From quiet luxury to quirky, we picked our personal favorites from the annual artisan showcase.

The Philippines’ leading lifestyle trade show for timeless and budding fashion and furniture brands, Manila FAME has mounted another milestone this year through its theme “ReimagiNATION.” Top craftsmen and designers converge at the annual affair with no shortage of novel showcases of homeware and apparel, hinged on Filipino customs and practices central to its foundation.

Architect Royal Pineda, whose works at Manila FAME 2024 are an ode to the country’s unique craftsmanship, caught us up on how marrying culture with design makes for the best pieces. “I always look for a piece that can be an heirloom—something that I can pass on to my children,” he declared. “We’re crafts; we’re not mass production. Your exclusivity is not just about limiting it to the people; your exclusivity is being able to create a design that is exclusive to the person.”

When asked what he thinks about the current climate of furniture design in the Philippines, Royal framed his principles in a single philosophy: “Just be yourself. Be Filipino but better it. Otherwise, there’s no point. You’re going to do another table and then you bring it out there. It doesn’t make any difference. It’s just another table, then the competition becomes price war. As a Philippine table, you bring it out to the world but there’s something that makes it Filipino.”

Interior designer Katrina Blanca de Leon and architect Royal Pineda

In collaboration with bespoke furniture atelier Genteel Home and its founder Dr. Katrina Blanca de Leon, Royal believes in a collective identity and cultural insignia. “I’m happy to see the [younger] generation is becoming more confident about who they are. They look for what’s Filipino. Before, [people had a] very strong colonial mindset. It’s only the imported stuff that’s better,” he said in a sit-down talk with us at The POST.

“It’s a mindset to be able to have that itch to say ‘what makes me Filipino.’ If you’re copying what’s Italian, you’ll never answer that question. You’ll never get to answer because you will always be a second-rate copycat,” Royal explained. “You’re always trying to follow and that’s the worst thing that can happen to an identity. Kasi ako, I believe in the global identity. That’s why I’m born here in the Philippines. I have something to do in the Philippines. I have to be Filipino.”

Micro, small, and medium enterprises transformed the World Trade Center into a design experience with visual spectacles vying for the audience’s attention. From seating and storage to formalwear and footwear, there were truckloads of curated products that tapped the Filipino spirit. Featuring Zarate Manila, Genteel Home, Kenneth Cobonpue, and many more, below is a roundup of brands and products that piqued our interest.

Genteel Home for its teal statement lamp and side table