Fab at 40

Every year, the graduating students of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) amaze us with their exhibit — their thesis before going out into the real world as interior designers.

We’ve seen designs that can be at home in the pages of interior design books — and admittedly some that need more work. We’ve seen designs of accessories and furniture pieces that we know in our gut can be commercially successful and wish the students would hurry up and go into retail.

This year is no different.

Now in its 40th year, PSID collaborates with the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP) for its “Forty, Filipino and Fabulous” exhibit. This is one of their best shows yet, though for me their 35th anniversary show at GT Tower, where they paid tribute to local designers such as Lor Calma, is hard to top. That remains my favorite PSID show.

But in essence, this 40th-year show and the one five years ago have the same spirit of collaboration and tribute. For this year’s exhibit, the students were exposed to the reality of design by designing spaces outside their own preferences and furniture with a partner manufacturer.

Founded in 1966, CFIP is a group of furniture manufacturers that are mostly based in Luzon, Pampanga in particular, the province known best for its carving tradition.

Jie Pambid, PSID professor and batch adviser of the graduating class, says the manufacturers were paired with 19 design groups of about 90 PSID students randomly.  “The exhibit is their thesis, so they really have to design according to whoever they were assigned to. From the way people responded to the exhibit, they say this is the best so far because it’s very different and they were able to make use of their own respective design styles regardless of the specialty of the furniture company. No two booths are similar. And you can see the transition from one company to another.”

Jie says that partnering with CFIP exposed the kids to furniture materials and the manufacturing process in a way they cannot teach in the classroom. The students had three weeks to get ready with their booths before the press launch and some of them made multiple trips to Pampanga where a lot of partner manufacturers are based.

One student recalls that the manufacturer assigned to her group was hesitant to execute their design at first, but when they finally convinced him to do the piece and he saw the finished product, he was very impressed.

Jie says that at the outset, they already discussed that in case the manufacturers wanted to manufacture the students’ design commercially, then it would be up to the two parties to discuss the terms and royalty. Indeed, several manufacturers — mostly exporters of furniture to the United States and Europe — have expressed interest and are already in the process of doing the costing.

So, how did the students do in this year’s show? Very well, indeed. There are some very creative uses of materials and very cosmopolitan styles that fit today’s contemporary lifestyles.

While past shows had majority of the settings being living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms — in one show there was even a prayer room — this year’s show marks the first time a group designed a nursery, which is one of the most neglected rooms in the house — at least design-wise. For me, this is the best setting in the exhibit. Four women in this group of five — Pepen Aquitana, Letty Ruiz, Sam Santiago, Jay Soberano and Cathy Tan — are mothers. Their design grows with the child in the sense that the pieces are flexible enough to go from the baby’s first months to his toddler years and up to seven years old.

The group already has an agreement to design for Victoria Exports & Imports Inc., which is said to be negotiating with Babyland to distribute these furniture pieces.

A PSID alumnus, Arnel Borja, who specializes in kinetic sculpture, did the most amazing mobile for the nursery. It’s a large, colorful and subdued mobile that’s just hypnotic — even to adults as well.

Artists also get exposure, such as muralist Alfred Galvez whose work in the previous years wowed viewers and students alike.

Because of the quality of shows they put up, Jie says “it gets easier to get sponsors each year. Like last year, company owners  who came said, ‘Why am I not a sponsor here?’ We have repeat sponsors who continually put their trust in our students, so the list gets longer.”

It is, after all, very easy to spot talent.

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“Forty, Filipino and Fabulous,” the exhibit mounted by PSID’s graduating class, is on view all through October at Paseo Center, Paseo de Roxas St. corner Sedeño St., Makati City.