White

An all-white bedroom in the ancestral home of the Legarda family displays the wedding gown of one of Alejandro and Ramona's daughters. Isn't that train just magnificent? • LEGARDA ANCESTRAL HOUSE #7

Urban ethnicity

Of all the projects at the Ateneo School of Management Business Accelerator (SOMBA) Program fair last week, Ethnu was the one that made me weak in the knees, with their neo-ethnic jewelry. The materials—stone and shell beads, brass bells—are sourced from the tribes that inspired the jewelry, but the designs, created by fashion designer Louis Claparols, are very modern. They currently have three beautifully-named collections which showcase the intricate work of three Philippine ethnic tribes. On the left is Brass Dreamweavers, from the T'boli of Southern Mindanao. On the higher table at the right is People of the Earth, from the Ifugao. On the lower table is Peacock Warriors, from the Kalinga. The Ifugao and the Kalinga are two of several ethnic groups in the mountainous Cordillera region of Luzon which are known collectively as Igorot. If only for purely selfish reasons (I want those necklaces!), I want this company to succeed, but of course, it's much more than that. Any company that can bring Philippine ethnic accessories and fabrics to the world stage has my support, especially if that company applies fair trade principles in their dealings with these usually marginalized and exploited ethnic groups.



Ethnu is the brand of Ethnocentricity Incorporated. They are on Facebook and can also be emailed at ethnuaccessories@gmail.com.

High fashion

Most Manileños know pandan only as a food flavoring and these young students of the Ateneo School of Management Business Accelerator (SOMBA) Program are on a mission to re-educate us. P. Nouvelle, with the help of Filipino fashion designer Arnold Galang and two partners from the Department of Trade and Industry, produces gorgeous bags made out of pandan leaves. Sustainable, ethical, green fashion—any takers, ladies?



P. Nouvelle Developers Inc. can be found in Facebook and their email address is pnouvellebags@gmail.com.

Paper bags

Many of the student groups in the Ateneo School of Management Business Accelerator (SOMBA) Program are concerned with the environment, sustainability and social enterprise. Like yesterday's shoes, the bags of Papelle use recycled materials. In this case, what looks like traditional basketry is actually made of handwoven paper from old newspapers and telephone directories. Don't they look fantastic? The paper bags are laminated so they're water resistant. The design on the left, which is reinforced around the body, is strong enough to carry five kilos of weight. What's more, Papelle (a French-ified play on the Tagalog word "papel" which means paper) bags now provide a livelihood to previously jobless residents of the barangay of Natipuan in Nasugbu, Batangas.



Papelle is manufactured by The Twillery, Inc. They have a website and can be emailed at papellebags@gmail.com or TheTwillery@gmail.com.

If they can stop a plane…

Continuing with the entrepreneurial fair of the Ateneo John Gokongwei School of Management: This product was a big hit among the students: casual shoes made of recycled materials. Named "Soule," the uppers are chosen from used clothing or excess fabrics, and the soles are made out of used airplane tires. It would have been interesting to find out where the kids got the tires, but they were busy with their stock when I passed their stall. According to their brochure, the soles are lightweight and durable, and I was thinking: the tires may be worn out, but only for the standard of airplanes. For people, the traction must still be quite awesome.



Soule is made by Cultura Verde Footwear, Inc. They have a website and their email address is culturaverdefootwear@gmail.com.

Hybrid

I have featured several formal Filipiniana gowns in this blog already. Now here is an example of formal Filipiniana menswear. The Barong Tagalog (literally, Tagalog clothes) is usually made of piña (pineapple) or jusi (abaca) silk fabrics which are both very thin and translucent. The even tone and smooth texture of the fabric of this shirt marks it as being made of jusi, piña being more textured. This particular Barong Tagalog is also a fusion piece, incorporating ikat details at the collar, cuffs and shirt front. The ikat weave is common among many South American and Asian countries. In the Philippines, ikat weaving is practiced mostly by ethnic tribes in Mindanao.

Fashionable

While walking the streets of Binondo, I came across this sweet little Chihuahua in his (her?) denim jeans and sneakers, and "Lacoste" shirt. I didn't get his name, but isn't he just the cutest thing?

Old guard

The security guards in the historic walled city of Intramuros are dressed in uniforms patterned after those worn by the Guardia Civil during the Spanish colonial era.



I have one question though: did they have rubber boots back then?

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It's that time of the month for me to bug CDP bloggers again! Our theme for April 1 is Red and the May theme day poll is up—don't forget to vote!

The mice will play

Just before guests were expected to arrive at the gala night of the sarswela "Walang Sugat" at the Ateneo de Manila University, the ushers in their formal Filipiniana clothes took turns posing in front of the photo wall made of wood and capiz shell. These panels echo the windows and screens found in old Spanish colonial houses, rarely seen nowadays except in a few preserved historical homes. I loved how Nico and Tonette were so un-selfconciously enjoying themselves hamming it up for the photographer that I decided to snap a photo of them myself.


Last Saturday's gala was a work night for me too so I didn't watch the play nor get other photos. I hope to watch this weekend and since they're allowing photos, as long as you don't use a flash, expect a few from me in the near future. In the meantime, I have a little information about the sarswela form here, and the university website has some photos of "Walang Sugat" here.

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May I please ask you all to help me welcome Mia of Life in Manila.... and elsewhere to CDP? Mia lives and works in the southern part of the metro, and works for a foundation that supports many social development and charity organizations, and you'll be seeing many photos from her that I will probably never have on my blog. Mia is also a personal friend of ours and this is her nth blog—she keeps starting one then stopping, starting and stopping, you get the idea. If she gets a warm welcome from the community, then just maybe, she'll be inspired to continue this latest one. Thanks, everyone!

Crowning glory

I wish I could properly introduce you to pretty Em, one of the servers at Sofitel Manila's 7Pecados by the Bay, but when I asked if I could take her photo, she shyly shook her head no. When I said that I wanted to take a photo of her gorgeous, long, curly hair, she willingly posed for me.

Manila hemp

During Spanish colonial times, one of the most important export products of the Philippines was marine rope made out of abaca (Musa textilis) fiber, known worldwide then and now as Manila hemp. It proved to be more flexible and resistant to salt water damage than rope made out of hemp, to which it has no relation whatsoever. Classified as a hard fiber, abaca is one of the strongest and most durable natural fibers in the world. Its pulp is used to make specialty papers for tea bags and money. It is also used widely in Philippine handicrafts like furniture, rugs and carpets, clothing and fashion accessories. This Filipiniana dress designed by Jontie Martinez, part of the Maria Clara exhibit I caught at The Block at SM City North EDSA, features a kimona (the blouse) and panuelo (the shawl) made out of abaca. With today's technology, textiles using the fiber can be as delicate and smooth as silk but it was the rough texture of this piece—its 'naturalness,' if you will—that caught my eye. Amazingly and wonderfully, the coarse-looking cloth proved to be very soft and smooth to the touch.