The Philippines is best known for its rich cultural identity. We have lots of products that are indigenous here—but now, let’s focus on inabel or Abel Iloco. It’s a traditional handwoven fabric done on ancient looms by the women in the Ilocos region. The fabric is sturdy and wearable, and through innovations by our local designers, it has become versatile as well.
Let’s appreciate the skillful hands of our fellow Filipinos and our colorful heritage by supporting sustainably-sourced and -made inabel. Check out these shops that are making this loom accessible to most of us:
Balay Ti Abel
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Balay Ti Abel is a 12-year-old local online shop offering inabel collections for homes. It started in the small town of Bangar, La Union. Now, it’s partnered with loom owners and weavers in that town and in the Ilocos. The brand has different sizes of blankets (from baby to king), hand towels, beach towels, and throws.
Locano
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Since 2015, family-owned Locano has been making inabel blankets from Ilocos Sur accessible via its online shop. For the summer season, this inabel brand launches the bright and vivid Siesta Fiesta buddy blankets, which can be used however you want—as a beach mat, wrap around, or a yoga mat topper.
Bi.Local
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Bi.Local is another online shop offering light and quick-dry all-around inabel throws, which are weaved by artisans at its partner community in the north. They’ve also released new Everyday Inabel designs for the season—Davey, Dylan, and Moby (on the photo above). Each comes in three new colorways.
WVN Home Textiles
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Aside from blankets and towels, WVN Home Textiles gives fresher treatments to inabel by making it into a robe, pillowcases, and stuffed toys. It’s also collaborating with a community of traditional handloom weavers in Bangar, La Union.
Mang Inabel
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Mang Inabel is another online shop that offers affordable inabel for the home like fridge towels (on the photo above), table runners, hand towels, scarves, and blankets among others.
Abel PH
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Looking for a brand that could customize? Check out Abel PH. It’s a “social enterprise by Ilocanos, for the Ilocanos” which has been offering wedding favors and gifts. They also have blankets, throws, and bed covers among others in pinilian, a “premium kind of inabel known for its embossed embroidery design,” writes Abel on an Instagram post.
Amianan PH
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Amianan is another social enterprise collaborating with the folks behind Abel. It has wearable inabel in the form of top and pants.
Abelilio
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Another brand that makes inabel more wearable is Abelilio. It makes footwear like espadrilles and mules with the durable fabric from Ilocos and abaca from the Bicol region. These are also carefully handcrafted by expert artisans.
Sisa Handloomed Products
For more pretty hand-loomed blankets and towels, browse through Sisa. They’re online and join pop-ups, but they’re also at The Park Fashion Lifestyle at UP Town Center.
Featured image courtesy of Bi.Local
Read more:
So you think you know your local weaves?
How you can beat the heat with linen, the ideal summer fabric
12 local shops to check out for your summer essentials
Writer: YAZHMIN MALAJITO
