Monday, January 30, 2012

And I'll say it again: Hello!

I'm Apol Lejano-Massebieau, and I used to make sweet fabric sculptures, apples, pears, and little birds under my label La Pomme. Now I am shifting to functional objects, creating bags and jewelry from material hand-crafted using traditional techniques by tribes and communities in the Philippines.

Why the Philippines? I now call France home, but I was born in one of those 7,107 islands. My new line is called 7100 Islands. ( Rounded off, let's forget the 7 islands that disappear in high tide :D.)

Not many know it, but there is a strong tradition of weaving in the Philippines. Cloth with names such as T'nalak, ramit, and hinabol, made by the T'boli tribe, the Mangyans, and the Higaonon. Each meter is meticulously created by one person, on one loom; and before that came the work of preparing the fibers for weaving. T'nalak is made from abaca, hinabol from hemp. Ramit is made from recycled cotton, mostly leftover cuttings from jeans companies. The end result are a few precious meters of beautifully vibrant colors and a texture that is very tactile.

I  have been fascinated for the longest time with the rich culture of handmade in the  islands, and had always wanted to work using material from there. So now I make the jump.

3 comments:

  1. It's so exciting to see you making this new start with something you are clearly so passionate about, dear Apol! I can't wait to follow your progress as your beautiful line of bags (and whatever else you decide to create!) grows to be as well loved and successful as La Pomme :)

    Love from your biggest cheerleader, Naomi xxx

    GOOD LUCK! xx

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  3. NAOMI and INGER, happy to see you here, girls! Thank you so much for the encouragement.

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