How Adidas Philippines and Bayongciaga Turned a Humble Bayong into March's Most Coveted Carry
Adidas was looking to collaborate with a local brand that supports Filipino artisans, especially Filipinas, to celebrate International Women's Month
by Alvin Uy
Published on Apr 2, 2026
March was a month defined by statements of strength, identity, and style. One of the most quietly powerful collaborations didn't come from Paris or Milan, but from Makati, Bataan, and communities across the Philippines. For International
Women's Month, Adidas Philippines tapped homegrown label Bayongciaga for a limited-edition run of handwoven bags that fused global sportswear iconography with unmistakably Filipino craft. The result was a bayong that stopped being just a market staple and became a fashion flex.
A Collaboration Rooted in Purpose
According to Bayongciaga founder Javier Villaruel, the partnership began with a clear intent.
"They reached out to us through their representative agency. Adidas was looking to collaborate with a local brand that supports Filipino artisans, especially Filipinas, to celebrate International Women's Month."
That mission translated into something both symbolic and tangible: a product that uplifts communities while carrying the visual language of one of the world's most recognizable brands.
Local artisans crafting these intricately made bayongs
Three Stripes, Local Soul
The inspiration was direct but effective. "The inspiration was the logo of Adidas, thus, the three stripes," Villaruel shares. Each bag carries the signature triple-stripe motif, seamlessly integrated into Bayongciaga's woven aesthetic. Available in six colorways, pink, purple, blue, matte gold, white, and black, the collection balanced streetwear appeal with artisanal warmth.
Constructed from polypropylene, the modern material commonly used in contemporary bayong weaving, the bags were finished with limited-edition Adidas acrylic hangtags, giving them enough edge to sit comfortably beside sneakers and track sets.
Handwoven, Nationwide, and Behind Bars
What elevates the collaboration is the story of how each piece came to life.
"100 percent handwoven by artisan weavers," Villaruel explains. "They are in communities in different parts of the country. Then our team coordinates with head weavers to collect the bags from their homes."
Among those communities were the men of Bataan
District Jail, who participated in weaving this special batch, turning the project into a rehabilitative livelihood initiative alongside its creative ambitions. Bayongciaga also tapped a wide network of makers: parents, single mothers and fathers, and working students, all part of the brand's long-standing ecosystem of Filipino artisans.
Bataan District Jail shot, Villaruel with guards and inmates weaving
A Limited Drop with Wide Reach
The bags were released March 8 to 22, 2026, aligning with International Women's Month, and made available through select retail partners including Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc.'s department stores, as well as Urban Athletics, Sole Academy, Sports Central, and online via Zalora.
Robina Gokongwei-Pe with the purple Bayong
Even Robina Gokongwei-Pe, chairperson of Robinsons Retail, took to social media to spotlight the collaboration, an organic endorsement that underscored the project's cultural resonance. Though officially a limited run, some pieces have reportedly lingered in select stores, with demand fueled as much by their scarcity as their story.
A Decade in the Making
For Villaruel, the moment is both a milestone and a continuation. "This is such a great opportunity for our local brand to be considered and tapped by Adidas for this campaign. Us in Bayongciaga have been working closely the past 10 years with Filipino weavers, leathercrafters, mananahi sa Tondo, artists."
What started as a niche, almost tongue-in-cheek brand name has evolved into a platform for Filipino craftsmanship, one that now finds itself sharing space with a global giant. At a glance it's a trendy carryall, lightweight, colorful, Instagram-ready.
Look closer and it's a convergence of global branding and local identity, of commerce and community, of fashion and function. In a retail landscape often dominated by imports, the Adidas x Bayongciaga collaboration is a reminder that some of the best things in Filipino fashion are still woven by hand.