My friendship with ANTHILL founder Anya Lim is what first sparked my interest in weave wearing almost eight years ago. Though I’ve always known about her work, a speaking engagement in Cebu enabled me to finally visit her in the office and see some of the artisans in action. I learned that day that our ancestors treated weaves as their second skin. These intricate works of art symbolize one’s unique identity, while honouring the strength of a united community.
I fell in love with ANTHILL (Alternative Nest and Trading/Training Hub for Indigenous/Ingenious Little Livelihood seekers), and was awe-inspired by Anya’ s work. “We want to emulate the values of ants such as hard work, unity, and resourcefulness. Similar to an anthill, we envisioned the brand to be a place where a communal spirit is celebrated among different artisans, designers, weavers coming together to work for a common goal to elevate the value of our weaves,” Anya shared in an interview. They don’t just source from the weavers and employ artisans, they invest in community development programs for the communities- from product design to financial literacy- to ensure that their livelihood is sustainable, and eventually uplift them from poverty.
That office visit turned into a dinner, a breakfast the following day, another trip to ANTHILL before I left, and the beginnings of a friendship that would eventually solidify into the ‘ride or die’ kind. Even if our friendship is less than a decade old, Anya has become one of my best friends— and is one of the five people in my emergency contact list.
Anya and I in one of ANTHILL’s past pop ups in Manila
When my She Talks co-founders and I decided to explore venturing into merch collaboration, I knew ANTHILL would be the perfect first partner. They share our values, and our mission of empowerment. Like us, they were in the middle of a transition due to pandemic-induced challenges, and were looking for ways to provide employment to their sewing partners, without increasing their inventory at hand. We felt that She Talks Asia could help bring a fresh pair of eyes and a new marketing push, while ANTHILL could provide us with their technical expertise in slow fashion and sustainable retail.
Entitled KINAIYA, the capsule collection consists of thoughtfully designed and sustainably made versatile pieces that will support the livelihood of ANTHILL’s partner weavers & artisans, and help fund She Talks Asia’s mental health workshops for disadvantaged women. It is available for pre-order only, and will take three to four weeks to complete upon purchase.
Iza in the Lilac Chaketa; each piece features She Talks Asia’s signature interwoven lips.
Kinaiya is a Cebuano word that means ‘inner being’. The collection features different variations of the Binakol weave. I personally chose this weave because of its fun pop-art patterns, and its ties to my Papa’s Ilocano roots. Anya then shared with us that tribes from the North wore them to ward off evil spirits, believing that the dizzying patterns will confuse them. We now see these pieces not just as an expression of our pride and love for our culture, but as an armour that reflects our character, and strengthens our confidence to take on the challenges every day.
The collection comes in two styles : Chaketa and Alitaptap, and six weave choices. Each piece features She Talks Asia’s signature interwoven lips embroidered into the cloth. These blouses could be worn back to front, dressed up or down. Best part is, weaves are meant to last forever and to be constantly passed on to the next generations of weave- wearers.
These two styles come in three different colours each, and could be worn back to front.
WHO MADE THE CLOTHES?
One of the best parts about this collaboration is learning about the women who are making the clothes, and hearing them talk about their own goals in life.
Ate Vema and Ate Belen are two hard working mothers who are the independent makers of the Chaketa and Alitaptap blouses . Ate Vema hopes to save from this project so she could purchase a new sewing machine to replace her old one and take in more jobs. Ate Belen found a new job in a new workshop but needs the extra income to save up for the graduation requirements of her son who is about to pursue his dreams of becoming a nurse.
Left to Right: Ate Vema and Ate Belen
Our hope is that old and new weave wearers alike will feel as much delight and meaning in wearing these weaves, as much as we had in designing and curating them.
View the full collection at https://anthillmarkets.com/collections/kinaiya
Learn more about the partnership on: https://anthillmarkets.com/blogs/stories/she-talks-asia-a-partner-in-change
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I’m wearing the Cappuccino Alitaptap with purple lips
