Manila FAME October show to highlight PH culture, design ingenuity

Led by Paris-based design specialist Nelson Sepulveda, New Generation Weaves pays homage to Philippine indigenous and natural materials. (Supplied)

Manila FAME, the Philippines’ premier lifestyle and design event, is set to make waves again among international and local buyers as it returns on October 20-22 with a range of new show features and artisans in a showcase of the country’s rich cultural heritage and design ingenuity.

The 66th edition of Manila FAME will strip down to its roots to present a show built upon the intertwine of the country’s rich cultural heritage and design excellence and the promotion of Philippine products. Artisans from across the country will showcase their best products at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and the Philippine Trade and Training Center in Pasay City across the three-day event.

“For this edition of Manila FAME, we put focus on how our culture has influenced generations upon generations of Filipino artisans. Manila FAME has always stood as a canvas to which the best of Philippine lifestyle and design talents embellish their work to showcase the country’s vibrant and multi-layered cultural heritage,” said CITEM Executive Director Clayton Tugonon.

No less than eight show features will be included in the upcoming show. New Generation Weaves, a staple of Manila FAME for the past three editions, will return with Paris-based design specialist Nelson Sepulveda at the helm. Sepulveda will work with more than 30 small and medium enterprises to invoke harmony and balance through Philippine craftsmanship and the beauty of natural raw materials.

GRAT Women Project 2 will also return to highlight the works of women artisans across the country. The project was launched by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) in partnership with the DTI Project Management Team and is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.

World-renowned designer Tony Gonzalez will also have his own curated setting that will marry the strengths of each Manila FAME participant to create a versatile collection made to match a variety of material requirements, techniques, and price points. Design Commune: Patterns and Palettes will be presented in four themes: Blues and Whites, Ethnic Nomads, Green Tinted, and Natural Black and White.

What could be considered the very highlight of the show however will be the special setting featuring the traditional tattoo artists of Buscalan, Kalinga. Grace Palicas and Ilyang Wigan, the successors of Whang-Od Oggay, the country’s oldest tattoo artist, will take center stage as Manila FAME celebrates the cultural importance of the pagbabatok and its role in preserving the unique heritage of the country.

“These women are the unsung heroes of our generation. They are the very definition of how resilient Filipino culture is against the test of time,” Tugonon added. “Their presence in the 66th edition of Manila FAME cements the importance and influence that our culture has to our work, products, and art.”

The Center for International Trade expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is the proud organizer of the Manila FAME – the second longest-running trade show in the Asia-Pacific, and the only trade event in the Philippines approved by Union des Foires Internationales, a Paris-based association of trade fair organizers founded 90 years ago in Italy.

Manila FAME is a bi-annual business sourcing platform of export ready and finely crafted furniture and home furnishings, holiday gifts and décor, and fashion accessories. It showcases the best of Philippine design and craftsmanship. For more information, please visit http://www.manilafame.com/

Klaris Jennifer Lovino

Media Relations Officer
CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE EXPOSITIONS AND MISSIONS
Golden Shell Pavilion, Roxas Blvd. corner Sen. Gil Puyat
Pasay City, Metro Manila 1300 Philippines
Telephone: +632 8312201 local 239
Website: www.citem.com.ph