world, when it comes to speed and quantity, we prefer to focus on quality because we want our parts to be passed down from generation to generation, âshe said. – Rappler.com
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