Metallic is among this year’s top fashion trends. Local and international fashion designers put their twist on the glimmering style using the lushest materials, from brocade and lamé fabrics to crystal embellishment and all sorts of beadwork. But for this social enterprise, metallic style can be achieved through upcycled soda can pull tabs.
Established in November 2022, Project Katipuneras is on a mission to add more substance to style. Together with its partner mother artisans, they are introducing bags, jewelry pieces, and other home decor and accessories that are sustainable, handmade, and beautiful.
According to Project Katipuneras’ Smarla Pernato, the idea behind the brand started with five friends who met each other in a volunteer group for a political campaign. As their friendship blossomed, they decided to put up a social enterprise to help mothers and raise funds for their initiatives.
“We didn't want to sell just any product, “Smarla tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “We wanted to sell products that were made by a group of nanays (mothers) so that we can help on two fronts: support the livelihood of nanays as well as donate to our chosen NGO.”
It takes a long process to transform the pull tabs into something chic. These discarded materials are donated by a soda company, bars, and restaurants, which are then cleaned, sanded down, and polished to be ready for production. Once they have a lot of soda can tabs, the artisans crochet, sew, and weave them together based on a design. It takes less than a day for the mother artisans to make a pair of earrings and a necklace. But for more complex designs such as bags, it takes them two to three days to finish a piece.
“We are not directly involved in the production of these upcycled bags,” Smarla explains. “We helped design some of the items (Naomi bag, Leonor bag, and coasters). But most items were already part of the catalog of our partner nanays.”
“We primarily work with one group of women artisans from Metro Manila,” she adds. “They handle the entire process of producing these products, from preparing the tabs and sewing the tabs together, to sourcing and adding the necessary hardware (e.g., clasp enclosure, chain strap, and earrings hook).”
As per Project Katipunera, an average person drinks about 36 gallons of soda per year. This means that over 1,267 pull tabs are being put to waste. By upcycling these aluminum materials, Project Katipuneras not only helps mothers find a sustainable means of income but also aids in raising awareness about the impact of shoppers' choices on the environment.
“The fashion industry generates a lot of waste. Project Katipuneras wants to create a more sustainable alternative by using upcycled materials.” Smarla says. “By doing so, we can demonstrate that our local women artisans can create products that reduce waste but are also stylish and functional. The products also demonstrate our commitment to empowering communities by giving them a fair wage for their specialized skills and creativity.”
To know more about Project Katipunera and its pieces, visit @projectkatipuneras on Instagram.
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