Local company transforms “turn of the century” concepts to eclectic furniture designs

Oct. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- The interesting design mix of furniture and home furnishings, also known as eclectic style, has long been a hit with collectors and interior designers all over the world. Eclectic style means a little bit of this and a little bit of that while using more imagination, unexpected contrasts, and delightful surprises.

On its 52nd edition, the only Union des Foires International (UFI) accredited trade fair event in the country, Manila F.A.M.E. International, Asia’s Boutique Show, aside from opening its door to companies that produces nontraditional furniture also welcomes new exhibitors that are bolder and offer exciting and refreshing twists when it comes to producing home interiors and furnishings.

Such is the case with the P and B Valises et Compagnie, Inc., a returning exhibitor of the longest-running trade fair in the Philippines. P&B incorporates 'turn of the century' travel concepts and eclectic design into their signature style of combining hardwood, hand-forged brass and selected leather hides to achieve a standard of detail and meticulous craftsmanship differentiating their products from mass-produced items in the market these days.

“The 'turn of the century' travel concept with eclectic and exciting mix of materials was conceived with the intent to re-create and develop a design-inspired range of high-quality luggage with applications to home furnishings, lifestyle, leisure and travel,” said Mathew Brill one of the owners of P&B Valises. He also said that in 1992 under the trade name “Prizmic & Brill”, they began producing hard-side luggage for Ralph Lauren. “The product range now includes furniture, trunks, luggage, handbags, home, travel and desk accessories, sport and gaming paraphernalia.”

Since 1986, P&B Valises has created a reputation for re-interpreting and improvising on classic designs, continuously keeping them fresh and alluring. The uniqueness of P&B Valises products lie in their ability to work with equal virtuosity in a variety of visually interactive and durable, not to mention sustainable materials such as recycled aluminum, brass, rattan, glass and textiles.

Brill further explains that all their product lines are handcrafted using traditional skills, methods and materials. These include handwoven natural fibres, hardwood, hand forged and tooled brass, and embossed vegetable tanned hides. “All hardware and fittings are exact reproductions of antique luggage and travel accessories from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and are both a poignant document of social history and of prestigious fashion houses,” he adds.

P&B Valises, also known as Prizmic and Brill Valises et Compagnie is a company incorporated in 1994 by Matthew Brill, Vinko Prizmic and Ma. Socorro Nicdao who shared a common quest of bringing Philippines’ exceptional design and creativity into the Europe and United States markets. “We are actually one of the pioneer exhibitors of the early Manila F.A.M.E. days under the name ‘Design Etnika’. We focused back then (early 80’s) on the indigenous tribal handwoven fabrics and artifacts of the Philippines. The precious fabrics were then crafted into intricate bags and travel accessories. Later we developed a sophisticated range of high-end luggage and home accessories for which we received the Golden Shell Award (Horizon East Fashion Inc.),” relates Brill.

It is the appeal of the combination of functionality and history with art that sets the P&B product apart. Its appeal transcends time, ethnic and establishment barriers and reflects a sense of nostalgia and romance associated with a time and tradition that are now legendary icons of the present.

Since then, P&B Valises has evolved into home furnishings market while still maintaining the classical travel theme of their products. Besides home furnishings, their company also furnishes resorts, safari camps/lodges and does visual display for retailers such as Tommy Bahama and Zara. “We have entered the golf industry through the Professional Golf Association of America furnishing their pro-shops and locker rooms in vintage style. The key to our success has been to stay within our skill set when developing products using materials and craft that we can control and have mastered all within the walls of our factory,” he added.

P&B products are designed and marketed as exclusive product lines for leading international furnishing companies specializing in period designer product. They have had a significant impact on the industry and have captured a significant share of the high-end home furnishings market.

“CITEM’s bi–annual trade fair allows the exporters to continually develop and present new concepts. This keeps the creative energy going and keeps the Philippines as a major player in the high-end craft industry,” shared Brill.

See more creative and innovative furniture and home interior pieces and furnishings that made the Philippine design known in the international scene as Manila F.A.M.E. International opens its 52nd edition on 18-21 October 2010 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, World Trade Center Pavilion and Philippine Trade Training Center. It is led by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry.

For more information, log on to www.manilafame.com.

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The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is an export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry.