(Left to right) Virgie Nicomedus, Evelinda Otong, and Myrna Pula will join LA-based sustainable brand KINdom in highlighting indigenous cultural practices such as hand-weaving and crafts, storytelling of indigenous folk tales, and more. | Photo via KINdom
NEW YORK—Los Angeles-based brand KINdom will present the Weaving Stories and Dreams Tour from May 10 to 14, 2024, during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI).
KINdom, a sustainable and ethical apparel and accessories brand, will feature indigenous fashion and home accessories from the Philippines. Indigenous Filipina artisans will demonstrate their traditional crafts at all the tour events. These gifted makers will offer 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. These two artisans were recently featured in the April 2024 issue of Vogue Philippines. They will also share 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,” Claire Powers, Founder and Creative Director of KINdom, 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.”
Powers wants the Weaving Stories & Dream Tour to show and develop a direct connection between the maker, the product, and 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,” Powers explains. “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 and awareness.”
According to KINdom, some unique and limited-edition handwoven, hand-embellished, and upcycled pieces from KINdom and the Tboli and Yakan artisans, including apparel, jewelry, textiles, and homewares, will be shown at the Los Angeles events and at the e-commerce boutique KINdomshop.com.
The Weaving Stories and Dreams Tour will have stops in Hawaii, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego, culminating in Los Angeles. It will stop at 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.
