7,107 Design Inspirations

We’ve started mentoring the finalists for FDCP’s “Weaving the Future” fashion and design competition, and their design entries are all inspired by the fabrics & materials found in any one of our 7,107 islands.  Finals of the competition will be in November, so watch out for that because it’s sure to be super exciting!

Without preempting any of their work, I’ve put together my personal inspiration album of many of the amazing sights–and sites–that Ito and I have been lucky enough to have seen while traveling around the Philippines (though there are many more places that we’re looking forward to seeing thanks to the new video just released by the DOT.  View it here 🙂  Pilipinas, Tara Na!).  Sometimes it’s okay to be a foreigner in your own country, if it allows you to see it with new eyes 😉

Thatched roofs, feathery brooms and freshly grilled food in the night market Sutokil in Mactan, Cebu

Frothy lace, intricate embroidery and handmade headpieces at the Santacruzan fiesta in Cebu

Wrought-iron chandeliers, mother-of-pearl accents, modern colonial Philippine design in Cebu

Original art deco buildings and a lovely, well-preserved vintage calesa with brass trim in Malate, Manila

Pale, delicate ruffles of handmade, hand rolled dumplings in Chinatown, Binondo, Manila

Tomato-red and yellow-gold Chinese lanterns against a centuries old Catholic church in Binondo, Manila

Mirror-smooth lagoons, multi-hued skies & nature in full splendor in Coron, Palawan

Bleached sand, bleached limestone & bleached denim on a Tagbanwa fisherman on his ancestral property in Coron, Palawan

Sunset with all the shades of gold and copper on the open seas of Coron, Palawan

Chilly temperatures and breathtaking views above cottony streaks of clouds in the mountainous town of Sagada, Mountain Province

Beautiful cow (and equally beautiful cow hide, LOL!) against a pebbled dirt road on the way to Sagada, Mountain Province

Undulating patterns and lush greens on the amazing rice terraces of Sagada, Mountain Province

Sculptural looking driftwood, corals and shells on the beaches of Panglao, Bohol

18th century Byzantine-Romanesque architecture on the Our Lady of Assumption Church in Panglao, Bohol

Gorgeous lavender wildflowers and architectural foliage on the coral island of Balicasag in Bohol

Blue skies, turquoise waters and a fringe of swaying palm trees on the long stretch of beach on Boracay (photo by John Lacson)

Twinkling stars, bursts of fireworks and glowing phosphorescence on the beach of Boracay

Dark, modern weaves, powdery white sands, crystal blue waters on the long stretch of beach in Boracay

It’s time to travel around the Philippines and get inspired!

 *Photos by Ito Ocampo