Manila FAME features the Art of the Craftsman

Sept. 21, 2012 - PRLog -- For its 56th edition on 17-20 October 2012, Manila FAME, Asia's Design and Lifestyle event, will highlight  the Filipino  artisans  and their craftsmanship  as  the  soul of  the  country. This event is being  organized  by  the  Center  for  International  Trade  Expositions  and  Missions  (CITEM),  the export marketing authority of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry.

“The Filipino craftsmen, with their innate talent and unique ingenuity for the past decades, have sparked global interest in Philippine craftsmanship. With unparalleled design style made by Filipino hands, Philippine furniture and furnishings, holiday decor and gifts and fashion continue to make the country the design hub in Asia,” said CITEM Executive Director Rosvi C. Gaetos. With the new theme of  “The Art of the Craftsman equals the Soul of the Philippines”,  new facets on the show will be presented putting the spotlight to the Philippine top creative professionals and home grown brands of the country's leading names in the design industry. Some of the event features that will
give buyers  and visitors more reason to  visit the  show are the  10 Design Houses, Garden and Fashion Pavilions,and the Crafts and Style Spots.

Executive Director Gaetos also added that with its trademark of being the country’s trade show for top-notch artistry and craftsmanship, buyers and guests can expect more of the extraordinary and unique offerings from this edition.

“Buyers can look forward to the 10 Design  Houses  created by  carefully-selected internationally acclaimed and upcoming Filipino designers. With the Design Houses, these designers take design to  the  ultimate  level  as  they  creatively  combine  the  country's  indigenous materials  with  their individual sensibilities,” said James Booth, Project Director for the October 2012 edition of Manila FAME. James Booth is a recognized American home furnishings retail marketing expert tapped by the CITEM to head its team of lifestyle designers and marketers.

While the Garden Pavilion connect buyers and visitors alike to the environment with the refreshing joys of Life Alfresco; the Garden Pavilion is a collaboration among Manila FAME's Creative Team: Project Director James Booth and internationally  renowned designers Josie Natori, Budji Layug, and Kenneth Cobonpue and visual merchandise specialist Ito Kish.

For the Craft Spots, Filipino artisans will pave the way to a high new level of Philippine design and artisanship through their live presentation of age-old tradition and centuries-old discipline which are also  useful to the export industry. On the other hand, the Style  Spots display  avant-garde products from a cross-merchandise presentation of color, texture, material and form that are in tune with the three leading Macro Trends in the world today- Eco-Sustainability, Hyper-Localism, and Being In Connection.

Manila  FAME  also  continues  the  Manila  Wear  collection  in  the  Fashion  Pavilion  which  will  be curated by  internationally  renowned designer  Josie  Natori.  Manila  Wear  positions  the  Philippine fashion industry  to cater to an emerging set of global fashionistas living the jet-set-meets-gypsy lifestyle.

From scarves made from handloom fabric with gold leather inserts to an exclusive clutch featuring textured  shell  inlay  and  meticulous  metalsmithing  to  bold  fashion  jewelry  and  gift  items  using irregularly  cut  stone  handcrafted  by  brass  artisans  using  the  ancient  lost  wax  method,  Manila Wear offers a fresh take on a more individualized and personal style of fashion to cater to a world opposite that of fast fashion, conspicuous consumption and the age of excess.

On focus  are designers  JC  Buendia,  Rajo  Laurel,  Dennis  Lustico,  Jojie  Lloren, Jun Artajo,  Maco Custodio, Adante Leyesa, Oj Hofer,  Randy Ortiz,  Lulu Tan Gan,  Lally Dizon, Kristine Dee,  Emi Jorge,  Hindy  Tantoco,  Ken Samudio,  Dita Sandico-Ong,  Malou Romero,  Nicole Whisenhunt, Joyce  Makitalo,   Yako  Reyes,  Janice  Minor,   Arnel  Papa,  Patrice  Ramos  –Diaz,   Joel  Escober, Amina Aranaz, under the curatorial leadership of Josie C. Natori.

Aside  from  the  event  features,  international  trade  buyers  can  also  expect  more  of  the extraordinary and unique offerings from Manila FAME through the show's Special Buyers Services. Buyers that will register on or before 15 September are eligible to get complimentary three days and two nights  luxurious hotel accommodations  from Manila  FAME partner hotels, pre-arranged appointments to the show's exhibitors' factories, and the FAME white-glove assistance services.

With the industry's humble beginnings which is reflective of rich craft heritage, myriad influences, combined with age-old artisan techniques and materials, eye for beauty, and expert hands, the Manila  FAME  has  metamorphosed into  the  world's  favorite  sourcing  hub  for creatively-designed and distinct products that have found its way in homes of notable personalities like Queen Rania of  Jordan  and  Hollywood  power  couple  Brad  Pitt  and  Angelina  Jolie;  leading  lifestyle  stores retailers such as Bloomingdales, Armani Casa, Harrods, El Corte Ingles, Neiman Marcus, Pottery
Barn, Tangs, Etoile Design, Noor Design, United Furniture Company, and Papaya; and pages of high-end magazines such as Maisons Cote Sud, Habitus Living Australia, Furnishings International, Belle, Archidea, Moblaje, and many more.

Around 350 Philippine  exhibitors  are expected to showcase their high-quality  and design-driven products in Manila FAME at the SMX Convention Center, Metro Manila, Philippines.

“The  Philippine  craftsmen  own  a  true  know-how,  which  deserves  to  be  known  beyond  their frontiers,” said Alix de Dives, writer, Maisons Cote Sud, a French decor magazine about the art of living. Alix de Dives recently visited the Philippines to feature Filipino craftsmanship.

World-famous  Brazilian  designers  Humberto  and  Fernando  Campana  also  recently  visited  the Philippines as guests of Manila FAME and Design Week Philippines. They have always been drawn by the Philippine crafts. “The quantity of materials you have and the way you manipulate them are  fantastic.  This  is  important  on a  global  scale  because  crafts  are  slowly  coming  back,”  said Humberto Campana.

Fernando added “What you have here is perfect, as the world reacquires a taste for more laborintensive production processes and techniques.”

For  more  information  about  Manila  FAME,  visit  www.manilafame.com  or  email
infor@manilafame.com.ph.