14 Filipino designers showcase creations in New York

Top Filipino designers are set to showcase their creations in the Big Apple from September this year to January 2016.

The event dubbed "Filipino Design Now" highlights materials and craftsmanship of 14 designers who created products inspired by the culture and heritage of the Philippines.

The designer showcase is presented at the lobby of Asia Society New York on Park Avenue, New York, starting September 11, 2015 through January 3, 2016.

The showcase will feature home textiles, jewelry, apparel, and accessories, among others, curated by New York-based Filipino jewelry designer Federico De Vera.

 

A photo posted by AsiaStore at Asia Society, NY (@asiastoreny) on

Jul 22, 2015 at 9:01pm PDT

The featured designers are:

Maricris Brias and her local artisans highlight the artistry of Mindanao's ethnic tribes. Her team manufactures textiles created from local abaca and banana fiber, handwoven exclusively by T'boli and Mandaya natives.
 
The designs of Lenora Cabili are inspired by mixing the past with present. She creates garments that incorporate ancient techniques of weaving, embroidery, and bead work from indigenous Filipino groups.
 
Federico de Vera loves to find new lives for old things that have been discarded, and reinterprets them from a different point of view. His pieces are comprised of antique elements, often simultaneously organic and baroque, each unique and one of a kind.
 
Ian Giron creates home accents using coconut shell as his base and combining traditional methods of sanding and bleaching before applying gold leaf to achieve color and patina, a process that has been widely used in Asia for thousands of years.
Jewelmer is known for their Golden South Sea pearls. Through a highly selective process, these elusive gems inspire artisans to create finely crafted jewelry to fulfill Jewelmer's celebration of beauty in harmonious symmetry with nature.
 
Drawing on work as an interior designer and inspired by heirlooms and artifacts from around the archipelago, Natalya Lagdameo creates textile designs utilizing local Filipino materials.
 
Josie Natori spearheads the House of Natori that celebrates Asian aesthetics with the spirit of her adopted home in America. The iconic brand effortlessly melds the visual best of both the East and the West.
 
Tina Ocampo's luxury brand Celestina is comprised of a collection of evening bags, handcrafted by Filipino artisans, practicing age-old techniques and using exotic materials that can only be found in the Philippines.

Favoring stones in their organic, untouched states and incorporating materials not often associated with jewelry, Wynn Wynn Ong combines unexpected elements into her meticulously hand crafted jewelry designs.
 
Anne Marie Saguil combines her passion for craftsmanship and fashion, designing clothes, handbags and accessories using hand-embroidered techniques and indigenous handwoven materials.
 
Ditta Sandico transforms indigenous fibers, such as banana, pineapple, and abacca, into a fashion art form, designing wraps that follow the movements of the body.
 
Rafe Totengco's signature minaudiere evening bags, featuring indigenous Filipino materials, blend uptown sophistication with a downtown edge.
 
Bea Valdes takes inspiration from various cultures, sourcing materials, patterns, and ideas from around the world for her high-end accessories while continuing to shine a light on the Philippines as a design hub, as she supports local artisans and their craftsmanship.
 
Al Valenciano's signature brand Balay ni Atong showcases hand-woven textiles made on traditional wooden looms by local artisans using weaving techniques passed on through generations.

Key pieces from the designer's collections have been selected for display. Some are also featured for sale at AsiaStore and online at AsiaStore.org.

Filipino Design Now also complements the museum exhibition Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms at the Asia Society Museum, New York, which features over 100 pre-colonial gold pieces dating from 10th to 13th century from the collections of Ayala Museum and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. —KBK, GMA News