From blankets to couture– ‘inabel’ gets a Zobel update | Lifestyle.INQ

OCTOBER 27, 2022

Paloma Urquijo Zobel,wearing her own “inabel” design, is previewing her Piopio collection at Greenbelt 5’s Designers’ Holiday Bazaar. —ELOISA LOPEZ
Paloma Urquijo Zobel,wearing her own “inabel” design, is previewing her Piopio collection at Greenbelt 5’s Designers’ Holiday Bazaar. —ELOISA LOPEZ
Paloma Urquijo Zobel,wearing her own “inabel” design, is previewing her Piopio collection at Greenbelt 5’s Designers’ Holiday Bazaar. —ELOISA LOPEZ

 

PIOPIO, in Spanish, is the tweeting sound a bird makes. It’s also the name of Paloma Urquijo Zobel’s fashion line using indigenous Filipino fabrics, which is being previewed in a pop-up at the Designers’ Holiday Bazaar at Greenbelt 5’s The Gallery, until Dec. 15.

 

Paloma is Spanish for dove, and Piopio will be sold exclusively in El Nido, Palawan— known for, among other things, bird’s nests. It’s where the Zobel scion will open in May, with her mother, Bea Zobel, an artisans’ village, a bed-and-breakfast, and a café, all named after the Piopio brand.

 

For her first Piopio collection, Zobel, 24, a graduate of New York’s Parsons School of Design, worked with inabel, a hand-loomed fabric from Ilocos typically used for blankets and bed linens, adapting them into contemporary casual and resort wear.

 

She also worked the inabel fabric into thrifted (ukay-ukay) denim skirts and jean jackets, putting a very Filipino twist into a hot trend: patchwork denim.

 

Ian Giron’s beaded totes and assorted gifting homeware and accessories
Ian Giron’s beaded totes and assorted gifting homeware and accessories

 

 Something different

 

Zobel says she worked with her costureras for three whole months on her first collection. Apart from inabel, she also has pieces made of Yakan fabric from Basilan, as well as woven bags from Bicol and Samar.

 

“I wanted to make something different with inabel, something which, I hope, elevates it from being just a blanket,” she says.

 

She made them into caftans, tunics, maxi skirts, mini dresses, cover-ups, as well as shorts and tops. Many of the pieces, including some jewelry, are one-off.

 

Bea Zobel says the soon-to-open Palawan property is meant to help Filipino artisans and craftsmen, where students and teachers alike can come to learn and appreciate local crafts.

 

Zobel breathes new life into denim skirts from “ukay-ukay”; here they are distressed and blended with “inabel” fabric.
Zobel breathes new life into denim skirts from “ukay-ukay”; here they are distressed and blended with “inabel” fabric.

 

Heritage

 

“It will be a venue to create,” she adds. “I think it’s really important for these things to live on. They’re our heritage and our soul.”

 

The Palawan property, called Lio, is Ayala Land’s first venture into eco-tourism development. The beachside destination will have resorts and boutique hotels, including the Piopio Jungle Bar and Café. It’s slated to open in May 2017.

 

The older Zobel is mighty proud of her daughter’s first collection. “It’s also priced really well, don’t you think? Inabel is an expensive fabric. I hope young people see the beauty in our local crafts.”

 

Piopio handwoven clutches from Bicol
Piopio handwoven clutches from Bicol

 

Full force

 

At Wednesday’s opening of the bazaar, the Zobel clan was in full force to support Piopio’s debut. Apart from her mom, Paloma’s grandparents, Ayala’s chair emeritus Jaime and wife Bea Sr., as well as aunt Kit Zobel and a motley of friends and family, were on hand to shop the collection. The designer and her mother wore pieces from Piopio.

 

The Ayala bazaar also gathered select artisans from all over the country, an annual project of Bea Jr.

 

There’s home accessories designer Ian Giron with his home giftware line and embroidered handbags, created with craftsmen from provinces like Bulacan and Cebu.

 

There are also paper crafts and décor by Tes Pasola; Christmas décor and handmade gift wrapping paper by Maricris Floirendo Brias of Davao; bamboo chafing dishes by Renato Vidal’s First Binhi Crafts; embroidered shoes and leather bags by Zarah Juan; embroidered linen napkins by Karen Santos’ Kassa; Bea Jr.’s own t’nalak totes; as well as Silnag carabao horn jewelry from Ifugao, a personal favorite of Bea Jr.

 

From Ifugao, Silnag carabao horn necklace —CHECHEMORAL
From Ifugao, Silnag carabao horn necklace —CHECHE MORAL

 

Assorted earrings by Piopio —CHECHEMORAL
Assorted earrings by Piopio —CHECHE MORAL

 

“T’nalak” totes from Bea Zobel’s own line
“T’nalak” totes from Bea Zobel’s own line

 

Embroidered shoes by Zarah Juan
Embroidered shoes by Zarah Juan

 

Decormade of paper by Tes Pasola
Decor made of paper by Tes Pasola

 

Decorative shell ladle by Ian Giron
Decorative shell ladle by Ian Giron

 

Piopio stafferwears the brand’smaxi skirt and top.
Piopio staffer wears the brand’smaxi skirt and top.

 

Dresses of “abel” Iloko by Piopio
Dresses of “abel” Iloko by Piopio

 

Piopiowoven bag from Samar
Piopiowoven bag from Samar

 

Dresses of “abel” Iloko by Piopio
Dresses of “abel” Iloko by Piopio

 

t1125moral-paloma_feat2_14
Piopio’s take on the hot patchwork denim trend: “inabel” fabric sewn into thrifted jean jackets —PHOTO BY ELOISA LOPEZ

 

t1125moral-paloma_feat2_15
Piopio’s take on the hot patchwork denim trend: “inabel” fabric sewn into thrifted jean jackets —PHOTO BY ELOISA LOPEZ

 

t1125moral-paloma_feat2_16
Piopio coat made of patchwork patterns of the “inabel”

 

t1125moral-paloma_feat2_17
Paloma Urquijo Zobel with her grandmother Bea Zobel, and mother Bea Zobel Jr.,who’swearing a tunic from Piopio

 

 

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

MOST VIEWED STORIES