Manila Fame pushes desire for local design

For many years around the world, our country has been known for its craftsmanship and good manufacturing. And now, things are truly starting to change. We are no longer a country of simple manufacturers but a driving force of creativity and originality.

Last September at Maison et Objets Paris, the branding initiative of DTI’s CITEM called Design Philippines was launched to the world and received with collective oohs and aahs. Creative director and international designer Budji Layug stressed the importance of being constant, that it was “pointless to just be in one show, we need to be in all the shows. And that’s when people will really take notice.”

Flash forward to just recently, in the wake of Maison et Objets Asia in Singapore it seems his words were truly taken to heart. Not only was Design Philippines a part of the first Asian edition of Maison et Objets, they made sure their presence was felt with our very own Kenneth Cobonpue winning Designer of the Year and Lilianna Manahan as one of the six Rising Asian Talents.

This is just the start as CITEM has an extremely busy year ahead joining all the major trade fairs around the world including the famous Salon Internazionale del Mobile and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. And that’s just for design, not counting their other brand initiatives like Food Philippines and Manila Wear, adding up to a total of 25 international trade shows for 2014. That’s commitment.

 And does all this really translate into something concrete? This season’s edition of Manila Fame from March 14 to 17 is proof with the highest number of buyers in the past years with a total reaching close to 5,000, of which a thousand were foreign. It looks like Undersecretary of the Department of Trade and Industry Chito Manalo’s words during the opening ceremonies poignantly predicted the outcome. “I hope you share our optimism that this year, we are in for more opportunities and exciting times — not only for Philippine design, but for the economy in general.” Going further to cite that especially in the fields of woodcraft and furniture and fixtures exports have been up by 41.9 percent and 34.9 percent respectively.

When I first met CITEM executive director Rosvi Gaetos, I was immediately charmed. She was warm, friendly and above all passionate about her work. Her job is not just a job but she seems to act as though it is a true vocation, believing in each product they push forward. In her speech at the opening of the show she used phrases like “pulling all the stops” and “pouring all our resources” to stress the importance of not only making the Philippines known for its design capabilities but also to improve its professionalism and rendering our local shows more buyer friendly. As she so aptly put in her closing speech “The Filipino talent is a creative force to reckon with in the design industry and Manila Fame is a fitting celebration of what the Philippines can offer to the world.”

Under the creative direction of Josie Natori, Budji Layug and Kenneth Cobonpue, this year’s Manila Fame has grown not only the best local designers establishing their reign by showcasing their latest collections but also some locally established designers that are new to the fair and the export world like Michelline Syjuco.

This year is not a quiet one for design with a clear trend leaning towards the unique statement piece both in fashion and décor. From the whimsical Kenneth Cobonpue displays of sharks swimming under glass tables and headpiece chairs to space like copper lighting by Schema, carabaos for children by Vito Selma and fun un-even chairs and colorful oddly shaped planters by Liliana Manahan, Viking jewelry by Joyce Makitalo and candy colored barong inspired women’s wear by Anne Marie Saguil… the show was all about desire. The bold piece. That one-off eye-catcher. The thing that makes people’s heads turn. Much like what the Philippines represents today in the design world. We are no longer about what can fit, but what could truly stand out.