Filipino design lovers will soon have a zone all their own

In the Pinoy retail scene, few words are more frustrating than "for export only." (Okay, maybe "out of stock" or "not in your size" come close.) At trade fairs like CITEM, for example, the lovely designs on display are yours for the looking but not for the taking.

"For export only," you’re told as you fondle a particularly genius abaca lamp. Then you see it featured a few months later in a foreign design magazine as an example of "world-class Filipino ingenuity." Tell me, why can Brad Pitt have a Pinoy designer chair in his house and we can’t?

With next year’s opening of Greenbelt 5, the irony of Filipinos not being able to buy Filipino will no longer exist. According to the Ayala Malls Group, Greenbelt 5’s main attraction will be the first-ever Filipino Zone – two floors of retail space devoted to the best fashion and home designers in the Philippines.

"The objective is to showcase world-class Filipino artists," says Rowena Tomeldan, vice president and deputy head of the Ayala Malls Group. "In a lot of the research that we do, our respondents were saying, ‘You know what’s frustrating, there are so many beautiful products coming from the Philippines but they’re not available here.’ At the same time we wanted to bring in artists who operate from their homes, designers who operate from their shops – we want to bring them closer to their market."

"Since it’s right beside Ayala Museum, it made so much sense for us to highlight Filipino artistry," concurs Myrna Fernandez, Greenbelt general manager and Ayala Malls senior division manager. "And when we mean Filipino artistry, we’re talking about fashion, home, and accessories. These are the successful, world-class artists who cater to the export market – they’re all over Europe and the US but they’re not here."

Greenbelt as a whole was always envisioned as a premier lifestyle center. Greenbelt 1 provides all the necessities of daily life from its supermarket, pharmacy, hardware store, bookstore, as well as fast-food and casual-dining outlets. Viewing culture as a basic necessity, GB1 also has Onstage, home to Repertory Philippines and a valuable venue for cultural entertainment.

Greenbelt 2 is the dining mecca: 16 chef’s restaurants feature gourmet cuisine from all over the globe, from Continental, Italian and Spanish to Chinese and Japanese. "It’s where you can have power lunches or maybe bond with your friends. It’s a date place," says Fernandez.

Greenbelt 3 "is high energy, with cinemas, Red Box karaoke, Timezone plus some specialty fashion and home stores," notes Tomeldan. It also overlooks Greenbelt Park, with gardens that are the ideal setting for open-air concerts, nightlife, entertainment, and Sunday mass.

Greenbelt 4, with its row of global luxury brands, almost completes the fashion concept. This is where fashion, art and book lovers mingle, with the Ayala Museum and Powerbooks right next door to designer flagship stores like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Tod’s, Bottega Venetta, Bulgari, Burberry, and YSL.

"Now there is interest from other first-class luxury groups who want to come into the Philippines, and they just want to be in Greenbelt, so that was the perfect opportunity to expand," says Tomeldan. "And to differentiate Greenbelt from other developments in the country, we came up with the Filipino Zone."

While Greenbelt 5’s ground level will act as an extension of Greenbelt 4, with more foreign luxury brands on offer, on the second level, a 21,000 square-foot Fashion Avenue will feature local designers like Randy Ortiz, Patrice Ramos Diaz, Amina Aranaz, Arnel Papa, Jun Escario, Vic Barba and Lulu Tan Gan, and Firma’s new concept. Younger talents like Ivar Aseron, Joey Samson, Dennis Lustico, and Jojie Lloren will join more established names like Ortiz, who will take the lead. Each will be given their own area, for which they have to come up with totally new concepts. All will offer ready to wear, but likely just a few pieces of one design to retain exclusivity.

For shoes, there will be Lila Almario and Solea by Ernie Jorge. For jewelry, Ana Rocha. "These are the one-of-a-kind Filipino retailers that we will highlight," says Fernandez. "We’re going to zone it by fixing up the common area so it really exudes world-class Filipino."

To this end, Andy Locsin’s group of architects is designing the Zone, from the walls to the lighting fixtures to the ceiling.

On the third level, Filipino home designers like Claude Tayag will offer furnishings and home accessories.

It won’t all be shopping and more shopping, though. Six to eight chef-based restaurants will open in the first phase of GB5 – 12 in total once the second phase is completed. Specially selected top chefs will conceive and run the outlets, like Colin Mackay of Sala and the People’s Palace group, Chateau 1771, and Bambi Sy Gobio, who will open a café.

"We’re doing a new set of unique restaurants and the setup’s really nice: food outlets and seating will be facing the park," says Fernandez.

Greenbelt Park itself is being redeveloped. The church is being improved, the water around it being made part of the whole lagoon. If you’ve been wondering what all the digging is about, the only road that passes through the complex, Greenbelt Drive, is being brought down a floor so all cars will pass underneath ground level.

"The objective is when you stand in the park, visually you won’t see any cars passing through," says Fernandez. "Visually it’s one whole park, running from Greenbelt 4 all the way to Greenbelt 1. And then we’ll have parking access from there, which highlights the park, a non-traditional anchor for Greenbelt."

If you live in The Residences at Greenbelt, this retail world will become your oyster. Everything will be within walking distance and you won’t have to cross traffic, since a second-level bridgeway will connect The Residences to Greenbelt 2 and 3. A connection will eventually be built to Greenbelt 5, and ultimately, the GB walkway system will connect to the whole network of the Makati Central Business District.

"The profile of the residents here in Greenbelt is that they want to be where the action is," says Tomeldan.

At The Residences at Greenbelt, they definitely will be.

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Greenbelt 5 will open October to November 2007. The Residences at Greenbelt begins turnover first quarter of 2008 with its first tower, Laguna.