Past the city lights of Dumaguete City, in the quiet town of Valencia, is a weaving community of abaca weavers that planted the inspiration to our 2019 Summer Collection, Anihan. Anihan or harvest honours our country’s vivid rural heritage, one in which Fernando Amorsolo, the Philippines’ First National Artist in Painting depicted so well in his award-winning works of our countryside.
Under The Mango Tree, Palay Maiden, Mango Pickers
ANTHILL’s Textile and Apparel Designer Jessica Ouano witnessed idyllic scenes as she immersed in a small but proud community of mothers weavers and farmers in Valencia. She was inspired by the intergenerational and communal spirit of their hand and heart work -- the reaping of their harvest, the picking of fruit-bearing trees, and the sharing of stories after a day of honourable work.
Anihan showcases voluminous silhouettes for the working woman -- she who embodies the extraordinary strength and grace of Amorsolo’s subjects, showcasing the strength of the dalagang bukid, the camaraderie of the maidens in a stream, and the self-sufficiency of Filipina harvesters who nurture both the hearth and their home.
Their spirit is passed on to the modern women of today, those who continue to cultivate social impact in their own fields of passion. Women such as our proud weave wearers Kakki Teodoro (Founder of Diet Diva / Actress), Anna Oposa ( Chief Mermaid of Save the Philippine Seas), and Reese Fernandez (Social Entrepreneur of Rags2Riches and Things That Matter) all plant seeds for nation-building with the hopes of reaping positive change not only for themselves but for future generations as well.
Kakki Teodoro wearing the Bambanti Top
Anna Oposa wearing the Estefania Top
Reese Fernandez wearing the Paray Top
The Anihan collection is comprised of three blouses with feminine silhouettes and puffed sleeves reminiscent of the countryside. The Tinagba skirt is a reinvented version of our bestselling Tagpi pencil skirt, while the Esmeralda mini is a more casual version of our Esmeralda midi and maxi. And if you love our layered Loro skirt, try the twirl-worthy dress version Halamanan as well.
Celebrate the bounty of this beautiful harvest from our heritage.
