Filipino genius at Manila FAME

Or so I thought as I walked through the halls of the SMX during the 58th Manila FAME, the Design and Lifestyle event hosted biannually by Citem, or the Center for International Trade and Expositions and Missions. Manila FAME is undoubtedly the country’s premier international trade show for furniture, lighting, furnishings; accessories; Christmas décor and holiday gifts; and fashion. It’s a showcase of the Filipinos’ creative genius. We, after all, have a reputation for inventiveness and ingenuity in design, a characteristic that has become an economic driver as more global buyers patronize Philippine-designed and -manufactured goods on the merit of their innovative concepts.

This year, my stroll through the exhibition hall carried a different dimension. In the past I would take most items at face value, strolling around and appreciating whatever caught my eye, or looking for products to use for my design projects. This year however had me judging the exhibits for the Katha Awards, “a special distinction presented to exporters and designers whose products embody exceptional quality and high-caliber design in furniture, homeware and furnishings, holiday décor and gifts, and fashion.”

This important hallmark of design excellence and innovation aims to both inspire and challenge designers, manufacturers and exporter in creating original concepts that are both relevant and attractive to the international market. The task gave my stroll through the hall a whole new purpose.

Most of the stunning pieces were found in the “DesignPH” displays where renowned designers collaborated with manufacturers for exceptional design crafted in superior quality. Others were in the “Red Box” exhibits, which presented creations by promising young designers that collaborated with established manufacturers.

Design is defined by emotion, for it is difficult to go around deliberately trying to find an attractive piece by means of logical analysis or some academic process. At the end of the day, it is what jumps at your eyes, touches your emotions and brings about delight that can be measured for good design. At the Manila FAME, there were many:

• An abaca lambat (net) by Tadeco: abaca fibers loosely woven and intertwined with fine wire. This is an old technique with a new application and multiple possibilities.

• Vito Selma’s coffee table, a wooden assembly of pegs and near-spindles that could be loosened up and reconfigured into a few other shapes. This piece won the Katha Award for furniture.

• The traditional Ilocos inabel fabric took a modern spin in pendant lamps designed by French-Filipina designer Olivia D’Aboville.

• The rear view of a metalwork lounge chair by Industrial Vico.  This one is what we eventually christened the “alien chair” for its avante-garde yet graceful metalwork.

• Wataru Sakuma’s bowls made of paper pulp which used real trunks and branches to mimic their true textures. Gold-leafed interior surfaces bring glamour to what once looked overtly utilitarian.

• Industria Vico won the Katha Award for the best booth. Lightweight wall panels in trowelled plaster plus large rolls of carton that stood as decorative pillars combined together as the perfect backdrop for their furniture pieces that carry an industrial vibe.

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