Fashion retail brand Plains & Prints collaborates with luxury heritage brand Aranaz, showcasing fabulous pieces infused with local spirit. Dubbed the Capsule Collection, this line of tropical-print apparel and handcrafted bags combines the stylings of mother-daughter trio Amina, Rosanna, and becky Aranaz. Prior to its release, Plains & Prints posted a series of videos on their Facebook page showing how the bags from the collection were mostly made by hand and with intricate attention to detail.

This is not the first collaboration between Plains & Prints and local designers. The likes of Rajo Laurel, Rhett Eala, and Vania Romoff have all lent their talents with the local label, but this partnership with Aranaz offers something different: Filipino crafts.

The Philippines is known for its many crafts, a lot of which are indigenous such as traditional loom weaving and basket weaving. By making use of natural fibers—such as cotton, silk, and linen—indigenous artisans are able to make a variety of apparel such as clothes, slippers, and hats. Unfortunately, these types of intricate works don’t find a mainstream audience, instead being relegated to museums and tourist shops. As amazing as the craftsmanship is, we don’t see these fashionable pieces as something for everyday use. Instead, we opt for foreign brands or even foreign means of production, forgetting the fact that our country has its very own way of making stylish apparel.

This is where the beauty of the collaboration comes in. With Plains & Prints, one of the most successful local brands today, introducing the artisan significance of Aranaz to their wide consumer audience, they’re proving to Filipinos that locally-crafted products are as fashionable and stylish as wearing international brands. The line also emphasizes national identity, being able to reach the heights of style and couture while remaining grounded in the culture in which its designers come from.

Find the Capsule Collection in various Plains & Prints outlets nationwide.