ADUA International’s Ovo chair is made of luxurious cowhide leather.

HOW does that Dionne Warwick song go? “A chair is still a chair even when there’s no one sitting there.” Surely, it makes for a hauntingly dramatic picture, but it’s a perspective that might not sit well with the design community. Constant innovation and reinvention have certainly brought this ubiquitous piece of furniture to new levels of sophistication. Now available in different styles, colors, shapes and sizes, in amazingly unexpected materials, the chairs of today are anything but traditional. To prove this point, Filipino designers and manufacturers continue to eschew convention and dream up new ways of reinventing the chair, producing pieces that display their masterful grasp of form and structure.

Take, for instance, Ann Pamintuan’s Cocoon and Threesome. Both pieces demonstrate today’s revolutionary designs that are sleek and understated. Chic, fun and functional are Carlo S. Tanseco’s Yoyo and Milo Naval’s Scribble chairs. Both are whimsical pieces that suggest fun and frivolity, and wittingly present a tongue-in-cheek approach to contemporary design. The same can be said of the Genie and O chairs of Locsin International, which brought novelty to basic and familiar objects. The list is endless, with each piece defying conventional rules, some designs bordering on the peculiar, but all unfailingly embracing functionality. 

These innovations in metal, abaca, rattan and other indigenous materials are constant fixtures at Manila FAME International, organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions. Although predominantly a gifts, holiday décor, and home and fashion accessories show, the biannual trade event constantly showcases new and innovative interpretations on this invaluable piece of furniture.

Manila FAME International will be held from April 15 to 18 at the SMX Convention Center, and will be open to the public on the last day from 10 am to 4 pm, with P150 entrance fee. Local and international buyers may register online at www.manilafame.com.

For information: 831-2201, manilafame@citem.com.ph.

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Go, sit on it

HOW does that Dionne Warwick song go? “A chair is still a chair even when there’s no one sitting there.” Surely, it makes for a hauntingly dramatic picture, but it’s a perspective that might not sit well with the design community.