Ilonggo fashion brands you should know
Modern Visayan fashion is making waves in the Philippines, thanks in part to innovative designers such as Ilonggo Jor-El Espina. His signature “Bomberong” jacket, a clever play on the classic bomber style featuring intricate native embroidery, has turned heads and put the Visayas region on the fashion map. This trend extends beyond Espina, with other brands from Panay Island making their mark in ready-to-wear clothing and custom jewelry.
Designs by Marie
The patadyong, once relegated to skirts and tablecloths, is experiencing a stylish revival, thanks to Designs by Marie. This brand caters to city women who want to embrace their Pinoy pride with a touch of modernity. Their signature loose-fitting tops, crafted from patadyong fabric with vibrant plaids, stripes, and floral and bahay kubo embroideries, have become coveted statement pieces.
Sisters Susan Marie Liao and Kristine Marie Liao-Treñas started their venture in Antique, where local weavers often sold traditional patadyong wraps to their mother. Recognizing that the traditional color palette (red, yellow, blue, black, and earthy browns) wouldn’t translate well to city tastes, the sisters collaborated with the weavers to modernize the fabric. This included using trendier colors and incorporating its signature embroideries.
Designs by Marie sources its fabrics from weavers in Bugasong and Tibiao, with production taking place in San Jose, Antique. The brand’s main retail outlet sits in Iloilo, where Treñas manages the business.
One of the brand’s defining features is its commitment to unique, custom-dyed threads. “You won’t find a pistachio shade or a specific purple shade anywhere else,” says Treñas.
For the upcoming holiday season, Designs by Marie is introducing festive pairings such as maroon and green, incorporating vintage elements and playful lines and checks. “It will be a more playful take on the patadyong,” Treñas adds.
Visit their website at designsbymarie.ph or follow them on social media: @designsbymarie.ph on Instagram and Facebook. Email designsbymarie.ph@gmail.com or call tel. no. (0917) 162-7018.
Kathy & Kathy Bespoke
Nature’s beauty and local heritage intertwine in the exquisite custom jewelry by Kathy & Kathy Bespoke. Ilonggo entrepreneurs Kathy Añover and Kathy Babst champion Filipino craftsmanship through their unique designs.
The brand launched with medallions featuring iconic Iloilo churches, establishing its commitment to keepsakes. While retaining its signature Art Nouveau aesthetic and filligree, Kathy & Kathy Bespoke has expanded to encompass gold pieces with gemstones and captivating materials. Imagine cameos crafted from rare sardonyx shells, enamel sourced from Prague, or corals from Italy and Taiwan. Their collection also features Sleeping Beauty turquoise, vintage jadeite, luminous Akoya pearls from Japan, and majestic South Sea pearls from Australia.
Although their workshop is in Manila, a visit to their Makati showroom at the Metrostar Building (by appointment only) is something that must be experienced. Explore their prototypes and discover the perfect heirloom piece.
Schedule an appointment through their Kathyandkathybespoke.com or @kathyandkathybespoke on social media.
FiestaPh: Souvenirs with a Soul
FiestaPh started humbly as a backyard t-shirt business in Iloilo. Jobert Peñaflorida, a law student then, used his garage as a base to supply local retailers. After marrying Rhea, the venture blossomed, encompassing souvenir items and t-shirts showcased in their Iloilo and Boracay stores.
Riding the wave of national pride, FiestaPh developed vibrant fashion. The cotton t-shirts are infused with ethnic fabrics, while the men’s polo shirts sport ethnic embroidery. The FiestaPh store at One Ayala has become a haven for pasalubong and gifts for men.
The core product, the t-shirt, takes center stage embellished with textiles from across the Philippines: inabel and pinilian from Ilocos, kantarines from Abra, Kalinga and Isabela weaves, hablon from Iloilo, Yakan fabrics, pis yabit from the Tausugs, and t’nalak from the T’bolis.
The men’s polo shirts are equally appealing, featuring cross-stitched patterns by the T’bolis in South Cotabato, panubok embroidery by the Panay-Bukidnon tribes, and embroidery from the Itneg (Tingguian) tribes.
Rhea Peñaflorida, an active member of the Zonta Club in Iloilo, saw an opportunity to empower local women. By encouraging fellow members to order from embroiderers, particularly housewives, FiestaPh, along with the Zonta Club, provided them not just a livelihood, but also a sense of joy through the simple act of purchasing threads in the local town center, offering a welcome break from household chores.
