Each strand of the piña fiber is hand scraped and is knotted one by one to form a continuous filament to be handwoven and then made into a piña cloth. Then the fiber is pulled or split away from the leaf. Piña is from a leaf, the leaf has to be cut first from the plant. After about a year from planting, three to five leaves are cut from each plant. It is said that the leaves of these varieties yield excellent fibers for handweaving. The pineapple plant grows spiny leaves up to two meters in length.

They thrive best in open fields with sandy clay soil. Spanish Red or Native Philippine Red pineapple variety takes about 18 months to reach maturity. Piña’s name comes from the Spanish word “piña” which literally means pineapple. Noted couturiers in the local fashion scene are now using the fabric in their creations for haute couture shows worldwide. Because it is lightweight but stiff, this sheer fabric can be used in any creative design. It is also used for table linens, mats, bags and other clothing items. The piña fiber is used mainly for the Barong Tagalog, also for wedding dresses and other traditional Philippine formal dress. Since piña fabric is hand loomed by only a few weavers, it is very precious and scarce, which also makes it expensive. Piña fiber is often blended with cotton, abaca, silk, or polyester to create wonderful light, breezy fabrics. The cloth is translucent, soft and fine with high luster. The fibers are ivory-white in color and naturally glossy. “Piña” fiber is extracted from the leaves of a pineapple plant.

Pina light table