Manila FAME's 74th edition blooms with new Philippine design collections
Manila FAME returns Oct. 15-17 for its 74th edition, themed Bloom, unveiling new furniture, decor, and lighting from Filipino designers and artisans.
ARTS & CULTURE
9/22/20263 min read
Manila FAME marks its 74th edition Oct. 15-17 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City with a theme called Bloom, a nod to the mastery and material skill driving Filipino design forward. Asia-Pacific's second-longest-running trade event for home, fashion, and lifestyle will launch hundreds of new pieces that pair traditional craft with contemporary luxury.
The Design Commune anchors the edition. Curator Tony Gonzales mentors five emerging designers, Dya Tsyna, Jaime Brias, Jim Zarate Torres, Reine Shih, and Uzel Alconera, who will work with 20 manufacturers to unveil 90 original home decor pieces staged like an art installation. Gonzales said he wants the work to carry an unmistakably human touch, something no machine can replicate.
Designer Josef Crisanto returns to lead a holiday showcase built around Pasko and Pasqua, Christmas and Easter, themes of reflection and rebirth. He's working with designers Clark Mendoza and Razel Mari and 12 manufacturers on 40 bespoke pieces. Curator Milo Naval leads Home at FAME, a minimalist furniture and lighting showcase built with second-generation leaders of heritage manufacturers.
Several brands are debuting new work at the fair:
Contemporaneo turns discarded wood chips into sculptural furniture, including a new bar cabinet, totem pole, console, and drink tables. Art Meets Craft brings bold color and unconventional shapes, among them a balloon-inspired floor lamp and a taffy-candy accent chair. Cebu-based Nature's Legacy, led by President and CEO Pete Delantar, draws on the shape of bubbles for a new line of lamps, candle holders, and vases made from Naturescast, its certified biodegradable material.
Contemporaneo General Manager Arnulfo Milambiling at their factory in Pasig City
Design sketches for Art Meets Craft
Design sketch of the vases for Nature's Legacy’s Bubble Collection
Bon Ace works shells and resin into a midnight-toned tray and a sculpted stool. Lija by That One Piece debuts tabletop decor, pendants, and boxes made from tinted fossilized leaves. South East Metro Arts (SEMA) turns Mt. Pinatubo's volcanic ash into furniture and metalwork inspired by native flowers like champaca and ylang-ylang.
(L) Designer Tony Gonzales and mentees Jim Zarate, Uzel Alconera, and Deya Tsyna pose with CITEM Project Officer Dana Anaya and Nature’s Legacy President and CEO Pete Delantar; (R) Products made of Naturescast, an award-winning, B-Corp certified sustainable, biodegradable material developed by Nature’s Legacy
The Manila FAME design team with Luis de Jesus of Lija by That One Piece
Design sketches and renders for the newest prototypes of Bon Ace
Jalikee reworks Palm Sunday traditions and nativity scenes into handcrafted holiday pieces, and Natureline Enterprises hand-weaves straw tabletop eggs, a nine-pointed star, and a parol designed to double as a wind chime.
Milo Naval designing sketches for SEMA
Design Commune Holiday Curator Josef Crisanto and mentee Clark Mendoza with Natureline Owner Mina Caubang and CITEM Project Officer Maan Baldemoro during their consultation
Manila FAME is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry. More information and registration are available at fameplus.com.