Manila FAME, the country’s preeminent lifestyle and design trade event will honour the legacy of Filipino design excellence featured in its past 68 editions. The show is slated on 25-27, April 2019 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City, Philippines.

On its 69th edition, Manila FAME once again gathers the country's finest designers in various fields and several micro, small, and medium enterprises to showcase contemporary craftsmanship and Filipino artistry. As the Philippines' premier sourcing destination for home, lifestyle, and design products, it has been a platform where businesses can showcase their masterpieces for local and foreign entrepreneurs.

Pauline Suaco-Juan, executive director of the Centre for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) that organises Manila FAME, skews the institution's course towards the digital sphere this 2019. Hence, adding "Fashion E-tailers" in the 69th Manila FAME where small fashion brands that have grown its market through e-commerce would have an opportunity to expand their reach.

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Photo 1 of 4 CITEM executive director Paulina Suaco-Juan
Photo 2 of 4 Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines chairman Nicholas de Lange
Photo 3 of 4 Vince Uy, Maco Custodio, and André Chang
Photo 4 of 4 André Chang, Nix Alañon, and Stanley Ruiz

Furthermore, Manila FAME gives highlight as well to its fourth run of Design Commune, a merchandise development program and curated exhibitiion space that aims to nurture a community of creative prime movers and their collaboration with manufacturers. "As part of our product development program, these products will be reimagined to reflect contemporary design concepts,” said Suaco-Juan. Designed to encourage and promote a constant output of well-designed products that meet international market demands, this edition's Design Commune features works unified by the theme, "Heritage Reimagined", with creative direction by Vince Uy.

The trade show has been positioned over the years as a celebration of exquisite craftmanship, mastery over sustainable materials and world-renowned quality that catapulted the careers of Filipino product designers to the global scene. This led to the idea of highlighting products from its past editions while adding a new flare that gives a nostalgic yet exciting feel to the reimagined products.

The archives of Manila FAME exhibitors are rife with talents and ideas. It has become a goldmine of inspirations formed under the influence of the trade event. This cemented Manila FAME’s status of being Asia’s best sourcing destination for home, fashion and lifestyle products designed and crafted for the international market.

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Photo 1 of 2 Weaves+Denim Jacket | By André Chang x Wear Your Culture
Photo 2 of 2 Wooden Bowls | By Stanley Ruiz x Chanalli

Together with Uy are some of the country's top creative minds of this generation that made "Heritage Reimagined" possible. Namely, they are Stanley Ruiz (home and lighting), Nix Alañon (furniture and lighting), André Chang (fashion), PJ Arañador (Artisan's Village - home), and Maco Custodio (Artisan's Village - fashion).

"The Philippines has a long history and tradition of Philippine design and material culture. Recently, there has been a significant amount of nostalgia over past trends and the revival or reinvention of iconic design pieces," said Suaco-Juan.

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Above Bag & Clutch | By Maco Custodio x Esrom's
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Above Solihiya Lamp | By Nix Alañon x South Sea

"For many of you, this might be passé as we have been doing this reimagination of Filipino traditional arts and design for many years. But we'd like to say to you that we should do more of this and let's use our combined efforts to push it further. It is important for us to tell the world the story of Philippine design and ingenuity," she continued.

Uy, together with the other designers in Design Commune, shared how they pushed further to contemporary flair the business enterprises they collaborated with. "We were all inspired by different perspectives but one element we all agreed to highlight is colour," Uy said. "The Philippines has a very vivid and bold heritage in terms of design, and I think everyone loves colour. Although recently there has been a direction to more neutral and subdued palettes and so we wanted to bring back an appreciation of colour."

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Above Jewelries | By André Chang x Strong Faith
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"What's challenging here, in regards to working with these excellent community artisans, is trying to change the minds of the people to experiment more rather than resort to a typical object you will normally think would fit. As you can see in this edition's logo, it's sort of a weave pattern. Through this we would like to tell our fellow Filipino craftsmen to go beyond to cater to the current market demands," Uy said.

Furthermore, Alañon said that with the decades-old companies he worked with for the Design Commune, his dilemma was that it's as though "they got stuck". "They have been exporting since the '50s or earlier but the challenge is on being more creative with the products, perhaps by using materials you are not used to and think of other ways to showcase the materials."

Ruiz added that the micro, small and medium entrprises they worked with also need guidance and training (in terms of compliance, logistics, packaging, etc.) to properly handle their exportations. 

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Above Metal Pendant Lamp | By Nix Alañon x Fleur D'Elise
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Above Throw & Pillow | By Maco Custodio x Esrom's
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Above Bags | By Maco Custodio x Esrom's
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Above Cabinet | By Nix Alañon x South Sea
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Photo 1 of 6 Carabao Horn Hat & Bags | André Chang x Pao Tiam
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"The success of a business has a lot to do with adjusting to the time. More than resistance is acceptance. It is welcoming the changes, particularly in terms of technology, and figuring out how to deal with it," Uy said. "These design communities, there is no need for them to come up with something totally new. They have archives dating back to the '50s and '40s that have preserved amazing designs. All we, my team and I, need is to tweak the colourway, maybe change a fabric or two, but still has the same timeless design."

"It is through this resurgence of the signs and sensibilities that you will help redefine and showcase our heritage of Philippine design. Our goal is to bring elements of past products and reintroduce them through modern interpretations," Suaco-Juan said.

In line with dealing with the changing tides of today's market, Manila FAME joins CITEM's new direction of exploring the digital arena. An exciting new feature to watch out for in the upcoming edition is the Fashion E-tailer, a special setting dedicated to emerging fashion entrepreneurs and designer brands in the e-commerce space.

"We are excited to bring the online marketplace to the trade show floor featuring the country's rising fashion entrepreneurs and design commercial brands. This is in line with the Philippines' e-commerce program," Suaco-Juan said. "Our engagement with these brands and entrepreneurs includes capacity-building, training, seminars, to help us establish a presence in the online world. These businesses need help so we've partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry's new competitiveness and innovations arm which now has an e-commerce program to help them with their registration papers, intellectual property issues, and other trainings in terms of shipping, export, and whatnot to help them grow as businesses."

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Above FASHION E-TAILERS. Jacket by Toqa, coat by Ava. shoes by Stride, bag by Viajecito, Earrings by Tropik Beatnik, Shoes by Annie & Lori, Bag by Toqa & Quiddity

Since the trade show is more than just a platform to promote products for export, the April edition will once again spearhead community empowerment advocacies such as the Artisans Village and the GREAT Women Project. The Artisans Village is an avenue for local MSMEs to introduce their regional crafts to the global market while The Gender Responsive Economic Actions for the Transformation of Women aims to assist women entrepreneurs toward economic empowerment.

To further elevate the sourcing experience of visiting buyers, business convergence areas and a modern concept cocktail bar will also be in place in the upcoming edition.

As a platform for trade, Manila FAME is a launching pad for new Filipino export products and believes in the advocacy of helping talented Filipinos gain recognition in the global design industry.

The 69th Manila FAME is slated on 25-27, April 2019 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City, Philippines

Credits

Photography  

Franz Sorilla

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