Piña

This fiber is derived from the leaves of the Red Spanish Pineapple plant. Each pineapple plant produces about 30 leaves seasonally that are harvested for use in the creation of Piña fabric.

The long and spiky leaves are pulled from the plant in an alternating jerking motion. The gathered leaves are then laid on a wooden plank where the cellulose (green skin) and tender surface of the leaf is removed by scraping with a ceramic plate. Once the outer layers are discarded, the fibrous veins that run up the leaf’s length are exposed, separated, and cleaned. Typically, this process is performed at river’s edge where the water aids the cleaning process by washing the excess threads down stream.

The fibers, which run approximately 1.5 feet long, are dried in the sun before being hand-knotted one by one to form a continuous filament. In order to form the thread, women tie the fibers together at home during the spare hours of the day.

The lightweight and water-resilient fabric is simply luminous. Often Piña is combined with silk for additional luster and strength.  We work specifically in the Aklan Region in the Philippines. Thirteen million tons of waste from global pineapple agriculture every year are alleviated through this process. To learn more about the production of Piña, click HERE.

“The human touch infused into the cloth by the touch of women who lovingly connect strands, strands that create a cloth more transparent than substantial. A cloth that appears delicate but is strong, built of the earth and by the hands that cultivated it. It holds form, shape, and volume directing the light through it and holding memories and dreams within it.” - Adèle