Urban Traveller & Co. x Manila Girls: Carry Manila’s Stories Through Art
Carry History: The Urban Traveller & Co x Manila Girls Patch Series
Interview by: Duane Lemuel Galang
Writing: Nicole Francine Dignum
“It is a patch for the community, sharing stories of history and heritage preservation” —Kenny Tai
Urban Traveller & Co. has spent the last decade offering premium quality travel essentials that are stylish and functional, designed for travelling anywhere. To mark its 10th-year anniversary, we collaborated with Manila Girls, a series by artist Kenny Tai, to share the stories of Manila through her vibrant urban girl characters.
Kenny Tai is an independent Filipino artist and illustrator, best known for her Manila Girls
series, which reimagines Manila's various districts through quirky, personified female characters. Her cartoon-inspired style, infused with rich history and social commentary, transforms everyday realities into relatable stories that resonate with the audience.
Reflecting on this shared narrative and advocacy, every detail on the Urban Traveller & Co. x Manila Girls patch series was intentionally designed to reflect the character of each city district. To further explore her inspiration and creative process behind the collaboration, we sat down with Kenny for an interview.
Q: How did Manila Girls start?
A: Manila Girls started because of people watching in cafés and clubs. I would often doodle instead of mingling, which made me wonder about the stereotype tied to certain people from different areas [of Manila]. Since I grew up from Manila, I began reflecting on its districts, their demographics, and history, merging them together. It generally became a mix of beauty pageants and our personal mythical personalities.
Q: What drew you to this specific art style?
A: I loved watching old cartoons such as the 1930s black-and-white silent cartoons like Silly Symphony, Felix the Cat, Betty Boop. I am drawn to what they call rubber hose animation, and retro style. Since I grew up from the 80s anime generation, there’s also a touch of that style which is personally nostalgic. I enjoy the old cartoons because of their character design’s simplicity.
Q: We have three patches here—Binondo, Intramuros, and Quiapo. What parts of Manila life inspire you and your work the most?
A: Manila itself. We were coming from the aftermath of World War II when the city had to
rebuild from what was left. It’s important to be attentive to each street and carefully observe.
You grow to love the city by looking at the way people move on. It’s about the community,
heritage, and appreciation of the city which has its own character. I tell the heritage and story through characters that people can resonate with, like Binondo girl, Intramuros girl, or Quiapo girl and the rest of Manila.
Q: Can you talk about the inspiration and symbolisms behind the patch?
A: The Filipino culture has always embraced anting-anting or nowadays called anik-anik. So, why not adapt it from bag trinkets [or] phone charms into patches.
Manila’s culture is a mix of Chinese, Spanish, and Filipino influences, which are reflected in each patch. We have Binondo as a bagua, Intramuros resembles a Catholic pendant with floral framing, and Quiapo designed as an anting-anting often seen around the area. The amulets are highlighted because it is a district of faith for Catholic, Islam, and fortune tellers.
Binondo
The patch takes the form of a bagua, with Chinese characters that, if read vertically from left to right, translate to “prosperity in eight directions”. The Chinese mandarin reflects on the offerings often found in temples or as house offerings for Buddhist or Taoist altars. It is featured because they often enjoy round things with bright, vibrant colors. The red and gold colors are typical Chinese colors, often known as a lucky color because it's often associated with prosperity and luck, which was applied in the patch design.
Intramuros
The religious pendants or imahe of the Catholic religion inspired the floral framing of the
Intramuros patch instead of a plain round shape. Intramuros is often dubbed as “distinguished and ever-loyal,” which is why that phrase is featured in English and Spanish.
In the background, the nilad plant which comes from Manila, and Fort Santiago were
included. The girl’s pose was inspired by the religious pendants and this specifically signifies loyalty. Intramuros girl resembles Maria Clara, with a touch of Spanish mestiza.
Quiapo
When you say ‘anting-anting’, there are many shapes found along the sidewalks of Quiapo, but the most distinguished is the triangle. It's also similar to what the Katipuneros once carried, we have [that] Tagalog influence. The green color was chosen because the water cabbage, called Quiapo plant, was where the word was derived. Today, it can be often seen only in private homes but we tried to honor Quiapo through the greenery in the patch. Its more organic style and difference in shape balances the patch series.
Q: Are there any other advocacies that you want to promote?
A: Manila Girls is not just about designing characters, it is about retelling the story of Manila through different lenses. Aside from creating comics, we collaborate for heritage tours in Binondo, Intramuros, or Quiapo, covering historical sites at risk of being destroyed by development projects. We need to show people that Manila has a character and charm.
Our collaboration with Urban Traveller & Co. allows you to carry the patches on your bag anywhere, bringing a story with you. It’s a conversation [starter] when you visit these places, and an introduction to people who have these patches to understand the reason behind the design. They could visit Manila and revisit its stories. It is a patch for the community, sharing stories of history and heritage preservation. It is our advocacy expressed in an artistic way.
Urban Traveller & Co. extends its celebration of culture and history through the stories that shape Manila’s identity in the Manila Girls designs. These patches bridge the past and present, reminding us that travel is not only about the places, but also the communities and stories that we carry to our next adventure.
Discover more of Manila Girls project and support their advocacies in keeping Manila’s
history alive, follow their social media accounts on Instagram @manila.girls and Facebook at akim.manilagirls.
Check out the Urban Traveller & Co. x Manila Girls patch series at our physical store
branches and online stores, available on October 1.