Philippine Design Part 2

When you see chic homes with uber-stylish furnishing,  a crop of designer names come to mind. Very often these designers are Filipinos who have literally carved out a name in the home design niche internationally. At the recent Manila FAME Show some new names have sprung up from out of nowhere and added a new breed of design aesthetics to the already rich and famous ones.

Budji Layug's booth

I just happen to have taken in a lot of ideas (and photos) of the show-stopping design booths. It's ironic though that the booths who have so graciously agreed to allow picture taking are the stand-outs while those who had the "don't copy my design mentality" were rather... uhhhm... mediocre?

Kenneth Cobonpue's chair and swing settee

In any case, I've decided to give more space and photo ops for the designers whose works have led the Philippines out into the global market as a result of their practical and stylish designs and also for reasonable price ranges that have made them quite popular in the international scene.

Kenneth Cobonpue - His designs can run up to the hundreds of thousands but when you really think about it,  your furniture speaks volumes about your personality and your style. His furniture designs are, quite literally, museum pieces. Never has modern design been so comfortable and practical and yet this eye-catching. He has chairs that seem as though they have been knitted and some stools that have individual cork pieces in the seat that cradle one's derrier and molds according to its shape. A seat becomes a flower in full bloom. While a settee is suspended in a cocoon of circular wires. Everything is so minimalist it can stand alone as an accent piece or you can group them together in a shabby-chic vignette.

Budji Layug's imposing day bed in bamboo

Eric Paras - his designs are so free and organic. I wouldn't be surprised to find his pieces in a posh resort somewhere near the beach. Warm tones of wood and woven  bamboo are enhanced by soft lighting in amber glow. And yet, his wood furniture don't seem to have a weighty feeling to it. His ceramic and terra cota pieces are both functional and whimsical.

Olivia D'Aboville - she has staged exhibition at the Ayala Museum of  her art pieces fashioned out of found objects. Her highly creative designs capture the imagination as she turns obscure items into objet's art. For the FAME show this year, she came up with lighting fixtures that have very fine, organic shades done in delicate fibers. Her floor candle holders have a mixed medieval and modern feel to it.

Olivia D'Aboville's chandeliers in organic fibers

Silahis Arts and Crafts - I've always know that this store has great ethnic collections and baskets which are sold in their Intramuros outlet. I never knew they participated in trade shows like Manila FAME. Imagine my surprise when I saw their booth on the show. I admire their twist on certain items like a basket weave swing (duyan) which they turned into a lunge chair. No, it doesn't swing this time around but still a comfortable chair where you can just snuggle up with an afghan and a good book on a rainy day. their pieces are easily affordable too...

Leroy New - a new stalwart in Philippine design. Young and aggressive in his design outlook, his lighting fixtures are made of wires twisted into almost grotesque shapes. Definitely accent pieces for the avant garde home where a minimalist room is highlighted by a single art piece. Sure, why not the lights? His works are also at Galleria Duemila in an exhibit entitled "Monstrosities."

Leroy New's lamps

I also want to tell you about an emerging art form in the Cordilleras: Bamboo carving! The highland tribes are known for huge hardwood carvings. A new breed of carvers from Baguio and Bontok have formed a group that does carving on a more sustainable material. They have to adjust to the bamboo's long fibers, though. They will carve out images on the bamboos segments and cut out the long filaments to delineate a form or figure. Their group has been given permission to use the white haunted house in Baguio city near the mall area.

Bamboo carver in traditional bahag

I had a lot of fun viewing the exhibits this year... wonder if i'll get invited to the next one. Keeping my fingers crossed!