HABI (WEAVE)
Binakol in kusikus pattern. Handwoven by the master weavers of Mang Abel Ti Abra.
LOCATION
Bulbulala, La Paz, Abra, Philippines
PARTNERS
bago operates in an ethical, slow fashion model. All of our garments are made in Los Angeles. We work with ANTHILL Fabrics to ethically source handwoven textiles directly from weaving communities in the Philippines.
HISTORY
Binakol textile is indigenous to the Ilocanos and Itneg communities of Ilocos and the Cordillera region. The weavers keep track of the complex geometric patterns of squares and rectangles completely in their minds without a manual or guide.
Dating all the way back to the 1400s, the Binakol is traditionally a ceremonial cloth used for protection as the optical illusion of the pattern is said to create a dizzying effect that drives away evil spirits. This particular pattern is known as kusikus, designed to resemble swirling, circular whirlpool vortices in the ocean.
