ARTS & CULTURE
Tribal Colours Words by Lynsey Riach, images courtesy of Kulay
Meet Kharelly Sakilan, founder of Kulay - a clothing and accessory business here in Doha that works closely with local tribes of Kharelly’s home country, the Philippines.
C
oming from a long line of dressmakers, Kharelly has followed in her family’s footsteps to carve out a career in fashion. However this busy lady originally studied both Architecture and Interior Design. Calling Qatar home for the past 7 years, I visited the Kulay store to find out more. QH: Tell me all about Kulay, how did this enterprise come about? KS: Kulay Trading is a Filipino company that aims to promote Philippine culture and artistry to the global fashion industry. Kulay taps into our age-old tradition of crafting indigenous Filipino products
such as hand-woven fabrics and native handicrafts. These ethnic products are then given a new twist by infusing modernism to produce a fresher design that can be marketed internationally. By combining different elements and materials, Kulay aims to reach the youth fashion market whilst supporting the preservation and practices of our tribal communities back home in the Philippines.
our past. By reaching out to our tribal communities and tapping their natural skills and craftsmanship, we help them become self-sufficient and sustain their livelihood, conserve our culture, and save our communities.
KS: Yes, “Kulay” means “colour” in the Filipino language and depicts the Philippines’ vibrant heritage through a playful selection of rich colors and textures. Be it, clothing, bags, footwear, and other fashion apparel – the raw materials – from weaves to beads, are sourced from different parts of the Philippine archipelago and produced by skillful Filipinos.
The focus is to use hand-woven fabrics and indigenous products from our local tribal communities in the design and development of our fashion collection. Traditionally, our hand-woven fabrics are only used in manufacturing native or cultural clothing. As the use has become too limited and specialized, the marketability of these products has begun to decline. Because of this, most of our tribal folks started to look elsewhere for their livelihood, often venturing into the cities and ending up on the streets. Kulay is trying to bring them back to the loom and create a sustainable and fulfilling livelihood for them, making them proud of their heritage and culture.
QH: Social responsibility is something quite important to you, right?
QH: Tell me where your passion for this idea came from?
KS: Kulay’s aim is simple – we look to go back to our roots and enrich our culture by preserving the gifts of
KS: I love fashion, arts and design. I appreciate the uniqueness of the patterns and colours as made
QH: The name Kulay holds some significance to both your industry and culture, correct?
32
QH Sep 2016 - Aug 25.indd 32
8/25/16 11:22
by Philippine tribes. So I felt that I could combine good business sense and support and promote our indigenous people. Colours galore
QH: The designs are vibrant! Where do you find these ideas?
Unique items you wont find anywhere else
KS: From different parts of the Philippines where the indigenous people live and are isolated from the city. Materials are made of cotton, abaca fibre, pineapple fibre, pandan leaves; palm stalks and mostly Philippine plants. QH: Can customers have bespoke items made for them? KS: I offer both ready to wear items and customised designs. All production is in the Philippines so anything bespoke will take some time but I love to design and create so I always welcome such orders. QH: You also have a website selling your products, correct? KS: Yes, I offer items locally in my shop, which has proven to be very busy, a great success with tremendous support from the Filipino community but our business is also now spreading to other nationalities. My website offers international delivery so many customers can now enjoy shopping from home too. QH: What are your goals for the future of Kulay? KS: To become internationally recognised and continue to improve the workflow to the tribes by offering more demand for items and more variety of designs n For more on Kulay and to shop online please visit www.kulay.com.ph
33
QH Sep 2016 - Aug 25.indd 33
8/25/16 11:22