MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In time for Paris Design Week, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) launches a new collection of homeware and furniture for Spring/Summer 2022 on Maison & Objet and More (MOM), the digital platform of major French trade show Maison et Objet.
Under the creative direction of premier designers Rita Nazareno and Gabriel Lichauco, the Philippine delegation to MOM will spark nostalgia with designs taking inspiration from key eras; namely, the Roaring 20s, Italy in the 50s, and California in the 70s.
“For our Spring/Summer 2022 collection, you can expect bold, striking, and vibrant expressions evoking future nostalgia,” CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan said. “We harness the abundance of nature and transform natural materials such as rattan, abaca, and wood into export-quality crafts that uplift not only our pride as Filipinos but also the lives of the artisans and their communities. Through our products, we champion our materials, culture, and heritage,” she added.
On top of showcasing the best of Philippine design, the participation at MOM also unlocks business opportunities for Philippine brands and manufacturers. Despite not being onsite at Maison et Objet, one of the most important European trade shows for home and lifestyle happening now, Philippine products continue to be discoverable online through MOM, where our products will be available to view 24/7.
According to Suaco-Juan, joining international trade shows through digital means also complements the agency’s own digitalization efforts. Aside from giving Philippine brands further exposure and visibility in the global design community, it also drives traffic to the digital platforms managed by CITEM.
The Philippine participation in MOM also saw the selection of two pieces to be featured on the trade show floor of Maison et Objet Paris 2021 on September 9-13. The Cheque bench and the Fiori lamp join other standout designs in the show’s Best of MOM special exhibit.
The Cheque bench is one of Zarate creative director Jim Torres’s previous designs, which he began developing in 2019. Using two disparate materials, metal and wood, and finished in either mint or orange, the piece was intended to also be an elegant solution in texturing interior spaces.
Meanwhile, award-winning furniture maker Finali will present the Fiori Lamp, an embodiment of the brand’s aesthetic and sculptural leanings, in the Best of MOM exhibition. Made with the native and naturally renewable material, rattan, the Fiori Lamp simulates a fully bloomed flower on the ground and is strategically designed so the lightbulb can be placed in the center.
Currently, the following brands are live on the MOM platform:
- Cebu Homecraft
- Celestial Arts, Inc.
- Contemporaneo
- Chanalli
- E. Murio Manila
- Finali
- Hacienda Crafts
- Haspe Designs
- Indigenous
- JB Woodcraft
- La Galuche
- Lija by That One Piece
- Mejore
- Natures Legacy
- Obra Cebuana
- Prado Filipino Artisans, Inc.
- Prizmic & Brill
- SC Vizcarra
- Stonesets International
- Tadeco
- Venzon Lighting & Objects
- Vito Selma
- Weavemanila Inc.
- Zacarias
- Zarate
All pieces by the Philippine delegation at MOM and more from the country’s home, fashion, and lifestyle (HFL) sectors are also on FAME+.
FAME+ is CITEM’s digital sourcing and storytelling platform for the HFL sectors. On October 20-22, CITEM will welcome buyers as well as enthusiasts from all over the world in FAME+ Market Days, where participants will be able to initiate business directly with exhibitors and access information sessions spanning design, digital marketing, and leisure.
