|
BAGUIO CITY—It
was not an overnight success. But Leonarda Capuyan, owner
and managing director of Narda’s Handwoven Arts and
Crafts, has made worldwide waves in the textile and
fashion business and has become a source of inspiration to
many entrepreneurs.
Her
innovative and entrepreneurial skills for more than 35
years in promoting the old tradition and customary
practice of weaving clothing and tapestry for rituals and
occasional events has propelled the Philippine weaving
industry to better
heights.
“True
success is not measured by the gains we have now. Ever
since, I wanted to do something to help people and, at the
same time, preserve our loom- weaving culture. I think
that’s where our success comes from,” says 65-year-old
Capuyan, who hails from a remote village of Besao,
Mountain Province.
The
company employs 220 workers in its La Trinidad, Benguet,
and Baguio City factory and show rooms, and maintains show
rooms in major malls in Manila.
Capuyan is
best noted for Ikat, an ancient technique for tying and
dyeing segments of threads before actual weaving, which
became a big hit in the international market. Narda’s
became the first outfit to commercially weave Ikat
products in the Philippines. For her, Ikat weaving is more
important to the Filipino than art, fashion or livelihood.
The
art-and-craft business’s factory show room has the world’s
largest selection of contemporary Ikat handbags, wall
hangings, rugs, tablecloths, dresses, scarves, belts and
the like on sale for prices seen as bargains by foreigners
and a fortune by most Filipinos. Its export goes for four
times as much and accounts for 60 percent of business
revenue.
Because of
fine workmanship, attractive and fashionable colors and
adaptation to changing consumer tastes, Capuyan’s products
enjoy great demand in local and foreign markets. Her
products are often showcased in international exhibits and
fashion shows in Germany, France, Hong Kong, Canada,
Japan, Australia, India, Malaysia and the United States.
Narda’s
was, in fact, invited to the world eco-fiber and textile
art exhibition and fashion show to be held in Tokyo,
Japan, from the end of March to mid-May 2008. Here, all 10
Asean countries will showcase their textiles in natural
dyes and fibers.
“I never
get tired of showcasing our cultural heritage and ancient
art of weaving,” Capuyan humbly says, adding, “Magaling
ang Pinoy, eh [Filipinos are good].”
Simple
beginnings
The
venture started in the Cordillera highlands in 1972 as an
alternative pastime for women to keep them busy from
“making more babies.”
As a
former rural nurse, Capuyan did more than teach birth
control to more than 150 unemployed women in La Trinidad,
Benguet. She discovered an effective method for
controlling fertility among unemployed women: give them
occupational activities.
“When the
women devoted their time to weaving, I noticed that
fertility began dropping. So, in a way, it helped control
the population explosion and, at the same time, provided
employment and income for the women and their families,”
Capuyan recalls.
From then
on, the women began making blankets, which they easily
sold for a profit in the cold mountains of the
Cordilleras. The first blanket was sold for P15 at that time. Capuyan
quit her job as a family-planning nurse in order to assist
the women in developing family enterprises. Capuyan
supplied—often on credit—inexpensive yarn from
Manila; in
turn, the families wove blankets and sweaters.
It was in
1973 that Capuyan became excited with the weaving
industry. With a measly P3,000 as start-up capital, she
and her husband Wilson, who is a builder, initially
purchased five looms, hired five weavers and started
producing vibrantly designed products.
The
business grew fast. Capuyan acquired a P475,000 loan from
the Development Bank of the Philippines to build a small
weaving-factory building to cope with mass-production
demands. She had 200 women working on 71 looms.
From
simple blankets, Capuyan moved on to weaving bedspreads,
draperies and upholstery fabrics for
Baguio City’s
famous hotels, such as the old Pines Hotel and Hyatt
Terraces Hotel, as well as the Manila Hilton, Manila Hotel
and the Philippine Village Hotel.
The big
break came in 1982 when a department store in New York
featured its products in an all-Philippine sales
exhibition. The show led to Narda’s foray into different
parts of the world.
“We did
not expect that venturing into the traditional art of
weaving will be this successful,” Capuyan says modestly.
“Money is not our real motive, but educating the young
generation about the beauty of their culture. And, at the
same time, we wanted to continue providing work for our
people.”
Reaping
awards and recognitions
Since its
humble beginnings, Narda’s has gone a long way. In 1982
Narda’s received the Golden Shell award, the most
prestigious award given by the Ministry of Trade, for
excellence in exports and for reviving a dying indigenous
art.
A
significant award was the outstanding Countryside Investor
award presented by then-President Corazon Aquino in 1989.
The Philippine Marketing Association also recognized
Narda’s very forward and uncomplicated network open for
the indigenous entrepreneur, and awarded her the Agora
award for outstanding achievement in export marketing.
In 1999
she was selected one of the 100 Women of the Philippines
who have excelled in their work and contributed to
national development.
In 2006
Narda’s participated in the World Eco-Fiber and Textile
Forum in Malaysia, where she unveiled her new embellished
fashion collections integrating the designs into natural
and renewable fibers sources.
Up to this
day, the business’s continuous innovations are those that
broaden the appeal of Ikat to young modern consumers
worldwide: fresh and modern designs that highlight
unsurpassable quality and texture of native fabrics.
“I owe
these all to the Almighty. He is my teacher and I know we
are here for a purpose,” Capuyan proudly says, adding that
there were also many obstacles on their path to success.
When they
were starting the business, they were also swindled and
fooled many times. “I thought that was the end. But my
husband is always there to encourage me and give me
strength.”
Going back
to the root of success
As the
popularity of the magic of Narda’s fills the fashion
world, Capuyan realizes there is nothing better than going
back to the root of her accomplishments by educating the
younger generations in the Cordillera region on the
traditional arts and skills of weaving.
Capuyan
and her husband are not only devoting their time to the
weaving industry. The couple has also decided to put more
time to the cultural well-being and economic development
of indigenous communities through the Winaca Foundation
Inc., which they formed after the 1990 Baguio earthquake.
Capuyan
says the Foundation is responding to the increased use of
chemical fertilizers in local farming by promoting,
practicing and educating people about organic agricultural
practices. It has held training seminars on farmer health,
bamboo propagation and indigenous-fiber use. | 
