Isla Fashions - Handcrafted Fashion Jewelry and Handbags

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What materials are the Handbags made of?
A: Our Handbags are made of Pandan Leaves, Abaca, Raffia Ginit and Coco Shells.

Q: What are Pandan Leaves and where does it come from?
A: Pandan (Pandanus Tectorius), sometimes called screw pines, are tropical shrubs. They got the name screw pines because their leaves are similar to those of the pineapple and grow from the stem in corkscrew fashion. They are hardly ever cultivated, except for those raised in clay pots as ornamental plants. Pandan usually grows wildly along the seacoast or open swamps. In the Philippines, these otherwise useless shrubs are creatively woven into mats, beautiful baskets, bags and hats. Pandan can also be an excellent material for throw pillows. Designers can incorporate pandan mats into furniture as a decorative inlay feature. Some common varieties of pandan are karagumoy, sabutan, alasas and ayango.

Q: What is Raffia and where does it come from?
A: Raffia is a textured straw extracted from the leaves of vine palms and used extensively in Madagascar, the Philippines and some other countries. In the Philippines, the fiber is extracted from the skin of the unopened leaf of the variety of palm locally called buri. You can find the leaves atop the buri trunk sprouting like a folded fan. Each fold consists of two sides called a leaf segment. Raffia is the skin pulled off from the outer surface of the leaf. Some weavers prefer the material gathered from the inner surface. The application of the straw-like raffia includes weave raffia textile, creating a wide range of handicrafts, weaving material for cloth, pillow and part of various gift and holiday decors.

Q: What is Abaca and where does it come from?
A: Abaca (Musa Textilis) is a tree like herb resembling the banana in appearance, except for the distinguishing marks in its leaves, trunk, color, formation and the shape of its fruit and heart. The leaves are upright, pointed, tapering and narrower. Its trunk is smaller than that of the banana plant. Its application includes cordage (known worldwide as Manila Hemp), twine, ropes used in ships rigging and other marine cables, pulp and specialty paper used in making Manila Envelopes. It is one of the most favorite indigenous fibers of the Philippines. Another attractive use of abaca is in fiber craft. Abaca's strength, texture and iridescent qualities make it an excellent material for creating beautiful home and fashion accessories. You can dye it in just about any color, and best of all it is a sustainable plant material that you can harvest in 18 to 24 months.