Fashion Philippines makes its mark at Maison & Objet at Paris Design Week
It was a “summer of anxiety” for Europe with a series of attacks around the continent dominating the news and putting everyone in a state of unease. It was in this atmosphere of uncertainty that the premier design and decorating show, Maison & Objet, opened its doors last Sept. 2, kicking off Paris Design Week. On the first day of the show, we bumped into Bonnae Gokson of Joyce boutique fame and now of Sevva and B’s Cakery, among her many business ventures. We shared the same fears of how Europe is so different now, even affecting the creative environment. It becomes harder with each edition of M&O to look for the new and noteworthy and “the next big thing,” and this season in particular is a tough one.
With many of the buyers sharing a similar mindset, how then can you grab their attention and hopefully, astonish them? At the Inspirations exhibit mounted by the Trend Observatory of Maison & Objet, Vincent Gregoire proposed a “House of Games,” the resurgence of social games with a playfulness that goes against the boring state of standardization that is prevalent in our present era. Gregoire asks, “What can you do when you’ve tried everything?” The answer, he says, is “to live in the moment and try to make it as entertaining as possible.”
Over at the Philippine Pavilion, dubbed “Fashion Philippines,” with the theme “Reimagined Traditions,” groups of buyers seemed to be finding entertainment in the offerings of the 10 brands represented. It was almost like a fiesta in true Filipino fashion.
Michelline Syjuco was entertaining some French women who were visibly excited over her hand- sculpted jewelry and minaudières. Exclamations of “Magnifique!” punctuated their animated repartee with the multi-awarded sculptor, who is known for her avant-garde fashion accessories incorporating rusted and torched hand-beaten metal, hand-carved wood and industrial hardware. These fashion insiders were so impressed that they wanted Michelline to meet Jean-Paul Gaultier, who they said would surely love her work and might even include her pieces in one of the exhibits he has been organizing. “The response from buyers and the press here has really been overwhelming,” gushed Michelline, who was showing in Paris for the first time but has already exhibited at the International Fashion Showcase (IFS) at London Fashion Week in 2015.
Beatriz Accessories by Carissa Cruz Evangelista was also getting a lot of attention with her bright-colored clutches in geometric patterns painstakingly created with rows upon rows of fine cording meticulously assembled one line at a time. It is this type of exquisite craftsmanship that high-end buyers go for, and true enough, there were orders from various boutiques in Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland and Monaco. “We also did well in the recently concluded New York Show,” shared Bianca Monzon and Kiyoko Chazelle, Beatriz representatives in Paris. “There is even the possibility of an American celebrity (identity still hush-hush) showcasing her work in a project being planned.”
We asked Nikki Rustia, marketing officer of CITEM (Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions which organized the Philippine participation at M&O), why Fashion Philippines is being launched in a home-decorating show instead of a fashion trade show. “Our executive director, Rosvi Gaetos, actually assembled a team to study all the possibilities,” Nikki said. “Fashion fairs were considered but these shows have buyers who are always after the lowest price points in a mass-produced market where the Philippines cannot compete. Maison & Objet has more buyers from specialty stores that can appreciate unusual designs with good, handcrafted quality. Additionally, at these fashion trade shows, Philippine companies end up as manufacturers for other brands. Our thrust with Fashion Philippines is to push Philippine designers and companies as independent brands instead of just manufacturers.”
Butch Carungay used to exhibit regularly in fashion fairs as Avatar, which had a lot of business manufacturing for European brands. But now he has reinvented the company as Zai Design Hive in a bid to launch as an independent international brand. He had statement pieces like multidisc mother of pearl and wood bib necklaces and African-inspired neck rings in wood with metal pendants and suede tassels.
Like Butch, Mia Arcenas is from Cebu, where she is known for resort wear and accessories that are available at luxe resorts like Amanpulo and Shangri-La Mactan, aside from her newly opened boutique in Madrigal Building on Ayala Avenue. She showed freshly modern takes on florals with appliqués of Perspex and brass on wood, which got her orders from Geneva, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the Maldives and even China, which now has a growing appetite for luxury goods. She has also attracted the French market, with the Paris trade show Premier Classe inviting her to exhibit in their next edition.
Another Cebuano, Pete Delantar, was proud of his daughter Katrina for her new brand Floreia. Their company, Nature’s Legacy, has promoted recycling for many years now through its patented versatile and durable materials like Naturescast, which they use for their home decor export line. For Floreia, Katrina uses NuCast made from recycled paper to craft beautiful necklaces and even bustiers that have attracted a lot of European buyers who are conscientious about sustainability and protecting the environment.
Ann Ong also attracted these “green” buyers with her salvaged wood minaudières embellished with insects and animals encrusted with semi-precious stones in gold vermeil. Aside from her space in the Philippine pavilion, Ann also had her own independent booth. It’s actually her second time at M&O, where she has developed a following for her flamboyant jewelry and bags.
Hannah Oamil of Megabijoux initially had doubts about showing at a houseware show. She was pining for the Vogue editors and other fashion press she was used to seeing at fashion trade shows that she would join. She eventually relented, however, when she started getting inquiries about her architectural bags of wood, metal and shells. Women also went gaga fitting her shoes with mother-of-pearl wedge heels.
Highly appreciated also in the European market are heirloom traditions, which Kit Silver has brought to the 21st century with their filigree jewelry crafted in Meycauayan, Bulacan. “Aside from the delicate colonial tambourine pieces, we now have bold pieces like bib necklaces which are more contemporary,” according to Milagros Imson. “The gold pieces attracted clients from the Middle East but the French market wants them in white gold,” she learned during the fair.
Larone, which has updated rattan with their boxy bags and ombré finishing, also had homeware pieces like trays and boxes in snakeskin and abaca, which served them well at this show, according to Jennifer Lo. They were right on trend with the use of raw crystal accents, which Europe is loving at the moment.
All in all, it was a good start for Fashion Philippines, but how do they sustain the initial high when all is said and done? Perhaps they should learn from longtime Maison & Objet exhibitors like Kenneth Cobonpue and R&Y Augousti, who are both Cebu-based and established in the international market. We didn’t catch Kenneth but chatted with Ria Augousti, whom we have been seeing at M&O ever since we started going to the show 12 years ago. “You really have to be consistent,” she shared. She and her husband Youri have always come up with new, original ideas that always surprise their clients, using exceptional materials and impeccable craftsmanship, qualities that have landed their pieces in luxe boutiques all over the world. “And you have to be there in every edition of the show because they expect to see you there and have a continuing relationship of mutual trust.” The clientele they’ve built has actually expanded now that their daughter Kifu has joined the company. Actually, she already has her own brand, Kifu Paris, which came up with some astounding designs. Proof that a brand can only grow and give birth to new brands when you work hard at it and do things right.
