Truly, a remarkable and exquisitely woven piece of an art
Art in Passion. Elegantly Handwoven.
INABEL of ILOCOS NORTE
PHILIPPINES
About Us
Reviving an age-old tradition
A small town in Ilocos Norte re-creates the Inabel into a modern, exquisitely woven, world-class fabric
In a time when many people prefer the convenience and affordability of mass-produced fabric, a small town in Ilocos Norte took a leap of faith by reviving one of the town’s age-old traditions – the Abel Iloco.
A practice that has been handed down from generation to generation, abel (the Ilocano term for weaving) is a heritage that has largely defined the culture, creativity and ingenuity of the Ilocos region.
History has it that the hand-woven textiles called inabel was already a rooted tradition in Ilocos way back when Spain colonized the Philippines. The inabel fabric – known for its beautiful and durable material was a major export product during the Spanish galleon trade and was a big competition to the Spanish weaving industry.
The town of Banna – which is 38-kilometers away from Ilocos Norte’s capital city – has given inabel weaving a fresh start. But this time, with a twist to adopt to the preferences of the modern times.
“Banna’s culture and identity are deeply rooted in weaving. My husband’s grandmother, Nana Maria Abadilla – was a well-known businesswoman who designs inabel fabrics in Ilocos during her time. Her designs and patterns were so distinct that only the designs of Lola Magdalena Gamayo, a National Living Treasure awardee for weaving, come closest to her work, because Nana Magdalena of Pinili used to be the weaver of Nana Maria,” Banna Vice Mayor Chrislyn Abadilla, who revived this artisan craft, narrated.
And during the 1970’s, inabel weaving was so popular in Banna that Nana Maria would bring in various threads to be woven into different, beautiful patterns. But the craft was slowly put aside with the influx of cheaper and mass produced fabrics from all over the world. Along with it, and through time, came the demise of the cotton industry in the North.
With the encouragement of her husband, Banna Mayor Carlito Abadilla II to revive the almost forgotten craft, Vice Mayor Chrislyn – who is an Anesthesiologist by profession – commissioned the women in their town to venture into inabel weaving as an alternative livelihood source.
“I provided them with materials and later on, I created my own designs to give our products a more modern look. While we did not veer away from the traditional Ilocos patterns, we infused some designs that will give our products a more classy and modern look,” she said. She also has high regard to all the weavers of Ilocos Norte stating, "I have so much respect to all the weavers of Ilocos Norte and the provinces that have the weaving industry, because they were weaving for years, its their life, thus when you take a look at our inabel, you will really see and feel the difference. What good would it do to the weavers of Banna if the designs will just be copied from the other weavers, and that is the reason why we create our own identity, our own designs."
In that year 2018, the Sudemari brand was born.
“Sudemari was coined from the Spanish words Suda De Maria, meaning Maria’s sweats – which was coincidental with Nana Maria’s name. Meanwhile, the term Maria in Ilocano means is ‘kababaihan’, or (women) which we further translated Suda de Maria into a more meaningful well-versed terms in tagalog to ‘Pinaghirapan ng mga kababaihan’ to give more emphasis and intimacy to the handwoven (inabel) products that the women in our community make, and that is SudeMari,” Abadilla emphasized.
As an artisan product, a single sudeMari shawl takes about two to three days to finish. But those with more complex designs can take weeks to complete.
Despite the tedious production process, Abadilla has no intention of turning to machines just to produce more inabel. “We prioritize quality over quantity. Our goal is not only to create livelihood opportunities for the women of Banna but to embrace our heritage through each woven fabric that we share to people. I think that is the purpose of sudeMari, and why we are here, we want to share our purpose. It is our desire to serve every women's dream of becoming a queen,” Abadilla shared.
She added that people who acquire the handwoven Sudemari shawls or any of its product made of handwoven inabel of Banna understand the hard work that comes with the creation of each sudeMari inabel piece. “There is a story behind every handwoven fabric. Every design and detail is intricately incorporated in our products, adding more elegance and uniqueness to each piece, we care about fashion, yes, but we care more of what our clients would feel if they have their own sudeMari,” she furthered.
"It is a piece of walking art, it is exquisite, and not in every design is repeated."
"It is a conversational piece in every gathering."
"It is a luxury in every woman's closet."
"It is an eye candy to every woman's dress."
"It is a sudeMari for every fashion-conscious women."
"Every women should have it. It is made with details of the personality of the bearer."
True enough, in the short span of time that sudeMari was introduced to a niche market, it already gained the nod of several agencies. In 2018, just a few months in business, sudeMari was recognized as one of the most outstanding local products by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Now, Abadilla is trying to expand sudeMari’s line, maintaining its integrity, by creating various products made from inabel cloth. Apparently, the brand is getting a greater following and attention through the social media. “Many of our clients do not mind the cost that comes with handcrafted goods. They know the worth of every piece of sudeMari, the details, the intricacies in each sudeMari piece, it is not only a fabric, but an ingenuity that you can carry, it is a piece of a walking art. And what they are more interested is the story behind each masterpiece, how it is intricately designed and woven, how every smile and joy from the weavers heart is all worth it, because each sudeMari handwoven INABEL is indeed all worth it,” she said.
The inabel of Banna has finally taken off – bringing in livelihood and a greater sense of pride to the small town that has almost forgotten its unique weaving tradition.
(K.M.R. Ombao)
We are sudeMari. And we value U!
Aside from creating exquisitely handwoven fabrics that can be utilized for scarves, and other things. We also make our part in the community.
What’s interesting about sudeMari?
The rare character of SUDEMARI is attributable to the fact that it is the only handwoven fabrics produced in the province of Ilocos Norte in exclusive and limited quantities by truly traditional methods of loom weaving anywhere in the world.
Hundreds of distinctive patterns have developed over the years since it started on 2017, each is unique with its own, characteristically subtle designs and complex natural shades.
Soon, the cotton that we will be producing in the agricultural lands of our home, in Banna Ilocos Norte will be fibre-dyed organically, making use of only the colors of what the nature speaks, before blending and spinning, allowing the Suda De Maria Design Team to introduce a multitude of colours into the thread. With each thread containing a myriad of different colours inspired by the landscape of our beloved town of Banna, a fabric woven exquisitely of great depth and complexity will be produced.
Because of the way that SUDEMARI farbic is created, there is almost an unlimited number of patterns, shades and colours to choose from - all the way through from striped patterns, hand painted by the Filipino artists and out trademark traditional gap designs to more complex and modern design combinations.
Indeed, SUDEMARI is elegant in its own way, classic, and one-of-a-kind art in passion that you can bring with you anywhere, everywhere.
Make a difference.
Be a Sudemari.
Only in Banna, Ilocos Norte.
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sudeMari INABEL. Woven by Hand. Crafted by heart.
2 Hilario, Banna, Ilocos Norte 2908
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Banna, Ilocos Norte, Philippines 2908