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Narda’s Handwoven Arts is one of the pioneers in promoting hand woven fabrics of Baguio and the Cordillera. It is acknowledged for its tasteful and artistic use of indigenous fabrics for fashion, home décor and housewares.
Narda Capuyan, a nurse by profession, began her business by encouraging the women in her community to weave in order to keep them busy, as part of her family planning initiative. She bought scrap yarns and gave it to the women to weave. She
paid for their work and sold the finished products to her friends. The sideline soon grew bigger and bigger. Indeed, her name became identical to her business, and the brand.
Adapting new patterns and designs, Narda’s was noticed for its new and colorful weaves, engaging a growing number of fans in Baguio and elsewhere. It did not take long before hotels in Baguio and Manila, as well as designers recognized the artistry of the hand woven crafts. Narda’s business slowly flourished.
With help from government agencies like the Board of Investments and Design Center Philippines, Narda was able to learn to grow and innovate, in order to expand her market. She started exporting her products in 1978, after Japanese and American designers started buying from her. In 1982, Bloomingdale’s New York featured Narda’s products in an all-Philippine sales exhibition.
Eventually, Narda’s artistic creations were introduced to other parts of the world: Germany, France, Hong Kong, Canada and Australia. She won the Golden Shell Award in 1982, the highest recognition given by the Department of Trade and Industry to Filipino companies for Excellence In Exports.
Other awards followed: the Country Side Investor Award given to her by President Corazon Aquino and the Agora Award for outstanding achievement in export marketing from the Philippine Marketing Association.
Narda Capuyan died in 2016 but the business lives on. Narda’s continues to manufacture hand woven products of high quality for domestic and international clients.
