CITEM presents Design Talks at Manila Fame

MANILA, Philippines - Stalwarts in the local and international design industry will grace the banner event Design Talks, in celebration of Design Week Philippines, during the 60th Manila Fame slated from Oct. 16 to 19 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

“Design is ever present in all aspects of our lives — from the images we see, to the products we use and consume, to the spaces we live and work in, and even to the processes we encounter. Needless to say, design improves the overall quality of life,” said Rosvi Gaetos, executive director of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

With the theme “Design for Life,” the four-day series features  Alexander von Vegesack, founding director of the Vitra Design Museum and founder, president of the Centre International de Recherche et d’éducation Culturel et Agricole (CIRECA), a non-profit organization that runs Domaine de Boisbuchet, a place to practice and discover design and culture in dialog with nature;  Giusy Bettoni, Italian marketing specialist for sustainable textiles; Cebu-based Costa Rican furniture designer Bernardo Urbina, founder of Tacloban Prevails (a group that transforms debris left by typhoon Haiyan and gives them new life); New York-based luxury retail business expert Joseph Boitano; Japanese industrial designer Motomi Kawakami, chairman of the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP); and top Taiwanese architect Johnny Chiu.

Filipino speakers include National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairman Felipe de Leon Jr.; artist/social entrepreneur and creative collaborator Jeannie Javelosa; Oliver Segovia, co-founder and CEO of AVA.ph (a curated online boutique for premium brands and experiences); digital marketing expert Donald Lim of ABS CBN; Carl Mamawal, co-founder of Nyfti Bicycles (folding bicycle that encourages alternative means of transportation); Aisa Mijeno, co-founder of Sustainable Alternative Lighting (an ecologically designed lamp powered by salt and water); Joshua de le Llana, head of Tactiles (a simple and integrated learning tool that encourages interest in electronics engineering among young people); Jen Horn, designer and founder of the shoe brand Tala Luna, which promotes traditional weaves from around the country; and lifestyle blogger Alessandra Lanot of Life after Breakfast.

Gaetos added: “Design Talks will afford Filipino design practitioners the rare opportunity to learn  from design luminaries who have made their mark in the world of design.”