Arte ni Juana turns indigenous weaves into modern handbags

By Edg Adrian A. Eva, Reporter

ARTE NI JUANA, a Cebu-based fashion brand, is carving out a niche in local and overseas markets by turning traditional Filipino weaving into modern handbags while providing steady income to women artisans across the Visayas.

Founded by designer Ma. Jo-ann I. Comedido, Arte ni Juana works with women weavers to produce contemporary bags using indigenous materials such as tikog, rattan and abaca.

The brand aims to pair traditional craft with designs that appeal to modern consumers, while keeping production rooted in local communities.

“When you purchase our bag, you do not just own a beautifully crafted piece; it has a soul, and it is made by women,” Ms. Comedido said in an interview via Microsoft Teams.

The idea for the brand emerged in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, when Ms. Comedido was struggling to keep her restaurant business afloat.

She started with a single bag made from tikog, an indigenous reed grass woven by women artisans in Samar.

The response encouraged her to pursue the concept more seriously, leading her to establish Arte ni Juana in 2021. By 2023, she had closed her food business to focus full time on the fashion venture.

Arte ni Juana now works with about 50 artisans, most of them women, from seven communities across Cebu, Bohol, Negros Island and Samar.

Two of these partner communities are within correctional facilities, where weaving provides both livelihood and skill development.

The brand’s main products are handbags, though it also produces home décor and functional crafts. Each bag typically passes through the hands of about five artisans, who handle weaving, embroidery and leatherwork.

Artisans also contribute ideas to the design process, helping shape products that reflect both tradition and creativity. The brand produces roughly 100 pieces a month.

Designs are intentionally playful and colorful. “They are fun, vibrant, and playful, inspired by my childhood and the environment where I grew up,” Ms. Comedido said.

Arte ni Juana has been expanding its footprint in tourist-heavy areas, with pop-up stores often set up in hotels in Boracay, Cebu and Bohol.

Its products have also reached customers abroad, including in the US, New Zealand, South Korea and Malaysia.

Challenges persist. Typhoons disrupt production in some weaving communities, while security concerns in parts of Bohol affect artisans’ ability to work consistently.

Ms. Comedido said stronger government action is needed to protect livelihoods threatened by conflict and natural disasters.

Despite these risks, she remains optimistic about growth this year, with plans for more designs and deeper engagement with overseas buyers, including clients in Australia and South America.

The brand also plans to expand to Palawan, Davao and Manila, though logistics remains a constraint.

Ms. Comedido said empowering women has a multiplier effect. “If you empower five women, 10 stay-at-home women benefit — it’s like empowering a whole community,” she said.

Women made up 70% of the global handicraft workforce, according to the International Trade Centre. In countries like India and Bangladesh, the number rises to 80%, particularly in rural areas.