The Filipino holiday spirit shines bright at this festive pop-up
There’s a distinct charm in Filipino holidays: From the bursts of color everywhere, decorations and twinkling lights on the road and in every establishment and home, to the cooler season made warm by the thought of long-awaited reunions and gatherings. Of course, there’s also the thought of gifts, of finding the perfect offerings for one’s nearest and dearest.
At a cozy nook of Power Plant Mall, four proudly local brands have banded together to host a collective pop-up called “Nayon Natin: A Bayanihan Pop-up.” First held last August to showcase the storytelling and craftsmanship of Filipino artisan communities, the pop-up store is extending until the end of October for a specially festive presentation of crafts.
Creations and collaborations
Led by Cebu-based Anthill Fabric Gallery, the pop-up also features creations by and collaborations with bold and playful jewelry brand Tropik Beatnik, eclectic textile goods brand Studio Siriusdan, and handcrafted leather footwear by Andante. The four different brands are tied together by a common thread: a strong ethos for Filipino artisanship and a drive to uplift and promote the use of local materials and textiles.
This pop-up extension leans more towards the holiday (aptly called “Pasko at Nayon Natin”), offering products that are perfect for all of our festive affairs: From vibrant pieces to wear to parties to holiday-themed decor—all gift-worthy, of course.
“What we offer here are very meaningful gifts. Ang Pilipino, sobrang big natin on Christmas, and we’re very big on sharing, gift-giving, and celebrating things together. Dito rin sa Nayon Natin, we’re all about bayanihan, coming together to work for the same mission. That’s why we call it a bayanihan pop-up,” says Anthill co-founder Anya Lim at the holiday pop-up’s launch.
The special collaborations between the four brands also continue to highlight the spirit of bayanihan that the pop-up has been championing. These collaborations have resulted in vibrant pieces that aren’t just fashionable, but also serve to honor different artisan communities of which the brands are a part of.
Uniquely local
Celebrating their 15th year, Anthill has collaborated with their pop-up partners to create a range of gift-worthy products that infuse the essence of both Anthill’s mission and the respective brands’ design philosophies and artisan stories.
Being one of Anthill’s first circularity partners, tropical design studio Tropik Beatnik uses retaso and scrap weaves from Anthill to create beads and accessories. For the pop-up, the scrap weaves are incorporated into detailed designs for Tropik Beatnik’s Coral Bloom tops, as well as in several bag charms and headbands.
Meanwhile, Studio Siriusdan puts forward their expertise in home design, crafting Philippine map tapestries that feature the respective weaves of each region, alongside hand-painted Indigenous and ethnic iconography.
And for Andante’s special collaboration with Anthill, woven textiles by Argao, Cebu-based community Hablon ni Laurania are incorporated into handcrafted step-in mules. The hablon weaves on the mules come in vibrant colors and patterns like plaid, checkered, and stripes.
“Weaves are rarely used for shoes, but we want to reach as many proud weave wearers as we can. Andante has a young demographic, and we want the young to appreciate our weaves and culture as well,” Lim says of the collaboration.
Shop local, gift local
Aside from using local textiles, the various collections on display at the pop-up carry the heart of Filipino culture and holidays in their designs. Other noteworthy pieces include accessories and charms in the form of beloved Filipino Christmas treats like puto bumbong and bibingka, regional dishes like the famous lechon and puso (rice pouches) of Cebu, or our quintessential tropical fruits like mango and buko.
For those eyeing conversation-starting pieces, consider textile coasters woven into the shape of bilaos, or parol-shaped ornaments that come in a kaleidoscopic selection of colors as plentiful as the actual parols.
“You’ve been hearing ‘shop local’ for a long time, and it’s really nice. But I think it’s about time to hear the term ‘gift local.’ You shop, and then, you gift it to someone else. It’s really nice because now is the perfect time for shoppers to enjoy the quality of handcrafted products. You help not only us, but also the communities we work with,” says Studio Siriusdan’s Cyrus Cañares.
A peek at the shop’s facade also lists several other local brands featured in the pop-up, such as Adante Layesa, Gouache, Hocus Prints, Hacienda Crafts, Libraria Books, Kinabuhi, Piesa, Super Inday, and Ugnayan.
Nayon Natin: Anthill Bayanihan Pop-up runs until Oct. 31 at the R2 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati.
