IN a bid to preserve the traditional weaving techniques of the Ifugao people, indigenous fashion and social enterprise brand Kandama Collective will host a benefit fashion show to raise funds for the construction of a weaving center in the landlocked province.
Kandama has teamed up with JCI Manila for the “Weave It to Life” fashion show on July 27, Sunday, at The Manila Hotel. It had a press launch on Monday, June 2, at Centro de Turismo Intramuros in Manila.
The fashion show will give the spotlight to Kandama’s newest collection, “Executive Outlaws,” which blends urban tailoring with ancestral textile traditions.
“Expect a lot of great works from Kandama. We’re going to pull in new collections, new designs, and some from our archives that are very popular, some which were worn by celebrities in the past,” Victor Baguilat Jr., Kandama’s chief executive officer and The Outstanding Young Men Foundation (TOYM) awardee, told republicasia.
“We’re also going to showcase the Kandama Tours, which is our way of connecting the sustainable fashion value chain with sustainable tourism,” he added.
Among the Kandama pieces that will be featured at the “Weave It to Life” fashion show were previously worn by Filipino celebrities like Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo, and Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados.
Kandama will also run a silent auction for its signature designs worn by P-pop sensation SB19 in October 2024, when it received official replicas of the historic 1734 Murillo Velarde map, also known as the “Mother of all Philippine maps,” at the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) in Manila.
The “Weave It to Life” event will gather over 500 guests, including leaders from fashion, philanthropy, government, and media.
Additional livelihood for Ifugao people
Proceeds from the benefit fashion show will be used for the construction and operational startup of the Julongan Weaving Center in Kiangan, Ifugao, which will serve as a livelihood space, training ground, and heritage site for the Ifugao people.
Weaving is among the primary livelihoods of the Ifugao people aside from woodcarving and farming, particularly rice cultivation in their iconic terraces. But some chose to leave the province in search of other employment opportunities, reducing the number of people who take care of the rice terraces.
“It is one of the symbols of the Philippines kaso lang unti-unti na siyang inaabandona, iniiwan mismo ng mga Ifugaos,” said former Ifugao representative Teddy Baguilat Jr. during the press launch. “‘Yun po ‘yung challenge eh. How do you keep maintaining the rice terraces? And it’s all about pera.”
“Hindi ka mabubuhay ng sapat kung ikaw ay mananatili lang sa Ifugao rice terraces. Kung ang iyong kabuhayan ay agriculture lang, kulang ‘yon. This is where weaving comes in,” he continued.
The Julongan Weaving Center aims to give additional income to indigenous women weavers so that they won’t have to look for jobs in other cities or countries.
The architecture of the weaving center will be unveiled at the fashion show, but Victor teased that it would look like a “modernized Ifugao house,” featuring looms and a child care center.
“A lot of our women have young kids pa, and then they bring them to the weaving center,” the Kandama CEO shared, adding that they also plan to build an airbnb for tourists at the weaving center.
“Because it’s right next to a UNESCO heritage site, right? So it’s really great to have that area,” he continued.
Victor said they aim to raise at least P5 million to P10 million for the Julongan Weaving Center.
Weaving workshops for the youth
Once the weaving center is established, Kandama plans to continue the summer workshops it had for young Ifugao weavers to keep their rich culture alive in today’s modern era.
“We just stopped it because of the pandemic before, and we haven’t put it in place because of the other challenges that we are facing. But hopefully, once we have the weaving center, we can conduct more of those workshops for the younger weavers,” Victor said.
He said they would make these workshops “more hip and cool” for the youth by encouraging them to feature weaving as part of their content on the popular social media platform TikTok.
Meanwhile, Ifugao weavers were thankful for the fundraising event, which would not only give them additional income but also a wider platform to showcase their word-class weaving skills.
Jhemar Guinulpian, who has been weaving for almost two years, told republicasia the importance of having a weaving center in their area.
“Importante po ‘yon kasi ‘yung ibang [weavers] malayo sa bahay, tapos hindi kasya. Gusto namin nandoon [weaving center] kaming lahat para magturuan kung hindi alam nung isa, [tuturuan] ng isa,” she said.
Through Kandama, the textiles and products made by Ifugao weavers were sold in the international markets, including New York, Cannes, Paris, Melbourne, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai.
Tickets for the “Weave It to Life” fashion show are now available on Kandama’s website, with prices ranging from P5,000 for Bronze tickets to P10,000 for Gold tickets.
