The Mindanao Indigenous Tribes
The T’boli indigenous tribe originates from Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. They are known as the T’nalak Dream Weavers. We have been with this community for over 23 years, even before Kaayo was born. They are known for their back-loom textile T’nalak, woven from tie-dyed abaca fiber. Besides woven fabrics, they are also skilled in embroidery and beadwork, which are highly sought after. We have partnered with them to incorporate their textiles and hand-beading into our products, adapting these traditions to modern fashion.
The B’laan tribe also hails from Davao del Sur. We have been with this community for over 6 years. The B’laan have their own weaving system using abaca fiber and back-strap loom where they hold rituals seeking for divine guidance before weaving any pattern or design. They are also skilled in embroidery and beadwork. We’ve blended their traditional craftsmanship with our style to create something fresh and modern. 
The Mandaya tribe is native to Davao del Sur.
The Bagobo Tagabawa tribe is from Vitaug, Davao del Sur. We have been with this community for over 7 years. For hundreds of years, Bagobo Tagabawa has created Inabal, a weaving process that is hand-woven from abaca fiber. This technique has been passed down through generations within the community and families. Their handcrafted fabrics and beading are now part of our designs.
The Tagakaolo tribe comes from Davao del Sur. We have been with this community for over 5 years. The Tagakaolo are skilled in basket weaving, embroidery, loom weaving, blanket weaving, and in crafting headdresses, beaded necklaces and more. They also make abaca jackets or blouses decorated with mother-of-pearl discs accented with glass beads. We teamed up with them to use their textiles and hand-beading, giving it a modern spin for today’s fashion. 
The Ata Manobo tribe is based in Davao del Norte. Ata women have long mastered weaving liyang baskets made from abaca, rattan (uway), and bamboo (bagtok), all gathered from the forest. Collecting these materials requires hours of trekking, and weaving a full basket takes about three days. |
