14 October 2026, Seoul – Filipino social enterprise Lakat by Creative Definitions has received the Main Seoul Design Award at Seoul Design Week 2026 for its innovative Lakat Sustainable Sneakers made from pineapple leaf waste, earning international recognition for a design approach that brings together sustainability, local craftsmanship, and inclusive livelihoods.

The award was presented by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and received by Lakat Representative Designer, Ms. Johanna T. Claparols and Mr. Michael Claparols of Creative Definitions General Merchandise. In his opening remarks, Mayor Oh expressed, “From designs that consider the environment and society to creative ideas that present new possibilities, various works that are changing our daily lives and the world for the better have gathered in this one place. I would like to extend my congratulations in advance to all those who receive the honor of being awarded today.” 

Selected from more than 1,200 participants representing 91 countries, only 10 projects received the Main Seoul Design Award, including Lakat by Creative Definitions, a Filipino enterprise rooted in Negros. Its name, Lakat, reflects its Negrense origins and evokes the meaning “to walk”—a fitting expression of its mission to move toward a more sustainable and inclusive future.

Lakat transforms discarded pineapple leaves into a resource for footwear production. Unlike the traditional piña textile associated with the barong, which is made from fibers of a different pineapple variety, Lakat uses agricultural waste from pineapple varieties cultivated for their edible fruit. The leaves are processed into yarn, enabled by DOST-Philippine Textile Research Institute’s textile technologies, and hand-woven by Negrense artisans into fabric for the sneakers’ uppers, giving new value to an often-overlooked agricultural by-product.

For Lakat, however, innovation extends beyond the material itself. As explained by the enterprise’s representative, Michael Claparols, “The project’s strength lies in the relationships built among farmers, artisans, researchers, and designers. By connecting these groups through a shared production process, Lakat demonstrates how design can help address interconnected challenges, including vulnerable rural livelihoods, agricultural waste, and textile waste.”

This collaborative model creates opportunities for dignified livelihoods while encouraging a circular flow of materials and resources. By turning pineapple leaf waste into a functional, contemporary product, Lakat highlights how locally grounded knowledge and craftsmanship can contribute to solutions with global relevance.

Cultural Officer and Attaché Anthony Rafael Gil Z. Cornista and PTIC Trade Specialist Chinny Jin Cruz attended the awarding ceremonies and visited the Seoul Design Week 2026 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and the DDP Museum where the Seoul Design Award 2026 Top Ten Best of the Best recognized projects were on exhibit.

Lakat’s recognition at the Seoul Design Award underscores the capacity of Filipino enterprises to contribute meaningfully to international discourse on sustainable design and responsible production. It also highlights the value of Filipino creativity and ingenuity—not despite its local roots, but precisely because of them.

The achievement demonstrates how Filipino craftsmanship, agricultural resources, and community-based collaboration can inspire solutions to shared global challenges, showing that world-class innovation can emerge from the Philippines while remaining deeply connected to the people and communities that make it possible. END