The Cobonpue difference
MANILA, Philippines - No one holds a candle to Kenneth Cobonpue in the current design arena. Acknowledged as the dean of Filipino designers in furniture and home furnishings, the Cebuano has a string of international awards and recognition under his belt. His latest citation is Designer of the Year at the first edition of Maison et Objet Asia recently held in Singapore and singles him as the first Asian to be honored with the distinction.
Cobonpue is well known for his arresting avant-garde creations including the Dragnet, Yoda, Poppy and Feather Chair — all unique, edgy, colorful and popular. The conventional wisdom is that he makes only these signature creations but a look in his recent collection, which he presented in Salone, yields the stylish and classy Parchment Chair and the tropical Calyx showcase. His latest works reveal the same attention to detail and superb craftsmanship but with a heightened sophistication and discipline in muted and neutral colors, finer stitching, fragile layering and subtle knots toned down from his initial bold statement pieces.
“Kenneth’s works still always continue to surprise,†relates his soft-spoken, self-effacing wife Susanne Coponbue. Susanne is responsible for running the factory in Cebu and prefers to be unknown and unseen. But the Cobonpue booth occupies almost half of the Philippine pavilion and she is there as part of the staff manning the inquiries and sales talks. Back in Cebu, she is in close contact with the artisans who render the designs and she is full of admiration for the skill and passion of the Cebuano craftsmen. “The question that comes from the workers when a design is shown to them is ‘How will we make this?’ and never ‘It cannot be done,’†relates Susanne. “Never giving up, they are challenged by the design and they find ways to produce it,†she adds. Susanne is amazed at the beautiful relationship between the Filipino designer and the Filipino craftsmen and observes that it is something rare and incredible. She has seen that the designer’s trust and the artisan’s pride in the collaboration make all possible.
Kenneth serves as the marketing director of Manila FAME and Design Philippines. The other exhibitors look up to his model of how he has developed his brand and in turn, he is generous in sharing his knowledge. He is keen on branding as key to successful marketing and wants participants in Design Philippines to level up to the required international standards, develop their brands further and invest in marketing. He cites companies that are mature enough to go on their own (like Cobonpue and Hive, his subsidiary), be given bigger space with a higher joining fee and make way for a new crop of exhibitors to join.
