By LOUI GALICIA, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau 03/19/2009 2:35 AM
The bags made by international designer Cora Jacob were an instant hit at the exhibition at the Museum of Bags and Purses, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
During the opening of the exhibition on March 5, VIPs and guests immediately grabbed the bags and with gusto.
In fact, 50 bags with prices ranging from 100 euros (6,200 pesos) to 250 euros (15,500 pesos) were sold that night.
The world’s largest museum of bags is now almost running out of bags for the special exhibition that will close on May 3.
Half of the 300 bags that Jacob flew in from the Philippines were already sold after only one week.
The first Jacobs to be plucked from the display were the white shell bags with crystals and the black bags made from buntal fiber.
The bags didn’t fail the impeccable and elegant tastes of two socialites who bought five bags each.
The wife of the owner of high-end clothing store Mexx, a popular world-wide brand, was so impressed at the bags.
“You just recognize good quality, value for money and most of all you know that you are helping the people back in the Philippines because you are complimenting their work and they can carry on with their craftsmanship,” Surekha Arora told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Her socialite friend, who’s also from Mexx, could not resist checking out all the bags on display which she said can be in the running with haute couture.
“They are very special, very elegant a lot of them and the casual one can be used in a lot of places. Casual but still elegantly useful,” Christina Shar said.
Filipinas were also caught in the mad frenzy, leaving some problematic because they just could not decide which bag to choose from.
Pinay businesswoman Mia Van Eendenburg already grabbed a beige buntal clutch bag but found it very difficult to restrain herself from the glass cabinet where a red bag was seemingly pulling her.
“Paano ko mabibili lahat kasi they're all nice nga. Kasi, tignan mo ‘yong kulay red. Ang ganda ng kulay red. Isa pa. Sasabihin ko sa asawa ko. Ito kasi pera ko ‘to ngayon eh,” Van Eendenburg said.
The most popular of the bags were the ones made from buntal because aside from their very high quality, they are also very light.
“Pinupukpok ‘yan, kinukuha isa-isa ang fiber at wini-weave. Inaabot ng isang linggo bago makatapos ng isang weave ng buntal na ginagawa nating isang bag. Kaya pag tinignan natin ang produkto natin makikita nyo ‘yong mga yaring kamay, weaving,” she explained.
Jacob said that one only needs to look and hold her bags to immediately know that the designs have been crafted by and for women.
Jacob believes that women should not sacrifice ease and comfort just for fashion that’s why her bags, even the large-sized ones, are always light to carry.
Jacob is happy at the warm reception received by her buntal bags. She said that through her craft, she aims to help revive the dying buntal industry in the Philippines.
as of 03/20/2009 7:46 PM
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/03/18/09/pinoy-made-bags-selling-hotcakes-amsterdam-0
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Filipinos celebrate Belgian fiesta 'Pinoy style'
By LOUI GALICIA, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau 03/05/2009 12:16 PM
Filipinos joined the biggest fiesta celebration in Belgium held every year in the Eastern Flemish town of Aalst.
Filipino residents played hosts. This culture of hospitality is one of the traits that Pinoys brought with them to Europe.
Whenever there is a fiesta, there certainly is a banquet of food.
That's why during the recent fiesta in Aalst, Pinoy residents there prepared sumptuous feasts to celebrate.
"Simpleng salu-salo para lang mairaos ang piyesta dito sa Aalst sa Belgium. Katulad din sa Pilipinas pag piyesta, ganun din dito," hospital worker Bobot Pasos said.
There was an abundant supply of food and non-stop invitations to drop by every Filipino home.Native dishes such as the kare-kare, pancit, dinuguan and puto were served as well as favorite desserts like ube, cassava and buko pandan.
The celebration had become an avenue for families, relatives and friends to get together to lessen the feeling of homesickness among Filipinos.
"Ginagawa namin itong lugar na aming bahay na open para sa kapwa namin Filipinong bumisita dito. Parang sa Pilipinas, bukas ang pintuan, kahit sino ay welcome," said embassy driver Bong Medrano.
After the very heavy lunch, the Pinoys put on their heavy jackets to withstand the cold weather and endure the six-hour parade.
From 12:30 p.m., the streets of Aalst came alive with color and loud music from the traditional parade participated by more than 70 participants.
The fiesta is a three-day extravaganza to give residents time to take off from their work to celebrate the occasion.
"Eto ang pinakamalaking piyesta dito sa Belgium na dito ginaganap sa Aalst," said Merly Pasos.
The colorful and spectacular procession displayed unique giant caricatures on floats.
Marchers wore elaborate costumes and marched in choreographed movement.
Majority of those who took part in the parade were men in women's costumes.
A lot of spectators, including Filipinos, wore costumes.
Supermarket worker Doming Solo wore a costume to watch the parade every year because he feels that it is also important to join in the Belgian celebrations.
"Nae-engganyo ka na sumali ka sa ganito dahil masaya. Kasiyahan ng nanonood at kasiyahan din ng mga bata," Solo said.
The fiesta is a signal that winter is almost over and that spring is coming.
For Pinoys, a fiesta is a time to display a few good traits distinctly Filipino like hospitality, generosity, camaraderie and goodwill.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/03/05/09/filipinos-celebrate-belgian-fiesta-pinoy-style
Filipinos joined the biggest fiesta celebration in Belgium held every year in the Eastern Flemish town of Aalst.
Filipino residents played hosts. This culture of hospitality is one of the traits that Pinoys brought with them to Europe.
Whenever there is a fiesta, there certainly is a banquet of food.
That's why during the recent fiesta in Aalst, Pinoy residents there prepared sumptuous feasts to celebrate.
"Simpleng salu-salo para lang mairaos ang piyesta dito sa Aalst sa Belgium. Katulad din sa Pilipinas pag piyesta, ganun din dito," hospital worker Bobot Pasos said.
There was an abundant supply of food and non-stop invitations to drop by every Filipino home.Native dishes such as the kare-kare, pancit, dinuguan and puto were served as well as favorite desserts like ube, cassava and buko pandan.
The celebration had become an avenue for families, relatives and friends to get together to lessen the feeling of homesickness among Filipinos.
"Ginagawa namin itong lugar na aming bahay na open para sa kapwa namin Filipinong bumisita dito. Parang sa Pilipinas, bukas ang pintuan, kahit sino ay welcome," said embassy driver Bong Medrano.
After the very heavy lunch, the Pinoys put on their heavy jackets to withstand the cold weather and endure the six-hour parade.
From 12:30 p.m., the streets of Aalst came alive with color and loud music from the traditional parade participated by more than 70 participants.
The fiesta is a three-day extravaganza to give residents time to take off from their work to celebrate the occasion.
"Eto ang pinakamalaking piyesta dito sa Belgium na dito ginaganap sa Aalst," said Merly Pasos.
The colorful and spectacular procession displayed unique giant caricatures on floats.
Marchers wore elaborate costumes and marched in choreographed movement.
Majority of those who took part in the parade were men in women's costumes.
A lot of spectators, including Filipinos, wore costumes.
Supermarket worker Doming Solo wore a costume to watch the parade every year because he feels that it is also important to join in the Belgian celebrations.
"Nae-engganyo ka na sumali ka sa ganito dahil masaya. Kasiyahan ng nanonood at kasiyahan din ng mga bata," Solo said.
The fiesta is a signal that winter is almost over and that spring is coming.
For Pinoys, a fiesta is a time to display a few good traits distinctly Filipino like hospitality, generosity, camaraderie and goodwill.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/03/05/09/filipinos-celebrate-belgian-fiesta-pinoy-style
Pinay bag designer impresses Dutch royalty
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By LOUI GALICIA, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau 03/12/2009 7:35 PM
Tagged as the "pilot of fashion" by the Dutch Queen's Mistress of the Robes, Filipina Cora Jacob received approval and admiration for her bags during the opening of her exhibition at the Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam.
Jacob flew in 300 bags from the Philippines that are on display at the world's largest museum of bags until May 3.
Most impressed, among the more than 100 guests who attended the opening, was the guest of honor, a member of the royal household of Holland's Queen Beatrix.
"I think Cora Jacob bags are extremely highly fashionable, highly original and made of absolutely incredible materials. I love them. They are very, very much haute couture, especially the evening bags," Mistress of the Robes Martine van Loon-Labouchere said.
The exhibition of Jacob's spring/summer collection is part of the celebration of the National Arts Month organized by the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands.
"Gusto nating ipakita ang bags na made in the Philippines using Philippine materials so ito ay pagkakataon na hindi lamang mga kababayan makakita nito kundi mga tao mula sa ibat ibang bansa," Ambassador Romeo Arguelles said.
The high-quality bags made of buntal, capiz, bamboo, leather, raffia and other local Philippine materials are very unique.
Jacob said that her works of art always pass the delicate and rigorous hands of the women in the provinces in the Philippines, notably from her hometown in Bulacan.
Philippine identity
Her bags' colors depict the background and rich natural resources of the Philippines such as white for the pristine sands of Boracay, orange for the sun, green for the fields and farms, blue for the seas and brown for the mountains.
For Jacob, more than creating, it is her happiness to help raise the status of the industry of bag making in the Philippines.
"Tinutulungan namin ang mga kababayan sa mga probinsya sapagkat nanduon po sa probinsya ang lahat ng materyales. Gusto po namin ay matulungan ang mga kababayan natin na ang mga produktong yaring Pilipinas ay makarating sa iba't-ibang panig ng daigdig," Jacob said.
Jacob said that there is an abundance of raw materials in the Philippines but the problem lies in the lack of innovation and improvement.
Having worked for fashion giants such as Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Nina Ricci and Givenchy, Jacob should know everything about quality craftsmanship.
Upgrading quality
With her family, Jacob established the Cora Cares Foundation in order to teach Filipinos how to increase the quality of their craft.
With her family, Jacob established the Cora Cares Foundation in order to teach Filipinos how to increase the quality of their craft.
"Para mas maraming tao ang matutong gumawa ng good quality. Dahil naniniwala kami kung maganda ang quality ng ginagawa nyo, hindi na kayo kailangang maghanap ng trabaho, hahanapin kayo ng trabaho," Jacob said.
"Noong una ako ay parang naliligayahan na yung mga high end, high couture sa Paris ay kinikilala ang likhang kamay ng Pilipino, although wala akong pangalan kundi yung brand nila, pero alam ko naman who I am, and because of that, I was already happy and pleased to serve the high-end line, hanggang later on, nagkaisip na ko na lagyag ng brand ko yung mga produkto ko na binebenta namin noon sa 21 countries," Jacob added.
For the Pinay who has already tasted life in the world of haute couture, it is now time to give back all the blessings she has received by sharing her knowledge to her countrymen, particularly the women.
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