Homegrown High Fashion

Bag designer Martha Rodriguez takes the fabrics of Mindanao to the global stage.

- Tata Mapa

Back when Martha Rodriguez was a young girl growing up in Cagayan de Oro, she never dreamed she’d one day be a designer. “I guess when you’re coming from a small town, success is more like getting a 9-to-5 job, climbing the corporate ladder, and attaching an Atty. or a Dr. to your name,” she says. “I was not too keen on being my own boss or even launching my brand, Vesti. The idea was too far-fetched.” But things have a funny way of working out, as now her products are available internationally. And while Martha’s designs are modern and sophisticated, they still reflect a sense of love and passion for her roots. She tells My Pope about how it all started.