Italy-based bag designer, Mai Cojuangco, collaborates with local brands and artisans to produce distinctive pieces showcasing Filipino heritage
A one-of-a-kind collection that encapsulates the rigour of artisanship: Mai Cojuangco's latest project was a year in the making. Materials had to traverse the globe, journeying back and forth between Italian artisans and Filipino weavers. What has resulted is a unique fifty-piece collection that showcases bags in three timeless silhouettes. There is the Sempre, following the structure of a traditional tote, the Demi, reminiscent of a canteen bag, and the Bucket, which follows its namesake form.
Read more: Weaving Patterns in the Philippines: Heritage, Design, and Their Meanings
Championing female talent, the collection showcases the creative strengths of women from different groups and organisations. This project was spearheaded by three familiar brands: DEMETRIA, which is the brainchild of Mai Cojuangco, Filip+Inna, headed by founder Len Cabili, and Idée.
Of course, the spirit of the design would not be complete without the T'Boli, Mangyan, and Tausug tribes, who hand-embroidered each piece to perfection.
There to provide a canvas for the weavers' art were Florentine artisans who cut and prepared the selection of leathers needed. Back and forth between Italy and the Philippines, these bags slowly but surely began to take shape. What we have now is the finished product: a proud line of unique accessories that are, quite literally, one-of-a-kind.
