Team players
November 17, 2006 | 12:00am
You don’t need to be a million-dollar baby to get some cool designer goods. Take the metro’s latest design group, Team Manila, a ragtag bunch of graphic designers who put together a label that’s doing more for patriotism than all my high school civics classes combined.
Formed in April of 2005, the label’s founders, Jowee Alviar and Mon Punzalan, decided to put up a studio that represented their roots. "It all started when I was in school at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) and Mon was heading Pulp magazine in Manila," says Jowee. "Other countries have their own sikat graphic designers but few come from Manila. So we put up Team Manila as soon as I got back from my stint in school."
They’ve become famous for their silk-screened T-shirts that have made Jose Rizal a fashion icon. The national hero’s been given the graphic design treatment, his face – done Warhol style – is cast in vivid shots of color with stamps of text in a bold font announcing the reign of the hero.
It seems Team Manila has done what artists like Francis Magalona made impossible: they’ve made Pinoy culture cool.
"We want to spread the word of nationalism in a new way," Jowee says. "We want to take it to other countries where second- and third-generation Filipinos are searching for their roots and culture."
"When we started designing, we asked ourselves how we could make everyday icons more appealing to the young and old. All of our national heroes are cool in their own way," Jowee remarks. "We wanted to revive them for everyone to appreciate, but not in a textbook manner."
The graphic design duo, along with a slew of in-house artists, has managed to transform a bunch of T-shirts and accessories into a mini phenom. Wallets, shirts, laptop holders, clocks, bean bags and totes get the graphic treatment, screened with taglines bearing the names of streets or local carinderias. That age-old reminder of jeepney riders, "Barya lang po sa umaga," seemed to appeal to customers. Stamped on wallets, they’re hands-down the shop’s best-sellers. Even the limited-edition T-shirts, dubbed teesilog, are often sold out in a couple of weeks.
"The lolas and the mommies love our Istambay, Habang Buhay shirt," adds Jowee.
"We take things Pinoy and run with it, just like the +63 – our international country code," explains Mon. "We took that element and put it on our shirts and totes. People are amazed when they get the connection and meaning of our designs."
What’s their secret to success? Succinctly put, according to Mon, it’s "turning an everyday thing that people take for granted and translating it into a graphic design piece. People always say our shirts often become a topic of conversation with friends or even strangers. We like that reaction because it means that the design moves people."
Perhaps the real reason people keep flocking to Team Manila’s stores in droves is the prices. Their cheapest piece is a "Basta Driver Sweet Lover" pin for P30. The most expensive? A Re/Public(re-inventing the public) Camouflage Bean bag for P2,200. Everything else retails for less than P1,000. T-shirts average about P300 to P400 while bags go for about P200 to P500. A very cute zippered "Nationalistang Fashionista" purse in magenta retails for about P150. All in all, nothing to break the bank.
"We want to be affordable to everybody," says Jowee, "especially students. Kids need a shot of patriotism while they’re young."
Jowee even remembers an elementary student who saved her allowance just to buy a Team Manila bag. "She was so happy when she realized she still had change."
Value for money is still important to young upstarts like Mon and Jowee. After all, it wasn’t too long ago when they were kids themselves, looking to buy cool stuff they could afford.
These days they’re wearing the trappings of success really well. Their latest personal purchase? "A P30 ukay-ukay shirt from Lucena," Jowee says.
Graphic Designed Lifestyle Store is located at Independent Lifestyle Section, Level 2, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell and at Unit 2, Ecoville Townhomes, Metropolitan Ave.,
Makati City. For more information, call 899-1570 or visit www.teammanila.com.
E-mail comments and suggestions to oohbea@gmail.com.
Formed in April of 2005, the label’s founders, Jowee Alviar and Mon Punzalan, decided to put up a studio that represented their roots. "It all started when I was in school at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) and Mon was heading Pulp magazine in Manila," says Jowee. "Other countries have their own sikat graphic designers but few come from Manila. So we put up Team Manila as soon as I got back from my stint in school."
They’ve become famous for their silk-screened T-shirts that have made Jose Rizal a fashion icon. The national hero’s been given the graphic design treatment, his face – done Warhol style – is cast in vivid shots of color with stamps of text in a bold font announcing the reign of the hero.
It seems Team Manila has done what artists like Francis Magalona made impossible: they’ve made Pinoy culture cool.
"We want to spread the word of nationalism in a new way," Jowee says. "We want to take it to other countries where second- and third-generation Filipinos are searching for their roots and culture."
"When we started designing, we asked ourselves how we could make everyday icons more appealing to the young and old. All of our national heroes are cool in their own way," Jowee remarks. "We wanted to revive them for everyone to appreciate, but not in a textbook manner."
The graphic design duo, along with a slew of in-house artists, has managed to transform a bunch of T-shirts and accessories into a mini phenom. Wallets, shirts, laptop holders, clocks, bean bags and totes get the graphic treatment, screened with taglines bearing the names of streets or local carinderias. That age-old reminder of jeepney riders, "Barya lang po sa umaga," seemed to appeal to customers. Stamped on wallets, they’re hands-down the shop’s best-sellers. Even the limited-edition T-shirts, dubbed teesilog, are often sold out in a couple of weeks.
"The lolas and the mommies love our Istambay, Habang Buhay shirt," adds Jowee.
"We take things Pinoy and run with it, just like the +63 – our international country code," explains Mon. "We took that element and put it on our shirts and totes. People are amazed when they get the connection and meaning of our designs."
What’s their secret to success? Succinctly put, according to Mon, it’s "turning an everyday thing that people take for granted and translating it into a graphic design piece. People always say our shirts often become a topic of conversation with friends or even strangers. We like that reaction because it means that the design moves people."
Perhaps the real reason people keep flocking to Team Manila’s stores in droves is the prices. Their cheapest piece is a "Basta Driver Sweet Lover" pin for P30. The most expensive? A Re/Public(re-inventing the public) Camouflage Bean bag for P2,200. Everything else retails for less than P1,000. T-shirts average about P300 to P400 while bags go for about P200 to P500. A very cute zippered "Nationalistang Fashionista" purse in magenta retails for about P150. All in all, nothing to break the bank.
"We want to be affordable to everybody," says Jowee, "especially students. Kids need a shot of patriotism while they’re young."
Jowee even remembers an elementary student who saved her allowance just to buy a Team Manila bag. "She was so happy when she realized she still had change."
Value for money is still important to young upstarts like Mon and Jowee. After all, it wasn’t too long ago when they were kids themselves, looking to buy cool stuff they could afford.
These days they’re wearing the trappings of success really well. Their latest personal purchase? "A P30 ukay-ukay shirt from Lucena," Jowee says.
Makati City. For more information, call 899-1570 or visit www.teammanila.com.
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