Amira Top with Handwoven Indigenous Trim, Red/Blue

Our Amira top is the second life of our Amanda blouse, upcycled & enhanced with the handwoven trim by the Maranao indigenous community. Here is their story:

In 2017, a local domestic terrorist organization took over the city of Marawi in the Southern Philippines, resulting in a five-month-long armed conflict referred to as the Marawi Siege. Local residents, including those from the Maranao indigenous community, were affected and had to seek shelter in evacuation centers.

Displaced from their homes with nothing left but their weaving skills, Salika and her husband Jardin Samad fled to one of these centers. To pass the time, Salika started weaving “langkit” - a traditional indigenous trim usually connected to a “malong landap” used for special occasion wear - on a backstrap loom, which Jardin created by scavenging their surroundings for whatever parts they could find, such as bamboo and barbecue sticks. Originally a woman’s practice in their indigenous culture, her husband Jardin also began weaving, was criticized for doing so, but they kept on.

They amassed a small collection during their time at the evacuation center, and KINdom has supported this cultural indigenous weaving art by purchasing some of these precious langkit in 2018, which we have recently used to upcycle some of our Amanda blouse into the Amira top. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, since the langkit is handwoven and not mass-produced, so no two are alike.

The Amira will take you from season to season effortlessly. Made of bamboo/nylon fabric, it's perfect for warm weather; while for the colder months, layering a turtleneck underneath for a cool-girl effect gives it another vibe. Pair it with shorts, denim, high-waisted peg pants, or a skirt - the styling list is endless.

• Henley top with ruffle sleeves and handwoven trim; easy, boxy, drapey fit

• Self: 70% bamboo, 30% nylon; Contrast handwoven trim: 50% cotton, 50% polyester

• Self: Reclaimed fabric from dead stock, so no additional resources or chemicals used

• Made in China (self); Made in the Philippines (trim)

• Hand wash cold, hang dry or dry flat; or professionally wet clean (more eco-friendly), or dry clean