Yes, Filipino handicrafts can look modern, world-class and timeless

Back in the day, you couldn’t mention “Philippine handicrafts” without a slight eyebrow raise or tongue planted firmly in cheek.

The attendant associations were comical or just plain kitsch: You knew you were Filipino when you had that giant wooden spoon and fork on your wall, usually hanging beside the Swords of the Moro plaque, and if you had a really good sense of humor, you kept a little wooden man in a barrel around just for laughs.

Of course, the advent of Imelda Marcos changed all that. Thanks to her, the Philippine terno, capiz chandeliers and Marikina shoes each took flamboyant turns on the global stage.

While the shoes gave rise to a whole new set of associations, it was a definite evolution for Philippine handicrafts. We were no longer just kitsch, but a country identifiable by its homegrown exotica crafted from indigenous materials.

That was quite a while ago, though. We’ve come a long way with our world-class export products and haute furniture, but what is the real state of Filipino craftsmanship today, and what face are we presenting to the world via our handiwork?

Adora’s Eman Pineda, for one, has been trying to change people’s perception of Philippine handicrafts as being “ethnic and indigenous.”

“We want to bring back those glory days when customers could find items of much use and significance to both Filipino and non-Filipino consumers alike,” says the president and curator of this boutique department store in Greenbelt 5. “How do we mix the influential time when Imelda used to give Filipino-made items to foreign dignitaries with something relevant for us today and for daily use?”

His answer was establishing Adora Artisan, a line of fashion and home accessories crafted from native materials, yet boasting a design sensibility that could rival those of the world’s most visionary ateliers. “Adora Artisan has to be made in the Philippines but the end product does not necessarily have to look ‘ethnic,’” he says. “In fact, the aesthetic is quite linear and geometric in a way — very contemporary.”

And how. Minaudieres and clutches look like architectural wonders done in miniature; leather wastebaskets stamped to resemble crocodile skin double as stylish storage solutions for wrapping paper; beautiful leather boxes with elaborate silver or brass handles can hold special flatware in the kitchen, or stash the trinkets cluttering your dressing table.

“My personal favorite is a shagreen pencil holder, but women may use it to hold a credit card, lipstick and tiny phone,” Eman says. “Adora’s in-house design team works closely with Filipino artisan craftsmen on what is possible, what can be made. The collaboration is key as in the end, each Adora Artisan item needs to have both function and form.”

Though it’s called a “curated” collection, the design all starts from scratch. “The key is in the in-house design team of Adora,” Eman says. “For example, just to get the right proportion of a clutch, the in-house team would stare at it for hours, then repeat it over days, to really make sure it is the right proportion, weight, feel. We definitely design our own collections.” For Adora Artisan, “curated” refers to pieces that are “strong and timeless.”

“(We’re) always on the lookout for new materials that have not been used yet, like laser-cut abalone, or paua, shell,” he adds. “We are the first to use this shell in the worldwide market.” These colorful shells are then tinted further to achieve fantastic iridescent effects — in opulent shades meant to complement seasonal fashions.

Adora Artisan’s mission: to do away with all that accessory clutter.

“The same designs and material application are seen in the market, which is why we wanted to create something different,” says Eman. “Not ethnic, not ‘indigenous,’ but something very cosmopolitan.”

For instance, an Artisan tray can be used as decor in the home, or for your morning coffee; a mother-of-pearl clutch can be used for a wedding, but you may also be tempted to wear it with jeans on a night out.

New collections come out twice a year, but Eman says they’ll never go out of style. Striking materials go into the design of their perennial pieces, like clutches that use shell, wood, leather and metal. “We are now developing collections that use stone as a main material,” Eman says.

With all these natural materials, how sustainable are Adora Artisan’s pieces? “We make sure that the materials we use are eco-friendly,” promises Eman. “In fact, we use tiger pen shell to obtain the look of tortoise, which is already endangered and not being used by Adora Artisan. All stingrays (from which shagreen is derived) come from eco-friendly farms. Adora Artisan is not about the destruction of nature, but using it to form beauty and function.”

And do these eye-catching accessories cost as much as world-class luxury items?

“In Adora Artisan we make sure the price-quality ratio is always taken into consideration,” he assures, from affordably priced soft bags to mid-range mother-of-pearl clutches to luxe, velvet-lined minaudieres made from jade or white-lip mother of pearl.

Time to take down that wooden spoon and fork, and let Adora Artisan take your Filipino home and wardrobe into the future.

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Adora Artisan fashion and home accessories are exclusively available at Adora Department Store, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City.