Culture, fashion in a MinaudiŠre

Thursday, October 20, 2011

A MINAUDIŠRE made of abaca fiber and dyed with the hues of native guava, embellished with the mother of pearl, is one of the pieces that shone the brightest during the October-run of Manila Fame International 2011.

Often called a clutch, a minaudiŠre is a French term that describes a small decorative case for carrying small articles such as cosmetics or jewelry.

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Mother and daughter tandem, Mae and Carmela Alcantara of Crystal Seas, made it known that Davao's ingenuity and craftsmanship is one of the best in the country, if not the world during the Manila Fame International 2011?s October run at the SMX Convention Center.

From their classy minaudiŠres that speak of understated elegance, to the daily bags that would perk up any outfit, the mother and daughter tandem was did not only bring pride to their products, but also to the city that they represent.

Made with the different fabrics woven by the tribes of Davao, embellished by pearls, and other semi-precious stones, these bags speak a lot about the place where they originated.

The clasp of one minaudiŠre was designed to look like a waling-waling, while another minaudere was designed with strands of banana fiber.

Other proudly Davao made products that were seen during the Manila Fame International 2011 are the art installations and furniture of Ann Pamintuan and the paper products of Tagum Development Cooperative.

While there are still a million and one things that needs to be done to ease the country out of the quagmire that it is in right now, trade shows like Manila Fame International helps in bringing pride to every Filipino.

Seeing all the beautiful products of Filipinos from all over the country is more than enough to leave is in awe of the craftsmanship and creativity of our design industry. But when you chance upon the familiar faces of people from Davao, whose presence at the trade fair is already a testament of their expertise in the craft, it bring a different kind of pride, especially to Davaoenos away from home.