Christian Louboutin bags feature Philippine T’nalak Cloth

Date Posted May 2018

IMAGE Courtesy of Neiman Marcus

The world-renowned French fashion designer, Christian Louboutin, popular for his iconic high-end stiletto with shiny, red-lacquered soles, visited the country last November to attend the Philippine Tatler Ball and to take inspiration from Manila for the latest designs for his bag collection.

He collaborated with the GREAT Women Brand Platform in the Philippines and recently released two (2) totes, both done in a curated mix of traditional weaves.

IMAGE Courtesy of Neiman Marcus

The Italian-made bags are named as “Manilacaba.” The bags feature textiles such as T’nalak and bear Pinoy-flavored design elements such as the jeepney and words like "Makati," "Philippines," "With Love," and "No Selfies."

T'nalak is a traditional cloth found in Mindanao island made by a group of people in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato called T'bolis (Tboli people). This traditional cloth is hand-woven made of Abaca fibers which traditionally has three primary colors, red, black and the original color of the Abaca leaves.

In 2017, Christian Louboutin also highlighted the Mexican craftsmanship in his bag designs and called it the “Mexicaba“ handbag, a tote he designed in collaboration with the artisans of Taller Maya, a foundation that works to preserve traditional, local craftsmanship and ensure the long-term economic empowerment of Mayan artisans.