From textile and animal skin, to embroidery and beadwork, the Great Women Lifestyle Collection is borne of rich culture and modern expression. A production that begins in the hands of women micro producers and weavers from various communities, cooperatives and indigenous groups from all over the Philippines, then synthesized in the workshops of designers, product developers, manufacturers and lifestyle entrepreneurs.
On November 9, Tesoro’s Handicrafts revealed the Great Women Brand in their flagship store on A.
Arnaiz Avenue in Makati City, celebrating yet another milestone on its 70th year in retail, as well as affirming its advocacy to provide women equal opportunity.
The Great Women Lifestyle Collection acquaints us to a class of responsible luxury.
- Statement cuffs by jewelry designer Wynn Wynn Ong, featuring semiprecious stones—such as carnelian and clear and smoky quartz—held together by a Bagobo kinatkat band, textile woven in Bansalan, Southern Mindanao.
- Colorful, playful bangles beaded by Subanen women from Zamboanga del Sur.
Functional home accents such as:
- Glass covers of traditional pata-dyong textile woven by the Miag-ao community of weavers from Iloilo, weighted by beaded animals by the T’boli community of Lake Sebu, Southern Mindanao.
- Triangular tissue holders made from indigenous textiles by the indigenous communities from the
southern Philippines. - Accent art pillow sets by artist Jeannie Javelosa, mixing the T’boli’s t’nalak textiles with her digitally printed 1989 lithograph entitled Nature Rising.
- One-of-a-kind beaded evening clutch bags with beadwork by the
Bagobo community. - Executive envelope clutch of fine cowhide leather and Bagobo kinatkat textile.
- Reversible satin stole with traditional Marawi langkit weaving.
- Ivory-colored sleep or lounge wear trimmed with piña fabric.
Great Women also encourages consumers to proudly carry and wear your culture—for instance:
- Casual canvas tote bag with leather accented by Bagobo kinatkat textile.
- Carry your statement through the #hashtag envelope clutch accented by Bagobo kinatkat textile.
- T-shirt accented with patadyong textile woven in Miag-ao, Iloilo.
- Blouses trimmed with yakan textile woven in Zamboanga del Sur and Basilan.
With artist Jeannie Javelosa leading the pack, other featured designers are Philippine-based Burmese jewelry designer Ong, bag maker Zarah Juan, and lingerie maker Camille R. Escudero. These women breathe leading-edge styling into the traditional.
In an economic environment saturated by pop or commercial goods, Great Women leverages on the creative and the artisanal, on the indigenous yet contemporary, on the natural and organic. By working with local communities, Great Women helps to revive the craft industry, and provide sustainable livelihood to artisans and their families. Behind each product is an awe-inspiring story demonstrating that a purchase is more than just a business transaction—rather, one with a gender lens, supporting efforts to uplift the lives of women and girls. Impassioned by women empowering women, Tesoro CEO Maria Isabel “Beng” Tesoro wraps up the intimate gathering with “We wish for a world that gives opportunities to everyone for advancement, regardless of gender, so the engines of economic growth can churn better and faster and benefit more, especially those in the countryside who need help the most.”
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The Great Women Brand stands for Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women. It represents the product-development efforts of ECHOsi (Empowering Communities with Hope and Opportunities through Sustainable Initiatives) Foundation, and is the private sector’s retail support to the Philippine gender platform. Formally launched in March 2013 at the Yuchengco Museum, it is an integrated and inclusive public-private partnership between the Canadian and Philippine governments to address gender issues in both micro and social enterprise development and to deliver a truly inclusive economic development. The goal is to help women up the supply and value chain. #WomenHelpingWomen
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Camille R. Escudero is president of Quality Philippine Export Lingerie & Apparel and founder of Lily of the Valley Period Panties, Active Wear, and Breast Care. She supports an export manufacturing company with 400 employees, 91 percent of whom are women. She is also a member of Business and Professional Women-Makati Chapter.