Philippe Tarsier goes for a pineapple look
PINEAPPLES ARE BEING fed into the crafting of high-end fashion - Philippine craftsmen are using the fruit to make exclusive fabrics for handbags.
Patricia Moussempes, designer for handbag label Philippe Tarsier, said it took one person using a narrow bamboo loom a day to hand-weave a metre of the pineapple fabric from thread created from the plant's leaves.
She likened the pineapple material to organza. 'It makes a very special fabric, compared to the mass production of China. It's an upmarket style. We want small volume, not mass market.'
The Hong Kong-based label, named after the endangered Philippine Tarsier monkey, uses other unusual materials such as coconut fibre, Belgian linen, Peruvian cotton and Italian damask silk.
The label plans to exhibit beaded and metallic evening bags at APLF Fashion Access, after its success with international buyers at the last show.
Another Hong Kong-based exhibitor is C-Corp International. The group typifies the trend in local companies to switch focus from manufacturing brands for others to creating their own branded ranges.
'Everyone's trying to add value and we will start retail stores as well in three to five years,' said director Matthew Chow.
The group started selling leather 30 years ago, moved to manufacturing 15 years later, and eight years ago established the first of its six brands, which now include C-Bags, Soda Pop and Champagne Pop. C-Corp will launch a range of stylish leather portable computer bags for women at APLF Fashion Access.
