2019 Generation T Honouree Paloma lets us in on how she is transforming PIOPIO from a fashion label into a full fledged lifestyle brand that is all about the beauty and power of the Philippines.
PIOPIO’s birth was a happy accident. Paloma had lived outside the Philippines for most of her life and had only been in Manila for about a year before making the move to Palawan, to help her mum develop Kalye Artisano in Ayala’s Lio development. She and her team were travelling around for research when she came across Inabel, the native weave of Ilocos. Paloma realised that the Philippines had something that was very much in demand in other countries, and wondered why these weren’t getting the same recognition here. And so they journeyed to other local communities to source more Filipino fabrics for her fashion label.
This venture has been able to showcase local talent while empowering the people behind them. Since PIOPIO started, more and more weavers have come into the fold. That in itself is a success since local weaving methods are only taught to the next generation—no printed pattern or blueprints are available for anyone to use as a guide. This is also why the brand doesn’t keep their weavers exclusive to them, so as to not hinder a significant part of the culture to be further shared.
