With Twinkle’s collection, however, it is fashionable, innovative play. Using an innovative and highly experimental paper material called piñana—paper made of pineapple and banana fibers, obviously—as well as shifu paper and very light piña fabric for accents, Twinkle put together an interesting summer-ish line that pushes the boundaries of invention and possibility, and makes for a lot of spontaneity and interactivity in design.

Twinkle developed the idea for Paper Art Fashion when she first saw piñana in a Manila FAME exhibit some time ago. Developed by a local company, it was a fairly sturdy fabric which, to a degree, was waterproof and was therefore perfect for wall decors and lamps. Twinkle, who had always been into graphic design and later fashion design, had always found the thought of having a stationary store business rather appealing, and was immediately drawn to the material. While the end product might not be the best thing to write a love letter on, it could certainly be a design possibility, given the possibilities of paper, for future collections.

According to research, paper art has been used in history, especially in Egyptian times, where a lot of clothes were paper-based. Now, the technology for making paper has, of course, greatly improved, and the possibilities have increased along with it. With piñana, Twinkle, an advocate of using local material, also finds herself in the position to still be using natural local materials, only developed through international technology.

The initial creations Twinkle experimented with were shown first in an expo on design in Japan late last year. Locally, Twinkle made paper art fashion in collaboration with Gift Gate. She constructed bags, pouches, hats, and apron skirts with abstract Picasso-ish interpretations of Hello Kitty on them—perfectly suited to Twinkle’s largely geometric style.

The other material Twinkle uses, a light paper called Shifu, was made by Asao Shimura, who is one of the last few traditional makers of the Kimono. Her designs boast of a certain minimalist style, with the clean lines and folds, even when layered, always appearing in a solid, seamless quality.

In her exhibit in the Pinto Art Gallery in Antipolo, favorite pieces in the collection are the pants constructed in half silk and half piñana, which provides a strong contrast in appearance, the piñana and piña fabric jacket, which provides a complimentary texture and is inspired by the idea of the linking bone pattern of a skeleton, and a black jacket with Twinkle’s swirly logo in piñana on the back and extending to the elbow of the left arm—all of which have the same geometric feel characteristic of Twinkle’s fashion designs and consequently so complimentary to the minimalist effect the paper provides. As with her beachwear collection, Twinkle uses coco rings, Mother of Pearl and jade rings to accent her pieces or serve as complimentary jewelry. They provide an elegant touch that breaks the solidness of the designs, creating precise focal points throughout the outfit.

Twinkle has developed more and more wearable pieces in her collection, from ties and hats to jackets and pants. The one question she now often has to address, especially from potential buyers, is the washability of the outfit. Twinkle’s personal experience, when one of her outfits accidentally got laundered, was that the fabric came out intact. Her advice to buyers, however, is that the pieces should be treated as one would treat an expensive dress: be reasonably careful around it, and wipe it with a soapy cloth when it gets a bit dirty. On larger stains, Twinkle has a better solution, one which was originally part of the design ideas for Paper Art and was duly sampled during the opening day: paint over it and turn it into a new design.

At the end of the day, it goes back to play. That’s the fun and beauty of Paper Art Fashion.