Thursday, September 28, 2006 Narda's eco-fiber venture
NARDA'S name in the Philippines is almost synonymous with contemporary "ikat". An interest that started 25 years ago has blossomed into a major enterprise.
Behind this effort is Narda Capuyan, textile designer and artist, whose professional nursing background hides an earlier training as a traditional weaver tutored by her mother, and honed in the great weaving tradition in Cordillera -- the mountainous area of Northern Philippines.
Two years ago, she started exploring new weaving directions and came up with a new line simply called "eco-fiber".
Narda is a consistent participant in the eco-fiber forum held every two years in Kuching, Sarawak in Borneo, which emphasizes in the use of natural organic fiber and the exclusive use of natural dyes from the plant world. An outgrowth of the environmental movement that harps against the use of chemicals in any form, focusing on things natural was a logical outgrowth.
What resulted is a series of tapestries and haute couture creations that show the potential for revolutionizing the direction of Philippines hand weaving and has led to the intensified use of things organic.
Using Philippine indigenous fibers that are generally unknown outside of the country such as abaca, saguran, raffia, maguey, jute, lupis, banana and buri, and embellishing them further with seashells, organic beads, semi-precious colored stones and seeds - had produced a body of work which the locals still have to warm up to but the Milan market can not seem to have enough of.
The new direction is not only eco-friendly but also harnesses fibers that were previously under-utilized and often thrown as waste. It also empowers the women weavers in many villages who had been displaced following the widespread use of machine-made items, to once again become gainfully employed and find new channels for creative expression. It is a signpost for a sustainable future.
Meanwhile, the inaugural opening of Narda's Fashion Atelier at the second floor of Narda's at 151 Upper Session Road last September 24 also featured a 15-minute fashion review which was originally unveiled at the Petronas Galeri in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Press Release)
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