Graduation Stole

This graduation stole features the seed of the national tree of the Philippines, the Narra (Pterocarpus indicus). 

As a floral language and nature metaphor to the graduation ceremony, it represents the ritual of transition, in this case marking the move from student to worker. The scientific name is Latinized Ancient Greek and means "wing fruit", referring to the unusual shape of the seed pods in this genus. When a seed falls from its mother tree, it flies and goes a long way to plant its roots.

The Baybayin script written on the front translates to Dangal, which means Honor, and Husay, which means excellence. When facing the wearer of the stole, Honor comes before Excellence (left to right). For without honor, excellence can be useless, if not misused. On the back, the Baybayin spells out Malasakit, which translates to compassion or empathy. When empathy is cultivated, we become better humans. Having a sense of radical empathy and a culture of care is often overlooked in the neoliberal education system. We assert that empathy is the highest form of intelligence.

In the centre of the Philippine sun is the Baybayin script for ka. Ka, in Tagalog, can be word on its own, meaning you. As a pre-fix to a word, adding ka- creates a relationship. Like kababayan (people who are from the same homeland, hometown, etc), kapantay (equal), kalaro (playmate), kamaganak (blood relative). In highlighting  Ka, we want to uplift our new graduates to always be community-facing in all that they do. 

Each graduation stole is cut, sewn, and embroidered by the VINTA Gallery team in our atelier in the Philippines. 

Material and Care Instructions

- greige satin: polyester, embroidery on 100% silk organza

- Dry clean only.