THE DREAM WEAVER

Combining the love for Mindanao with a heart for service, Marga Nograles creates a sustainable fashion line that champions Filipino pride and creativity

Kaayo piece weaves together narratives that are as beautiful as the patterns and beadwork that embellish the garment. As founder Marga Nograles puts it, Kaayo— the Bisaya term for “kindness”—is a curated collection of different Mindanao stories. One can look at each item of clothing as a colorful and decorated tale about Mindanao artistry, local culture, and the communities that bring the brand to life.

Kaayo’s story began with a simple jacket and a desire to help out. Already an established entrepreneur in the south, Marga would often have visitors in her office. They would drop by either to chat or humbly ask for help with everyday necessities, and Marga would happily oblige.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

Elena, a T’boli woman, and a longtime family friend was one such visitor. Thinking of a more sustainable way to assist her, Marga told her to create T’boli jackets for the businesswoman to buy at a higher cost. Elena was elated over the idea; after all, her daughter Jie Jie knew how to make good jackets. For the first batch, the motherdaughter tandem made around five to eight pieces. When Marga would visit Manila, she would don the garb as everyday wear, pairing it with ripped jeans or shorts. Marga’s friends fell in love with her style; they wanted to have their own jackets as well, so they would order through Marga.

It didn’t take long for Marga to realize that there was an opportunity to make the business bigger and better. Drawing from her previous experience in the beauty, fashion, and lifestyle industry, she introduced the basics of business to Elena and Jie Jie—proper costing, mark-ups, and budgeting, among others. Sales grew substantially, allowing the mother-daughter pair to build a home, complete with a beading room where the local women would convene to work.

Marga knew that she would be able to help out more local communities by replicating her business model. This is where her mother’s expertise came in—for decades, Mary Ann “Baby” Montemayor has been at the forefront of Mindanao tourism and volunteerism for indigenous communities across the island. Not only was she able to connect her daughter with more local artisans, but she also advised Marga with cultural guidelines to keep cordial relations with the tribes. For instance, as a sign of respect, garments must not mix different Mindanaoan patterns and beadwork together. Her mother also stressed the importance of studying everything that there is to know about the communities. “She would say, ‘Ok, when you start working with the Ata Manobos, you have to research them first, learn who they are,’” she recalls.

Most importantly, Baby kept Marga driven to lead her passion project, no matter how difficult things got. “With all the challenges that come, you can [get exasperated.] My mom would tell me, ‘Go back to why you did this in the first place.’ And I would remind myself: we want to help these different tribes, these women. We want to bring pride to our Mindanao.”

It also helps that Marga looks at her challenges as opportunities for growth. For instance, diversifying and expanding their pool of artisans also helps with maintaining production; for example, if one group cannot deliver the garments because of unforeseen weather conditions, they can always shift momentarily to another tribe. Or, like with the Bagobo-Tagabawa group of Davao del Sur, the lack of cellular signal teaches Marga and her team to provide thorough instructions whenever they would meet to discuss the garments and patterns needed.

WEAVING THE BEST OF THE PHILIPPINES, FOR THE FILIPINO

As much as Kaayo champions the best of Mindanao, the brand is able to help more local artisans across the nation. For instance, the creation of a jacket involves sourcing fabrics and employing tailors from Taytay, Rizal; buying the beads and other embellishments in Davao; and sewing in the patterns at Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. There’s also a Mindanao x Ilocos ruffled skirt, integrating inabel fabric with T’boli beadwork—the brainchild of Marga and her good friend, Kristine Singson-Meehan. “[This one] is okay naman,” says Marga, when asked if the T’bolis agreed to the combination. “We explain to them, [for instance,] ‘Elens, ilagay ko [‘tong inabel] dito ha. Ilocos ito, tinutulungan natin sila.’ And they’re okay with that.”

Kaayo also empowers groups outside the indigenous community. Their line of bags, for instance, is a collaboration with another mother-daughter tandem who helps people with disabilities. The brand also has a collaboration with Alex Eduque of MovEd, a nonprofit organization that provides early childhood care and development programs in underserved communities. “Alex drew images that, for her, represented Mindanao. From there, we embroidered the illustrations on the garments. The T'Boli did their hand-stitching work on it,” Marga shares. On top of helping the tribes, the initiative also raises funds to send children to school.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Marga and Kaayo’s story proves that championing one’s heritage, combined with a heart to serve others, creates a ripple effect that can go beyond expectations. “I will always say this—I started because this is my culture. I'm a Davaoeña, I'm from Mindanao. So that is my core, my heritage.” she stresses.

For those wishing to take on similar endeavors, Marga has this to say: “Share with the world your uniqueness, and then try to look beside you, what is near you. You know, there might be a tribe beside you, a women's group near you, whatever is close to your heart. Work toward that, and create something out of that.”