Clippings: Fruit of the Loom, Preview Nov 2007 Pia Rojas

Pina, which has a shiny, semi-transparent quality, is already often used i the national men's dress shirt, the Barong Tagalog, and of course, wedding gowns. Spearheaded by the Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation, the combination of silk and pineapple fiber (pina silk) is now being marketed under the brand name Tepina. This textile is made of 50 percent silk while the other half is made of tough, translucent fiber of pineapple plant, known locally as pina. It is lightweight, all-natural, and also noted for its tensile strength as well as for its appropriateness to the tropical climate of the Philippines.

A homespun fabric with a transparent finesse, Tepina's gossamer look and feel is achieved by using silk as wrap (the vertical weave) and pineapple fibers as the weft (the horizontal weave). This combination gives the brilliancy and strength of silk, while maintaining translucency, rigidity of pina. Naturally, Tepina maintains an off-white hue. When dyed, this lustrous fabric shines with color. The fabric may also be embroidered with unique designs.

The entire process of making Tepina is hand-made, from the gathering of pina fibers to the weaving. The fibers are selected individually then knotted, making sure that each filament is the right size and shade.

Tepina utilizes The Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation's training program on extraction, processing, knotting, warping and weaving of pina and other endemic fibers like abaca, pandan, rattan and many others, into fine clothing and home accessories. Based in Puerto Prinsesa City, in the island of Palawan, the foundation may seem worlds away from the country's fashion center of Manila, much less Paris or Milan, but it's working tirelessly and has found much support from artists--writers, photographers, and designers Rajo Laurel, Iverluski, Aseron, Puey Quinones, Patty Eustaquio, and Patrice Ramos-Diaz to name a few--who have singed on to help promote the brand. "There's a certain satisfaction you get from using Tepina because you know you're helping a community of women, who are the weavers, aside from using an indigenous fabric," explains designer Patty Estaquio, President of the Young Designerss Guild. "Plus, there's a dye to match the specific needs of a client, a service not available with other fabrics."
"The art of the Philippine weaving is slowly disappearing," laments noted designer Rajo Laurel, "but with the advent of Tepina, we see a growth and the evolution of Philippine textile. It's exciting and inspiring to be part of something totally Filipino. Poets use words, painters use paint. I use fabric as my medium, and with this textile, I'm able to express myself eloquently."

In today's environmentally and socially conscious world, Tepina's hand-women, all-natural pineapple fiber fabric should find resonance with stylish visionaries who want to go green and be ethically fashionable. It's sustainable luxury for those who take pride in clothes made from local materials and designs.

Tepina apparel and Barong Tagalog, accessories (bags, shawls, neckties), and accessories for the home (table runners, screens, pillows, placemats) are available at their Pasay showroom. Tepina fabrics are sold per meter. The width of the fabric is limited to the hand span on the loom with a maximum width of 30 inches, though it can also be woven into a narrower width by special request. The plain woven Tepina fabric is pegged at P600 to P1400 per meter. Tepina weaves with design on warp, straight insertions, or with gaps range from P650 to P1000 per meter. Textured Tepina with patterned insertion ad scattered Suksuk retails between P700 to P1300. Textured shawls costs P900 to P1650, while ties costs P1300.

The Tepina showroom is located a 2635 Taft Avenue extension, Pasay City. Tel. No. 831 9816