Filipino products capture international tastemakers’ attention at Maison & Objet and More

In the country’s participation in Maison & Objet and More (MOM), the online sourcing platform of long-running Parisian trade fair Maison & Objet, three featured products caught the eye of international tastemakers. All three were showcased at the Parc des Expositions of Paris-Nord Villepinte.

Part of the Design Philippines delegation organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Rattan and Abaca Partition by Shelmed Cottage Treasures, Macaroni chandelier by Lija by That One Piece, and ZZ Runner by Weavemanila, all enlisted under the Best of MOM, were joined by global brands on the trade floor for buyers of the European market.

“At the MOM Paris fair, we always set up dedicated, inspirational spaces and select—with the help of trends experts—the remarkable novelties, the colors, the shapes, or the materials, which are in line with upcoming trends,” says Caroline Biros, marketing and communication director of MOM. “Designers are currently deeply inspired by ethnic crafts using traditional weavings or sustainable fabrics made from plant leaves. These techniques, perfectly mastered by the Filipino manufacturers, are really interesting when they take a strong design bias.”

Last year, Filipino designers turned to color, fun, and nostalgia, centering on these key themes in response to the big lifestyle shift brought about by the pandemic. The shift to bubble living has led to redecorating and repurposing spaces into personal sanctuaries for work, play, and meditation.

Making the Macaroni

The collaboration between contemporary lighting and furniture brand LIJA by That One Piece and product designer Rachelle Dagñalan was a perfect pairing.

Playing up their strengths, the collaborators gave a meaningful and modern spin to the materials given. Dagñalan honed a deep affinity for clay, stone, and woven fibers as she grew up playing around with them. LIJA by That One Piece founder Rowen de Jesus, likewise, has a knack for working with natural materials.

“Rachelle initially wanted a design that deviated from the jagged or pointed or denticulate designs we have been doing for the past few seasons,” explains de Jesus. “, her design inspirations were the noodle, of course, and the Slinky toy. We both played around with the idea, sort of created a hybrid between the two, and voila—the Macaroni Chandelier was born!”

‘These techniques, perfectly mastered by the Filipino manufacturers, are really interesting when they take a strong design bias.’

The collaborators wanted the pendant lamp to fit both grand living and bubble living. “It has the magnificence to stand out in a large space yet it can be equally impactful when hung in a one-room apartment,” de Jesus points out.

Pièce de Résistance

The ZZ Runner was crafted by community-based weaving company Weavemanila and designed by product designers Rita Nazareno and Gabby Lichauco of Nazareno/Lichauco.

“The ZZ rug is a unique piece,” says Weavemanila’s Ann Hernandez. “It is new yet it has a retro feel. It is youthful yet nostalgic. It is like an oxymoron and I think this is what made it stand out as one of MOM’s best designs to be featured this year.”

Working together with Nazareno/Lichauco, Hernandez and her team took the “play” in playful design seriously. The end result is well worth it—Weavemanila’s ZZ Runner had been chosen among the roster of products to be exhibited in Paris. “I think it’s because of the uniqueness of the piece of Rita and Gabby’s design, and how we executed the idea using sustainable material,” says Hernandez. “I feel that a good product should be able to tick as many boxes as possible—design, environmental sustainability, and a company that is people-centric. Our company supports with weavers and communities in order to make products such as the ZZ Runner.”

A fusion of material and culture

The Rattan and Abaca Partition was created through the collaboration of Shelmed Cottage Treasures and Taiwan’s Kai Ping Liu and Ya Ching Lee of Essence Design & Craft.

The design exchange program where Philippine designers were matched with manufacturers from Taiwan and vice versa paved the way for the creation of the third piece that clinched a place among other Best of MOM favorites.

Dubbed as “Between,” the Rattan and Abaca Partition is a fusion of two countries and cultures. “Because Abaca is mostly presented in a flat form, we thought of making it different yet uniquely fit as a home accessory and furniture,” says designer Kai Ping Liu. “The partition presents the diversity of abaca weaving. It can work as an individual or combinable piece suitable for different spaces. Initially intended for the Taiwanese market, we are now looking forward to capturing different international markets.”

In these changing times, a Filipino manufacturing company with 120 years of experience carries on. As malleable as the natural fiber called abaca, from which its products are made, Shelmed Cottage Treasures has remained unbroken through the many challenges. It is now run by Mary Mediatrix Villanueva, a third-generation manufacturer and exporter, who was born into the abaca industry. Her grandparents were abacaleros, her parents—the Vallejos—artisans.

Asked why abaca was their chosen material, Villanueva says, “The natural fiber is malleable. There are so many processes that you can adopt—braiding, twisting, crocheting, weaving. And you can shape it, dye it into many colors, and be excitedly different in creative approaches.”

M&O is one of the premier trade fairs in the home lifestyle and furniture industry, gathering the best brands under one roof twice a year in Paris. Its digital platform MOM was established in 2016. It now connects around 400,000 buyers before and after the show through its platform, presenting a great opportunity for more than 30 FAME+ brands to reach new buyers with their showcase of products and collections. The Design Philippines banner is available all year round in MOM. fameplus.com