Indigenous Filipina Weavers Unite for Endangered Arts with KINdom, LA-based Sustainable Lifestyle Brand

Just in time for AAPI Month, indigenous Philippine fashion and home accessories will enjoy a rare spotlight during the Weaving Stories and Dreams Tour.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, May 3, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Indigenous Filipina Weavers Unite for Endangered Arts with KINdom, LA-based Sustainable Lifestyle Brand

Just in time for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, indigenous fashion and home accessories from the Philippines will enjoy a rare spotlight when Los Angeles-based brand KINdom presents the Weaving Stories and Dreams Tour, coming to Los Angeles May 10-14, 2024.

Indigenous Filipina artisans will be demonstrating their traditional crafts at all the tour’s events. These gifted makers will be offering an alternative in a market dominated by fast fashion and major brands. Specifically, the ancient craft of weaving on backstrap looms is being celebrated after being disparaged for years. Appearing on the tour are Evelinda Otong-Hamja, a fourth-generation Master Weaver from the Yakan indigenous community; Myrna Pula, also known as Nanay (“Mother”) Myrna or Bebing, the Culture Bearer Storyteller of the Tboli people; and Virgie Nicodemus, Cultural Expert and Advocate of Philippine indigenous groups and crafts. The two aforementioned artisans were recently featured in the April 2024 issue of Vogue Philippines. They will also be sharing origin stories and ancient folk tales.

KINdom designs the Tboli, Yakan, and other indigenous textiles plus age-old embellishment techniques into contemporary silhouettes. “We’re making ancient craftwork new. We’re taking traditions of creating clothes that the Tboli, the Yakan and other indigenous communities have been using for hundreds of years, and infusing it into something relevant for today,” Powers said. “Indigenous people - being stewards of the Earth for generations and taking care of 80% of the planet’s biodiversity - have an intimate connection with their craft that machinery and mass production do not have. With the Weaving Stories & Dreams Tour, I want to show and develop a direct connection between the maker, the product, and you, the consumer. As a Filipina, I don’t want these indigenous craftsmanship to disappear, as they are currently threatened with a new generation who would rather assimilate into modern society instead of learning and preserving these ancient techniques. I want my child and future generations to see and feel these ancestral works, that they are alive and well, and not just in a museum. The Weaving Stories & Dreams Tour honors our past through cultural appreciation & awareness.”

There are one-of-a-kind and limited edition handwoven, hand-embellished, and upcycled pieces from KINdom as well as the Tboli and Yakan artisans including apparel, jewelry, textiles, and home wares, which will be shown at the Los Angeles events and at the e-commerce boutique KINdomshop.com.

After stops in Hawaii, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego, Weaving Stories & Dreams' successful run will end in Los Angeles. It will make a stop the Vegan Women's Summit at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood on May 10, and the Unique Markets at the California Market Center in downtown Los Angeles on May 11 to 12. There will be an additional intimate cultural gathering for the artisans at the Meraki Creative Lounge in Eagle Rock on May 14.

Spearheaded by KINdom, Rag Royalty, and CulturAid, the Weaving Stories and Dreams Tour is a labor of love co-sponsored by the Vegan Women Summit, House of Gongs, Elle Karayan, PASACAT, Kularts, and Malaya Filipino-American Dance Arts.

For more information, or for interest in collaborations with the artisans or KINdom, please contact info@kindomshop.com.

About KINdom

After the birth of her child, Claire Powers aspired to develop clothes and styles that wouldn’t damage the environment and would treat workers ethically. Powers founded KINdom in 2017, a size-inclusive, age- and gender-inclusive brand. Headquartered in Los Angeles, KINdom uses sustainable, natural, recycled, reclaimed and indigenous materials. It has been sold at KINdomshop.com, various partner e-commerce platforms, pop-ups, and at independent boutiques around the globe.

Glynn Barrish-Carroll
KINdom
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