13 October 2018

Published also in Business Mirror

MANILA FAME, the country’s premier trade platform for exports and design, will gather the country’s best micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from October 19 to 21 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

The biannual trade show—now on its 68th edition—will continue to stand as a blank canvas for the country’s skillful artisans, providing a platform that nurtures creative freedom among entrepreneurs. It will also showcase the distinct design imprint of the Philippines to the global audiences.

For its October 2018 edition, Manila FAME will anchor 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 entrepreneurs, Manila FAME serves as a springboard where they can explore their imagination. This will help us take Filipino craftsmanship to the next level,” said Paulina Suaco-Juan, newly appointed executive director of Center for International Trade Expositions and Mission (Citem), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry and organizer of Manila FAME.

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 will put together exporters, designers 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.

The upcoming edition of Manila FAME will also feature the third edition of “Design Commune.” This special setting was conceptualized to establish a steady designer-manufacturer relationship, where designers understand the skills of manufacturers, and manufacturers recognize the significance of product design and development. It will also conceive an output of well-designed products, creating an extensive showcase that meets the buyers’ expectation of a sourcing destination. The products to be developed will be segmented toward various markets including Europe, the US and Japan.

Also, the main special setting will be designed by award-winning artist Tes Pasola who previously worked as a co-curator in the Product Design Consultancy Program during the April 2018 Edition of Manila FAME.

A staple of Manila FAME, the Artisan Village, is a venue for masterfully made handcrafted pieces designed by Filipino MSMEs to be introduced 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 will be displayed there.

The Bamboo Extreme program pushes 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, exploration, and experimentation through the application of bamboo into product collections that capture the millennials’ way of life.

Another returning special feature for this edition is the Home and Wellness Pavilion, which will showcase a wide range of gourmet gifts, health and wellness products and services, and other fiber based goods manufactured by select grassroot communities supported by the Department of Agriculture-Agribusiness Marketing Service.

Manila FAME will also hold the annual Katha Awards, the hallmark of product design excellence and innovation. It will distinguish the most innovative local fashion and lifestyle industries among the Manila FAME exhibitors who continue to develop and redefine the prestige of Philippine design.