Luisa Jimenez: Passion for Patterns

Flow artist, yoga teacher, and World of Patterns designer Luisa Jimenez talks about her love for bold patterns, hand-dyeing, and Baler’s famous peanut butter.

What inspired you to create World of Patterns?

I would go to Malaysia a lot because my dad was based there for 4 years. I would see people there wearing harem pants and I realized we don’t have any of them that are locally made. At that time, skinny jeans were the trend but I thought it would be nice to wear something with a looser silhouette especially during summer. I’m also part of the flow arts community and low-crotch pants are the best pants to wear because you can move around in it.

What’s the story behind your logo?

I get inspired by textures, patterns, and architectural details of Turkey, Peru, and India and by what they call sacred geometry. Those elements are the main inspiration behind my logo.

How did you discover hand-dyeing?

A friend of mine showed me a photo of shibori, a tie-dyeing technique that originated in Japan that uses indigo dye, which got me started on my research. At first, I was using synthetic dye but I realized that synthetic dye goes to the ocean and I didn’t want to contribute to the pollution. I’ve become more conscious about the things I produce so now I only use 100% natural fabric and natural dye made by local indigenous groups. I also bought a book that features all the plants in the Philippines that yields color such as guava leaves, annatto leaves, and mahogany bark. I was surprised to learn about it and started experimenting on my own.

Where have you been to lately?

I went to Antipolo recently for a yoga and natural dye retreat in Mount Purro Nature Reserve. It’s now one of my favorite spots. The owner is doing a reforestation effort around the area with the help of the locals. One of the locals helped me harvest the plants I needed for the workshop.  Summer is festival season and it’s usually my busiest time. I was at Malasimbo to conduct poi and hula hoop workshops then at Aliya Surf Camp Surf and Music Festival in Baler where I managed to do some surfing, too.

How has surfing been good for you?

It’s a lifestyle change. I’m not a morning person and ever since I started surfing, I would wake up and sleep early because surfers are usually up by 5 or 6:00AM. I also started eating better. My surfer friends would only eat fruits in the morning so they don’t feel heavy and just eat breakfast afterwards.

Favorite spot in Baler?

Charlie Does because they have peanut butter coffee made with the famous Nanay Pacing’s peanut butter and they have vegetarian food for just 70 bucks. And they have Wi-Fi!

Other travel plans for the year?

I’m going to Cambodia in August for a vacation.

Find World of Patterns on Facebook (www.facebook.com/worldofpatternsph/) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/worldofpatterns/).