LIKHANG HABI AT KULTURA FAIR

It was an opportunity to see new products that are 100% Filipimo thru the press preview of LIKHANG HABI AT KULTURA FAIR yesterday at Kultura in SM Megamall.

Support Filipino artisans and help keep the cultural tradition of these crafts alive by dropping by the first Likhang HABI x Kultura Market Fair on April 13 to 15 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong. Part of the proceeds goes back to the weavers.

Though the advocacy started years ago, this is the first time that the organization tied up with organic plant kit corporation MNLGrowkits for a full guide on the Philippine cotton. That said, HABI will be having a lecture on cultivating and growing cotton—further emphasizing the fiber as an integral part of the native Filipino rituals and lore and indigenous culture.

Since 2009, HABI has been providing the weavers and vendors an avenue to further enhance their skills in creative design and modern marketing by exchanging ideas with consumers, designers, and traders. The weaving community’s level of product development has since grown: from placemats and blanket and then to jackets, dresses, shoes, and apparel. One of the exhibitors, Rosal Lim of Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation, revealed that being with HABI all those years has made a huge impact on the foundation’s brands and the people behind it. As they launch their first cotton line, Lim expects to help more weavers. “The more people that we can get to join, the more they get to be exposed to the possibilities that their crafts can give them. What’s good about weaving projects like ours or the ones all around the Philippines is it empowers the craftspeople to make a living off what they do best. The more you give them an opportunity to live off this craft, the more people will stick to it,” Lim said. Also for the first time, HABI is joining forces with Kultura Filipino, a pioneer cultural supporter in Filipino Craftsmanship. Kisha Roxas, senior marketing manager of Kultura, said that their collaboration for this year’s Market Fair is an exciting one, getting to highlight brands in the same bandwagon. “What we’re trying to do is, for HABI, they’re trying to promote the importance of Philippine cotton,” said Roxas. “For Kultura, what we want to highlight is really keeping traditions alive and keeping the heritage alive; the craftsmanship that goes into making all these beautiful textiles and materials. A lot of the products now are shortcut machine work, but the items that we have here are all handcrafted. There’s really a meticulous labor that goes into it.”