Manila FAME goes urban resort in March

MANILA, Philippines – Manila FAME, the country’s premiere design and lifestyle event, will once again showcase the best of Design Philippines at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay on March 14-17.

Organized twice a year by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Manila FAME is a global platform for the country’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which features certified, export-quality products such as furniture and furnishings, holiday gifts and décor, garments, and fashion accessories designed and crafted in the Philippines for the global market.

“CITEM is proud to showcase so many firsts as we continue to solidify our brand-building efforts to create a bigger community for Design Philippines,” said Rosvi Gaetos, executive director of CITEM.

Manila FAME continues to attract local and international buyers, fortifying the country brand Design Philippines with its staple of popular features:  Manila Wear,  OTOP Marketplace, and Crafts Spots. The March 2014 edition will witness a new wave of design talents entering the scene under the Red Box program for designers on the rise.

Design Philippines is a branding initiative that positions the Philippines as a sourcing destination for finely crafted products for the world market. It has provided the foundation for Manila FAME’s merchandise development efforts to always create something new for every Manila FAME edition. As a design movement, it nurtures and celebrates the creativity and originality of a globally competitive and passionate community of Filipino designers and craftsmen.

“The brand now speaks with recognized authority in the world of design, although it is still continually being defined and redefined by new product design developments under Design for Exports program. We work closely with designers, manufacturers and CITEM’s partners. We take them to international shows like iSaloni in Milan and MAISON&OBJET in Paris, for instance,to promote innovative products designed and crafted in the Philippines for the world,” said Budji Layug, creative director of Manila FAME.

In a series of creative sessions with participating designers and manufacturers held both in Manila, Pampanga, and Cebu, Layug said that the Design Philippines movement is fast catching on in the world of design, and CITEM is at the forefront of nurturing its vision. For their part in the forthcoming Manila FAME, some 30 fashion designers and 14 home designers are tasked to collaborate with exporters and manufacturers to  translate the show’s creative direction into their March 2014 collections.

Layug’s creative direction for this March’s Manila FAME is based on the concept of urban resort, which will be interpreted as a design philosophy in each product sector: home, holiday, and fashion. Under his direction, urban resort will be interpreted by the Manila FAME exporters and designers as a design style that embodies a modern and fresh approach that is respectful of traditional forms, design language, and craft skills.

“Urban resort is about providing modern interpretation to age-old crafts and bringing it forward and creating a fresh language of design and lifestyle that is both familiar and new. It is also about colors, textures, and natural elements that come together in bold, elegant lines, forms, and shapes. It is natural yet modern. It is inside yet outside. It is Philippines yet global,” explained Layug.

Manila FAME is the second longest-running trade show in the Asia Pacific, and is the only trade event in the country that is approved by UFI (Union des Foires Internationales), the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.