Textile Stories: Filipino Pinilian

At Travel Patterns our heart and mission is to weave traditional textiles and patterns into our everyday lives. We do this by working directly with partners in several different countries to create products that not only look amazing but are also ethically sourced. We strive to not only make these textiles accessible, but to also educate on how they are made.

Today we are featuring the Filipino Pinilian textile that can be found in our Luzon Collection.

Pinilian is a type of Binkol weave utilizing a complicated brocade. This weave is indigenous to Ilokanos and Itnegs communities of the Ilocos Region on Northwest Luzon, the northernmost island in the Philippines where Manila is located. This region is well known for the handweaving traditions which is why we decided to explore partnerships here.

Pinilian brocade is created by using a complicated weave where sticks are inserted on chosen warp (lengthwise) threads. These create designs that give a “floating” effect on the threads, thus the weave has a three-dimensional quality. Traditionally Pinilian designs incorporate elements of nature and their environments.