Filipino textiles are experiencing a resurgence as entrepreneurs and designers are incorporating them in everything from bags and laptop cases to shirts, skirts, and even gowns. Tribes have their own traditional weaving patterns. Even though each group has its own distinct style, there are striking similarities as well, and each design is testament to these groups’ rich colorful heritage.

The Yakan tribe’s designs are inspired by the natural landscape. Their fabrics are characterized by geometric patterns and vivid hues and are made from pineapple and abaca fibers dyed with herbal extracts. The entire process is so labor-intensive that it can take a week to weave just one meter of fabric.

Another tribe makes fabrics from abaca. They believe their designs and patterns have been passed down to them by their ancestors through dreams. They’re well known for their cloth, which is used during occasions like birth, marriage or death. The hilets, or belts with small brass bells, are believed to drive away bad spirits; while the embroidery they use to accentuate their traditional blouses narrates the story of their relationship with nature and the spirits.

Apart from material, the color of textiles can hold significance as well. Yellow is associated with royalty and high status. Green stands for peace, tranquility and stability. Red stands for bravery and violence, white for mourning, and black for quiet dignity and purity.