DREAMER & DOER: Martha Rodriguez of VESTI Bags
October 24, 2012
Between my backpacking trip around Asia, and Martha’s frequent travels around the Philippines as well, it wasn’t so easy for us to find time to meet, but after some 4-5 months of intending to interview Martha for my blog, I finally had the chance to meet up with her at Café Mary Grace. :)
When you meet with Martha, you know you’re talking to someone who is the real deal; someone who knows her convictions and stands by them. Just the kind of person I’m glad is behind one of my esteemed local brands, Vesti.
Insights from a Crash Course on the Philippine Textile Industry
September 25, 2012
Department of Clothing, Textile, and Interior Design - College of Home Economics
University of the Philippines, Diliman
Not very many people know much about the Philippine Textile Industry, primarily because 1) it’s not within their field and therefore don’t really seek to know more about it, or 2) it IS within their field but it seems too work-intensive/costly to get into. However, I believe that the status of the Philippine Textile Industry should be a concern for every Filipino.
Thanks to my good friend Kitty, who teaches Clothing Technology at UP, and knows of my interest in the subject (see my posts on weaving/textile) and my desire to really generating more awareness of our textile traditions after my visit to Ock Pop Tok in Laos, I had the privilege of attending the Scanning Philippine Indigenous Textiles forum. For me, it only further validated my belief that every Filipino should know more about it.
Let me share some of the highlights.
![Ock Pop Tok: When Commerce Preserves CultureAugust 11 & 13, 2012 - Luang Prabang, Laos
Once in a while, I’ve come across an admirable brand or company on this trip through Cambodia, Thailand & Laos (so far), but none has left as indelible an impression as Ock Pop Tok, a progressive and principled textile-weaving company in Luang Prabang.
[[MORE]]
As an admirer of both social enterprises and weaving traditions, it was only natural that I be interested in what English photographer Joanna Smith & Lao weaver Veomanee Duangdala have done with Ock Pop Tok since their humble beginnings in 2000.
Through the Fibre2Fabrics Gallery, an exhibit of Lao textiles at their flagship store in Ban Vat Nong, and the Village Weavers Project, wherein Ock Pop Tok artisans empower women in rural communities by transferring handicraft skills, Ock Pop Tok serves as a beacon of heritage preservation not only to the Lao community, but to travelers like myself who get inspired by the work they do.
It’s also particularly commendable when companies really highlight their artisans, and each scarf you see on this wall in their Ban Vat Nong flagship store has a tag indicating the weaver’s name, her picture, and her specialty or brief bio.
[Their second shop at Ban Vat Sene]
I don’t feel it’s enough to just visit the shops within the tourist area when the company gives you an opportunity to see the entire textile creation process at their workshop at the Living Crafts Centre (LCC), which you can take a 10 to 15-minute tuk-tuk ride to from either of their shops within the heart of Luang Prabang.
Learning the process
Having found an ever-increasing interest in textiles and weaving after my visit to Easter Weaving in Baguio and Artisans d’Angkor in Siem Reap, it was obvious that I would jump on this chance to learn more about it in Laos. I enjoyed my time at the LCC and even took two trips down there, and I was glad I made a second trip because it allowed me to talk to more people from Ock Pop Tok. Let me take you through an abbreviated virtual walking tour. :)
Upon my arrival at LCC, I was greeted by Doua who walked me through the processes of textile-making. Ock Pop Tok makes use of various natural dyes showcased here, and you will also see some plants dotting the centre with labels indicating what colour dyes these plants create.
I was fortunate enough to walk in on an English traveler taking a dye class as well, and here, you can see the use of a plant whose name is now forgotten, but reminded me a lot of Philippine atsuete.
[Boiling the dye and textile]
I also walked in on a Japanese traveler taking a 3-day weaving class, and here, you can see her preparing her thread for her loom.
Different textile techniques
Of course, nothing beats watching the Ock Pop Tok artisans at work, and at the centre, you’ll be able to see a number of techniques or weaving styles being practiced.
First, there is the traditional loom that I feel most of us are familiar which can be used for a variety of weaving styles. I was told that that the pattern hanging from above is the master pattern, which the weaver uses as a guide. I think I have to watch them a LOT longer to really understand how it happens though because I really couldn’t comprehend how the intricate fabrics were created from that thread skeleton.
One of the techniques I could fathom was the Hmong Batik technique, but not any less amazing just because it was easier to understand. The Hmong Batik artisan usually draws a pattern onto hemp fabric using a mixture of beeswax heated on coal.
The entire fabric is then dyed, usually indigo, and then boiled to remove the wax and reveal the negative imprint of the pattern.
But among the most mind-blowing of techniques (for me) would be Katu weaving, which integrates beads into the fabric, and uses a more primitive-looking (read: really extra challenging-looking) implement to put it all together.
The weaver slides a spool of thread, like weavers at the bigger looms do, except here, she has to count threads and insert beads one at a time while anchoring the end of the loom at her feet with her legs outstretched. I think you can imagine that this can really strain one’s legs.
I also had the unique pleasure of talking to young Katu weaver Mone for an hour or two about her weaving beginnings and Ock Pop Tok, and how grateful she is to them for giving her this opportunity and means of livelihood. I also enjoyed helping her out with her English. :)
[The showroom at LCC]
[The Silk Road Cafe, where you can hang out to eat or drink after going around the LCC]
[This was my chosen spot facing the Mekong River]
View more Ock Pop Tok pictures here.
Taking ideas from travel
Travel is learning. It is a knowledge and culture exchange. Having been to Ock Pop Tok, and briefly talking to Joanna, Lear, Ruddy, and Mone, has made me feel inspired (and a little bit daunted at the same time) to do what I can to help preserve the rich textile traditions of the Philippines as well.
Not unlike Laos, weaving styles vary according to the region. My trip to Easter Weaving only showcased some of the traditions of the Cordillera region in Northern Luzon, but there is so much more textile diversity to discover in many other parts of the country. However, unlike in Laos, young Filipinas don’t wear as much of our indigenous textiles as the young Lao women do.
There has been a movement to generate more awareness, from people in the government and business sector, with companies like Vesti and Anthill Fabric Gallery, but of more vital importance is the mindful consumer who will continue to patronize these tapestry tales of our culture and keep the industry, and ultimately our traditions, alive.
Spooling nationalism, Jen
Follow my tweets • Find me on Facebook • Sign up for my newsletter • E-mail me](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m914vlCGne1r0u81eo1_1280.jpg)
Ock Pop Tok: When Commerce Preserves Culture
August 11 & 13, 2012 - Luang Prabang, Laos
Once in a while, I’ve come across an admirable brand or company on this trip through Cambodia, Thailand & Laos (so far), but none has left as indelible an impression as Ock Pop Tok, a progressive and principled textile-weaving company in Luang Prabang.
![My Free Silk-Weaving Workshop Tour: Artisans d’Angkor - Take 2July 16 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Some say the best things in life are free, while cynics say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. As cynical as I am, I am also one of the world’s greatest cheapskates, which is why I try to seize as many free (and interesting) opportunities as I can.
[[MORE]]
I found out about this tour when I dropped by Artisans d’Angkor on my first day in Siem Reap, and promised myself that I would schedule a trip as soon as I got back from the Hariharalaya Retreat Centre.
Let me break it down in a simple formula as to why this is so appealing to me:
Weaving / textiles + Free of charge = My kind of thing
Joining the tour
A free shuttle bus takes you at 9:30am (or 1:00pm) from the Artisans d’Angkor main showroom to their silk-weaving workshop maybe 20-30 minutes from the old market (I didn’t keep track of the time).
At the silk-weaving workshop, a friendly tour guide will walk you through their process of silk production to weaving to showcasing.
Learning the process
First, the guide shows us the silk worms (picture not included), and their cocoons, which make up the raw (outer layer) and fine (inner layer) silk threads.
The guide also shared that it takes 3,000 cocoons (or 3,000 silk worms - you need to kill the worm inside the cocoon to use the cocoon) to make 1 silk scarf.
Now, I’m if that new knowledge makes me averse to silk now because of my vegan tendencies (note, not state), or because this makes it so much clearer, so much real-er that that luxurious fabric is, well, worms. I’ve known that silk is derived from worms, but it’s different when you see the process.
Anyway, next, after the cocoons have been harvested and “cooked”, the thread is dyed and wound into spools.
Thread is then taken from the spools and wound around the sticks for the loom “boats” according to a specific order and color (to achieve the fabric patterns).
From there, the sticks of thread are masterfully glided across the loom, to create rolls of beautifully patterned textiles. I forgot how long it takes to do this, but I remember thinking it was a veeeery long time, and realizing why silk can be so expensive.
[With Hanne outside the weaving room, with a big grin for the free tour]
We weren’t allowed to take photos of the real showroom (which showcases a lot classier and more wearable silk garments than the first Lady Gaga-esque photo in this post), so you’ll have to visit it yourself.
I appreciate that they showed us the entire process, which was probably really meant to make us realize the value of the work and the high price it warranted. But again, being a cheapskate (and now a bit grossed out by all the worminess), I didn’t purchase anything, but it did make me think of the process and working conditions in places that produce the significantly cheaper silk scarves available in the old market.
Fair trade is not just for hipsters,Jen
Follow my tweets • Find me on Facebook • Sign up for my newsletter • E-mail me
Artisans d’AngkorChantiers-Ecoles (main branch)Stung Thmey StreetSiem Reap, Cambodiainfos@artisansdangkor.comwww.artisansdangkor.com](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m80s9yJQlr1r0u81eo1_1280.jpg)
My Free Silk-Weaving Workshop Tour: Artisans d’Angkor - Take 2
July 16 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Some say the best things in life are free, while cynics say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. As cynical as I am, I am also one of the world’s greatest cheapskates, which is why I try to seize as many free (and interesting) opportunities as I can.
Day 1 (Part 2 of 3): A Surprise Cambodian Arts & Crafts Walking Tour
I had actually intended to spend day 1 finishing Breaking Bad’s 4th season, but I was itching to walk around and explore aimlessly. So I left the confines of my comfy room in search for nothing in particular (except lunch, maybe).
Little did I know that my purposeless wandering would lead me to a guidebook-less “Nomad Manager Cambodian Arts & Crafts Walking Tour”. Come, let me walk you through it as well. :)
![Easter Weaving, Baguio: Keeping tradition alive, non-traditionally
I’ve always been a fan of tribal prints and ethnic-looking things, yes even before they came into fashion, as evidenced by several bags and articles of clothing in my closet, and my Navajo camera strap design for Punchdrunk Panda, so naturally, I was like a kid who had stepped into Willy Wonka’s factory when I set foot in Easter Weaving’s Showroom.
You could opt to purchase rolls of fabric, which initially, at around P400/meter for a 30”-wide roll sounds steep. However, upon seeing the process behind the creation of the material (which I hope to share with you guys in a video), and the beauty of the patterns, I realize it is justifiably “pricey” after all. See some of the drool-worthy textiles below:
[[MORE]]
You can also opt to support their craft by purchasing from their wide array of products including bags, purses, shoes, sandals, headbands, clothing, linens, tapestries and more.
I find that I’m quite the bag lady. Not quite the designer bag lover (though I’ve gotten quite a bit of attention whenever I bring around my mother’s red vintage epi leather Louis Vuitton satchel), but I noticed an affluence of amorphous textile bags. So it was only natural that I fall in love with this bag:
After spending on all my Baguio eats and recent e-ticket bookings, I decided I couldn’t, and essentially didn’t need to spend some P1450 on another bag. That may seem pricey to some people for a textile bag, but it was really beautiful and really worth every peso when you see how painstaking it looks to weave that pattern.
But I wanted to do my tiny bit to help support their industry, have a piece of their art to take home with me, and have something to put on my head for a semblance of style since I’ve been too lazy to put any sort of product on my short, short hair recently, so I decided to purchase a couple of their headbands.
Easter Weaving’s patterns are taken from different places in the Cordilleras including Abra, Apayao, Bontoc, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Kankana-ey (Abra, Bontoc and Kalinga are my favorites), and I’m glad that their tradition is being kept alive, even if reapplied in non-traditional formats (like blazers, etc). I guess you can say I sort of see a similarity with Punchdrunk Panda’s PdP-losophy here. :)
So, the next time you’re in the City of Pines, remember there’s more than just Camp John Hay, Mines View and Good Shepherd. Drop by the Easter Weaving Room, support our Cordilleras’ beautiful textile traditions, and bring home more than just brooms and strawberry jam. Huzzah!
Weave love,Jen
Twitter | Facebook | Vimeo | E-mail
Easter Weaving Room, Inc.Easter Road, Guisad 22600 Baguio City, Philippines+63 74 442 4972](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4dnloUESj1r0u81eo1_1280.jpg)
Easter Weaving, Baguio: Keeping tradition alive, non-traditionally
I’ve always been a fan of tribal prints and ethnic-looking things, yes even before they came into fashion, as evidenced by several bags and articles of clothing in my closet, and my Navajo camera strap design for Punchdrunk Panda, so naturally, I was like a kid who had stepped into Willy Wonka’s factory when I set foot in Easter Weaving’s Showroom.
You could opt to purchase rolls of fabric, which initially, at around P400/meter for a 30”-wide roll sounds steep. However, upon seeing the process behind the creation of the material (which I hope to share with you guys in a video), and the beauty of the patterns, I realize it is justifiably “pricey” after all. See some of the drool-worthy textiles below:
