Jaki Peñalosa, a touch of old and new

While the catwalk is filled with clothes made of silk, satin, georgette, and cotton to name a few; hablon, pina, and silk cocoon have inched their way to become the next big thing in fashion. These products of Panay have dominated the catwalks of fashion capitals in Asia, the United States and Europe. Illonggos have noticed the beauty of these local materials.

One of them is Illongga fashion designer Jaki Penalosa, a member of the Designer Guild of Iloilo (DGI.) “I love the imperfections of hablon and pina. I simply am fascinated by and love looking at their patterns,” says Jaki.

A tradition
Jaki’s grandmothers were weavers of hablon and pina. In the 70’s, her parents and aunt opened a business called Philippine Handicrafts and Embroideries which specialized in Philippine handicrafts and shell crafts.Jaki, the fourth among seven children, helped in the business as a designer. She suggested to her mother that they open an Ready-To-Wear (RTW) line, an opportunity where she can introduce her own designs. They had three branches then in the city:  in DTI, Hoskyns Compound and Amigo Plaza.

In the 1980s, they exported embroidered caftans to Nigeria, and some products to the United States.When Jaki got married, she became the manager of the three stores. In 1990, she became the owner of Kayumaggi Embroideries, soon renamed to Kayumaggi Designs.

She had her first fashion show in 1993 during the ASEAN Week held at the Indonesian Embassy in Los Angeles, California.“I designed casual clothes then. The models in the show were the children of Pitoy Moreno’s models. A fashion show that featured Renee Salud and myself and a Muslim dance were the presentations of the Philippines, with Tito Sotto and Helen Gamboa introducing us,” she said.At present, she is one of the founding members of The Designers Guild of Iloilo and presently holds a showroom of her collections at the Ground Floor of Robinsons Place Iloilo.

Indigenous and Contemporary Touch
Jaki said that nowadays, she pushes for the use of pina, hablon, and silk cocoon. “it’s about the subtlety, texture, creativity and wearability,” she said.

Jaki's Websites:
http://www.jakipenalosa.com/
http://jakipenalosa.multiply.com

Showroom
Ground Floor, Robinsons Place Iloilo, Ledesma Street, Iloilo City, 5000, Philippines
Telephone: (033) 5085401

Workshop
Princedale Subdivision, Bonifacio Street, Arevalo, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines
Telephone: (033) 336-4122

Contact
Tel.: (033) 508.5401 / 508.5401
Mobile: (0917) 9312726
Email: info@jakipenalosa.com