The glamorous furniture of Vito Selma features organic shapes made of rattan and mahogany. (Photo by NOEL PABALATE)

The local furniture industry had its own version of “fashion week” when two major expos opened at roughly the same time. Last Wednesday afternoon, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opened the 2010 Manila Now furniture show at the SMX Convention Center. Two days later, the CebuNext show was launched at the city’s huge Waterfront Hotel.

It was the furniture that took centerstage in both shows yet the two events were actually closer in spirit to the fashion weeks of Milan, Paris or New York than Manila’s own fashion week. After all, the purpose of a fashion week is to present new designs, set new trends and lure buyers from all over the world.  This is exactly what happens at the Manila Now and CebuNext shows. The merchandise presented here is created for the export markets, composed of luxury hotels and major stores in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. These buyers flock to the shows to get a glimpse of the latest styles from iconic designers like Kenneth Cobonpue, Milo Naval, Carlo Tanseco, Vito Selma and Val Padilla, among many others.

At the CebuNext, Cobonpue held court at his booth as buyers and guests beheld some of his newest creations, including the Yoda chairs, which were made of rattan.  Yes, the chairs were named after the famous character of the “Star Wars” movies. “The top most part of the chairs resembles the head of Yoda,” Cobonpue explained while laughing.

The acclaimed 41 year-old designer also introduced his Cabaret sofa, which also uses exotic, natural materials. “I chose the name ‘Cabaret’ because its colors and design evokes the gaiety of a frivolous cabaret,” he pointed out.

On the other hand, the theme of 25 year-old designer Vito Selma was all about the number 3, as some of his furniture featured three pieces. “Good luck comes in 'threes,'” said Selma, who even produced a table called “Un, Deux, Trois.”

Selma made a name for himself with glamorous, geometric shapes. This time, however, he adopted the organic look, with furniture pieces that can be divided into three pieces. The highlight of his booth, however, is a wooden shelf for children with nine interconnecting pieces. The shelf is assembled by connecting the nine chairs Selma said it' is ideal for playrooms or even nursery schools. “Children can assemble it and they choose any number of chairs they want to use. They can use their imagination and even form their own design,” he said.

Carlo Tanseco continued to produce such bold and distinctive furniture with chairs that contain abacuses on the sides of their armrests. The old-fashion key was theme of another collection. “My designs are always whimsical,” he said. “I also ways like to be different and not just trendy.”

Award-winning designer Val Padilla served as curator of some of the booths. He designed the main booth of CebuNext, which followed four design themes considered to be the basic guidelines followed by European designers: Trend, Descriptive, Comfort and Legacy. 

While his lampshades and chandeliers were on display at the booth of Lionel’s Lights, he was prouder of another booth he arranged. It was that of a group of student designers from the University of San Carlos and UP Cebu. Their designs were manufactured and presented at the show through the sponsorship of the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, which organized CebuNext. Already, some of the furniture they designed has sparked interest among foreign buyers, said Padilla.

Certainly, while Cebu’s furniture export industry is still experiencing the effects of the world recession, CebuNext proves that the talent and creativity in this city is as strong as ever.