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manila now 2011 trends

{Left: More Than A Chair; Right: Prizmic & Brill}

As you’ve seen from our latest posts, Manila Now 2011 was full of eye candy. From the quirky, fun pieces of Space Encounters to the subdued, classic silhouettes of Triboa Bay, the styles we saw were varied enough to please anyone’s taste. But we definitely saw some similarities in the shapes and the feel of a lot of the displays in this year’s exhibition.

{Simple lines and rich textures from Diretso}

We still saw simple lines and rich textures but in bulkier, more solid shapes. We were particularly drawn to campaign furniture that seemed to transport us to the set of Out of Africa – a furniture style we’ve discussed here before. And this was a recurring theme in a lot of the pieces we saw. Of course wood was still the predominant material of choice —  in particular, distressed and matte finished wood. A lot of the pieces felt very casual and utilitarian but still chic and expensive.

{The casual and classic feel of More Than A Chair}

{The rich campaign furniture of Prizmic & Brill}

But the most noticeable trend that we got from Manila Now 2011 is that a lot of the best furniture makers come from Pampanga. We should schedule a Design Trail visit to Pampanga soon. Thank you to Manila Now and all of the exhibitors! We will definitely go back next year.

manila now 2011 (part 2)

As we’ve mentioned in the previous post, we saw a number of impressive displays at Manila Now. They weren’t just “booths”; they were like mini-stores with makeshift ceilings and enclosures. It was nice to see the effort that exhibitors have put in to promote Filipino talent. Here are the rest of this year’s standouts:
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Space Encounters (official Facebook page)

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Far East Furniture (www.far-east-furniture.com)

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Diretso (www.diretso.com)

manila now 2011 (part 1)

Last Saturday, before we went on our CebuNext trip – slash – Design Folder company outing, Ana and I dropped by the Manila Now Philippine International Furniture Show at the SMX Convention Center. This was my first time to visit a Manila Now show and I wasn’t disappointed. Some exhibitors really went all out on their booths to showcase their pieces. Others had simple booths but really interesting furniture. And there was a very noticeable style trend which I will get into in a few days. For now, here are just some of the exhibit standouts:

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More Than A Chair (www.morethanachair.com/)

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Venzon Manufacturing Corporation (www.venzonmfg.com)

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Prizmic & Brill (www.prizmicbrill.com)

We’ve barely scratched the surface. Watch out for Part 2 of our Manila Now feature for more interesting furniture pieces and booth designs.

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sneak peek: manila now 2011

March is here in just a few days! Aside from marking the start of summer, March is also the season of furniture and construction shows. Next week, there will be two overlapping furniture shows in the country: Manila Now and CebuNext. The Design Folder girls will be attending both exhibits!

Manila Now 2011, organized by the Philippine International Furniture Show (PFIS), will come first, happening on March 03-06. With exhibitors from Pampanga, Manila, Cavite, Davao, Iloilo, Baguio and even Cebu, the furniture exhibit will focus on the green theme–using sustainable indigenous and recycled materials as well as exploring organic and culturally-motivated design concepts.

Here’s a sneak peek of the pieces that will go on display.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the new collection of my favorites: Triboa Bay, Azcor, Locsin, Prizmic & Brill, and Industria.

Manila Now will be held at the SMX Convention Center. The show will be  exclusive to trade visitors from March 03 to 04, and will be open to the public on March 05 to 06.

*Photos of furniture pieces by Paolo Feliciano {thanks paolo!}