Business
Top design, lifestyle
brands showcased
at Manila FAME
M
ANILA FAME, the country’s premiere
trade platform for exports and design—
now on its 68th edition—gathered the
country’s best micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) last October 19 to
21, 2018 at the World Trade Center in Pas-
ay City. This biannual trade show gath-
ered a growing number of the country's
skilled artisans, enabling them to have
a platform providing a platform that nurtures creative freedom
among entrepreneurs while, at the same time, showcasing the dis-
tinct design imprint of the Philippines to the global audiences.
For its October 2018 edition, Manila FAME focused on the shades
of off white and ivory, the palest pinks and skin-toned hues. These
soft colors are basic, discreet, timeless and classic. The perfect base
that leaves plenty of freedom to add more.
“To emphasize the teeming ingenuity of local designers and en-
trepreneurs, Manila FAME serves as a springboard where they can
explore their imagination. This will help us take Filipino craftsman-
ship to the next level,” said Paulina Suaco-Juan, newly appointed
executive director of Center for International Trade Expositions and
Mission or CITEM, the export promotions arm of the Department of
Trade and Industry and organizer of Manila FAME.
Design forward special features
The upcoming edition of Manila FAME showcased the third edi-
tion of Design Commune, was conceptualized to establish a steady
designer-manufacturer relationship, where designers understand
the skills of manufacturers. On the part of manufacturers, they were
able to recognize the significance of product design and develop-
Design Commune
68
Credits : citem.gov.ph
CITEM Executive
Director Paulina
Suaco-Juan
Credits : citem.gov.ph
ment, thus generating an output of well-designed products, creat-
ing an extensive showcase that meets the buyers’ expectation of a
sourcing destination. The products aimed to be developed will be
segmented towards various markets including Europe, the US and
Japan.
Also, the main special setting was designed by award-winning
artist Tes Pasola who previously worked as a co-curator in the Prod-
uct Design Consultancy Program during the April 2018 Edition of
Manila FAME.
Artisan Village
A staple of Manila FAME, the Artisan Village presented masterfully
made handcrafted pieces designed by Filipino MSMEs to be intro-
duced in the international market. As part of CITEM’s commitment
to promote the participation of local communities in Manila FAME,
handicrafts from the provinces of Antique, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro,
Cebu, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, and Marawi were
displayed there.
Bamboo Extreme
The Bamboo Extreme program stressed the use of bamboo as a
raw material for high-end lifestyle pieces. It seeks to provoke and
renew interest in the local resource, veering away from bamboo’s
reputation as a 'poor man’s material.' Spearheaded by the Design
Center of the Philippines, the program is a disruptive, conceptual
presentation of the bamboo material as it speaks of adventure, ex-
ploration, and experimentation through the application of bamboo
into product collections that capture the millennials’ way of life.
Home and Wellness Pavilion
Another returning special feature for this edition was the Home
and Wellness Pavilion, which showcased a wide range of gourmet
gifts, health and wellness products and services, and other fiber
based goods manufactured by select grassroot communities sup-
ported by the Department of Agriculture-Agribusiness Marketing
Service (DA-AMAS).
As it aims to strengthen the country’s position as a viable source
of high-quality and design-forward home décor and houseware
products, Manila FAME continues to put together exporters, de-
signers and retail brands from all over the country to highlight
Filipino artistry in the global marketplace. It will also gather the best
products from homegrown MSMEs in the home, furniture, lighting,
holiday and gifts, fashion, visual arts and 'food as gifts; sectors.
www.citem.gov.ph www.dti.gov.ph