Jacinto & Lirio is the flagship brand of EcoIngenuity Inc. that showcases the innovative plant leather like the water hyacinth into fashionable and functional statement bags and accessories through sustainable and eco-friendly means.
The water hyacinth has severely infested Philippine waters with its rapid rate of proliferation. It grows in mats up to 2 meters wide which can reduce light and oxygen, change water chemistry, and affect local flora and fauna. It also causes problems in marine transportation, fishing and irrigation. By clogging up waterways, it causes floods and increased pollution. Bodies of water have also become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and cemeteries for living organisms because of the still, anaerobic water.
But there was more to this pest plant that met the eye. The founders of the brand met local Filipino innovators who introduced what they called water hyacinth leather -- the plant's stalks turned into a leather-like material which inspired the creation of Jacinto&Lirio. The brand, in fact, takes its name from this plant (Jacinto&Lirio means "hyacinth and lily"). Inspired by the Filipino ingenuity, it has taken the call to showcase indigenous innovation of plant leather into unique fashion pieces while contributing to make positive sustainable impact in society.
Currently, Jacinto&Lirio is partnered with the women-empowering efforts of the Cora Cares Foundation and San Fernando Pampanga Community Assocciation. Community expansion would include other areas with wide water hyacinth proliferation. Through creating well-designed, unique and stylish bags, Jacinto&Lirio improves the lives of people from both ends of the spectrum—the communities who are empowered through meaningful work, and the people purchasing who are enriched by the fashionable products Jacinto&Lirio has created. By also contributing to the Philippines’ dynamic and vibrant fashion industry, Jacinto&Lirio will be the first of its kind to emerge—revealing the ingenuity of the Filipino people to the rest of the world.
