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| Philippine Companies Join International Furniture Fair Tokyo 2005
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Time and again, a number of Philippine furniture companies demonstrate their unparalleled creativity and talent in various international fairs, earning for them and the country world recognition. This unique brand of Philippine creativity will once again be demonstrated when Evolve Designs, Classical Geometry Export Trading, A Greeting Card Company, and Gilded Expressions participate in the International Furniture Fair Tokyo (IFFT) 2005 at the Tokyo Big Sight on 22 to 25 November.
Expect these companies to bring an exciting sourcing experience with a fine showcase of furniture and home objects that would surely satisfy and meet the exacting taste and standards of the Japanese.
The Philippine participation in IFFT 2005 is noteworthy as all of the companies are recipients of the Good Design |
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Award or G-Mark, given by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization’s (JIDPO) through the ASEAN-Japan Centre (ASEAN Promotion Centre on Trade, Investment, and Tourism). The G-Mark is Japan’s only comprehensive design evaluation system and seal of excellence that is synonymous with high quality, ease of use, and outstanding styling.
Classical Geometry Export Trading demonstrates Filipino innovation at its finest by using materials that are alien to the world of home design. The company pioneered the use of termite mounds and latex rubbers in crafting beautiful furnishings and home accessories that blend well with contemporary pieces made of the more acceptable wood, rattan, vines, and other natural materials. The company also produces remarkable home objects in non-traditional forms. Its biomorphic Egg-Shaped Coffee Table, for instance, prove that table surfaces shouldn’t always be flat. Using coconut twigs and rattan inlayed in polylite, the design exemplifies a true merging of modern technology, natural materials, and superb craftsmanship. This G-Mark award-winning piece proudly makes its claim as the only table that can double as a fish tank.
A Greeting Card Company started as a manufacturer of greeting cards made from handmade paper cleverly mixed with wire, metal, thread, twigs, flowers, and other industrial and natural materials. Today, it makes exceptional houseware like lamps, vases, and votives, among others. Though the pieces the company creates adapt and evolve according to trends and market tastes, they hardly change or deviate from its design philosophy too drastically. But whatever the variations or slight changes in its designs are, the pieces remain beautiful, unique, and interesting in their simplicity and subtle details. But more importantly, they are functional, comfortable, and are able to live up to the demands of real life. These are the factors that make A Greeting Card Company’s designs gain international recognition.
Winning both local and international awards is nothing new to Gilded Expressions, which started its foray in the export business making one-of-a-kind fashion accessories using plants electroplated in metal. Soon, it expanded its line to include home objects like photo frames and lighting fixtures from wrought iron and tin, among others. Gilded Expressions gained the G-Mark jury’s approval for two years in a row: first for Cocoon in 2003, and Sun and Moon and Threesome, in 2004. The company’s “organic” and sophisticated designs as well as its unique applications of wire continue to amaze even the most seasoned furniture and home décor aficionado in the international scene.
Evolve Designs’ brand of modernism is pared down but not brutally minimalist, complex in concept and evolution but simple in expression. Its home pieces are spare, streamlined and, without a doubt, world-class. The company is known for making pieces – executed in materials such as abaca, raffia, leather, wood, bamboo, metal, and handmade paper – are very personal solutions for living in today’s world. Its G-Mark award winning “Wave Daybed” is a dream of ergonomics made from abaca mat weaving that gracefully simulates a mat on the floor effortlessly translating it to furniture. A sleek and thoroughly modern take on the traditional chaise longue that exudes refined elegance.
Today, these companies keep an impressive list of clientele worldwide – Europe, the USA, Middle East, and Asia. Likewise, they are no strangers to the demands of the global market, having been exposed to the finer points of production and manufacturing. Each has also participated in some of the world’s premier trade shows, including the Manila F.A.M.E. International, Asia-Pacific Region's second longest running trade show for houseware, gifts, holiday decor, and fashion accessories organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). The 2006 edition will be on 19 to 22 April (Spring) and 17 to 20 October (Fall).
Inspired by nature and a rich cultural heritage, these Philippine companies have a long tradition of transforming locally available materials into exquisite pieces that marry form and function – a testament to the value that good design can create. And when they are worked into interior design, the outcome is romantic, sensual, and very practical pieces for the modern world.
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