Payatas weavers react to American designers’ creations that look like basahan

Weavers in Payatas have shared their thoughts on the creations made by American designers that look like door mats or what Filipinos call “basahan” or “sala-sala.”

According to Oscar Oida’s “24 Oras” report Thursday, furniture and textile designers Franny Capone and Elise McMahon, whose work was featured by Vogue, received backlash for not recognizing that Filipinos had long been making these products.

McMahon said they would try to learn more about it in their efforts to shed light on global fast fashion waste in the United States.

“Through these comments last night and today, I learned about this amazing weaving style, ‘basahan,’ using T-shirt material that has long been happening in the Philippines and have been rushing to educate myself since,” said the designer.

“This project we just announced is intended to motivate and share info about global fast fashion waste with the American public as we have a huge habitual waste problem.”

 

 

 

 

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The weavers said they’re happy to see the designs being known in other parts of the world, but they also hoped their work would get the same recognition and value.

According to sala-sala maker Regina Balili, they sell their door mats and rags in bulk for PHP15 per piece.

“Diyan namin kinukuha ’yung pangkain namin, bigas, ulam, pambili ng diaper,” she said.

“Maganda nga sana kung may mamimili ng medyo mahal kasi para lumuwag onti man lang ’yung hanapbuhay namin.”

Mycah Gudoy, another sala-sala weaver, also expressed hope that their products would get support from the government. – Franchesca Viernes/RC, GMA News