Our Story

 

KAAYO, in Bisaya means "kindness","to go beyond", and "for the good". Kaayo Modern Mindanao is a curated collection of different Mindanao stories. It is rooted in honouring the extraordinary skills of Mindanaoan artisans.

Founded in 2016 by mother-daughter team, Mary Ann "Baby" Montemayor and Margarita Nograles, Kaayo is a confluence of several factors that converged at the right time. Mother Baby is a staunch advocate of all things Mindanao. Marga, on the other hand, has been working with women for livelihood projects on top of her businesses engaged in fashion and retail. She was inspired to come up with a business model that would both empower and provide sustainable livelihood to the women. What started as a small partnership with a T'boli mother-daughter tandem is now a sufficient enterprise. Kaayo stays unique because of personal style. Marga believes that with personal style comes creativity of bringing not just fabrics and textiles together, but communities, groups and ideas as well.

Kaayo aspires to be more than just a clothing brand. It aims to be a creative platform that honors Mindanao and brings Mindanao to the world.