Growth marks Manila FAME’s 73rd edition

by September Grace Mahino

PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES—Collections of nature-inspired and handcrafted designs catering to the home, fashion, and lifestyle (HFL) sector welcomed the public at the opening of Manila FAME 2025 on October 16 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. The premier trade show is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

 

Thousands of visitors—a mix of local and international buyers, retailers, wholesalers, industry movers, media organizations, and practitioners from the hospitality sectors—attended the first day of the international trade show’s 73rd edition to check out export-ready products from 325 participating manufacturers, both from the Philippines and abroad. Guests of note included DTI Assistant Secretary Al Valenciano, Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) Executive Director Clare Mari S. Torralba, Design Center of the Philippines (DCP) Executive Director Rhea Matute, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) President Dr. Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr., Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) President Mary Mercado Tong, Bank of Commerce Representative Sisenando “Nandy” Bengzon, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Jose Francisco "Kiko" B. Benitez, TESDA Deputy Director General Nelly Nita N. Dillera, Deputy Executive Director IV of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council Paolo Federico A. Ramos, Competitiveness and Innovation Group (CIG) Assistant Director Jo-Dann N. Darong, Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC) Executive Director Benedict Uy, Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC)-New York Trade Commissioner Alma Argayoso, PTIC-Dubai Trade Commissioner Vichael Angelo Roaring, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and Vietnam Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. L?i Thái Binh with his wife, Mme. Nguyen Thuy.

 

At Manila FAME’s opening ceremony, DTI Secretary Cristina Aldeguer-Roque commended the trade show’s economic contribution to the Philippine export industry’s growth and development. She particularly lauded its growth since the 2024 edition, citing a 70% and 110% increase in local and international buyer registrations, respectively. "Manila FAME is the stage where Filipino creativity shines for the world to see. Every piece here is a story of skill, passion, and pride—proof that design rooted in nature is design that endures," she stated in a video message.

 

In praise of Filipino design excellence

Manila FAME’s opening day was also marked with the announcement of the KATHA Award 2025 winners, in recognition of the participating exhibitors’ innovation and exquisite designs. A platform that has been part of the trade show since its inception in 1983, it is a DTI-CITEM initiative to sharpen the Philippine export industry’s competitive edge.

 

The KATHA Award-winning exhibitors for 2025 and their respective categories are:

• Best Product Design for Furniture, Lamps, and Lighting: Curio Hanging Lamps from Kenneth Cobonpue
• Best Product Design for Home/Holiday Décor, Houseware, Gifts, and Toys: Celestina Rugs from Hacienda Crafts
• Best Product Design for Fashion: Necklace1 from Arnel Papa
• Best Booth Design: Kenneth Cobonpue
• Component Innovation Award: Overlapping Fish Scale from Timbermate
• Eco-Design Award: Celestina Rugs from Hacienda Crafts

 

The following were also recognized during the Partners Appreciation Night:

• Province of Quirino
• Province of Tarlac
• Provincial Government of Bohol
• Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur
• Province of Isabela
• Obra Mimaropa
• Province of Pangasinan
• Province of La Union
• DTI Region 10
• PhilExport Southern Tagalog Association Inc.
• Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines

Capping Manila FAME’s day one was the Networking Night, where buyers and exhibitors got to socialize while also talking potential business in a more relaxed setting, buoyed by the celebratory mood from the KATHA Award ceremony and the positive reception to the trade show’s opening day.

 

Inspired by nature, produced with mastery

With “Objects of Nature” as the overarching theme, the exhibits on display at Manila FAME 2025 highlight the participating exporters’ nature-inspired designs made from locally sourced raw materials and produced using generations-old handcrafting techniques. The creative direction is in keeping with the rise of biophilic designs, as forecasted by international design authorities, signaling a growing consumer preference for natural, artisanal, and less industrial-looking products.

 

The trend plays into the intrinsic strengths of Filipino design and craftsmanship, as demonstrated by Manila FAME’s signature settings. Design Commune presents two exhibits that have distinct takes on nature as a design inspiration. The first is “Elements of Nature,” with Tony Gonzales as the creative director and young designers Uzel Alconera, Jaime Brias, and Jim Zarate-Torres as assistant curators. It features home and seasonal decor made by 20 exhibitors that reinterpret forms, textures, and patterns found in natural elements. Meanwhile, “Home at FAME” was conceptualized under the creative direction and curation of Milo Naval, and it presents all-black furniture and lighting items set against a white backdrop. The dramatic exhibit highlights the 10 participating manufacturers’ masterful material manipulation.

 

Global trend ambassador Patti Carpenter makes her return to Manila FAME by leading this year’s Artisans Village, together with product development specialist Rachelle Dagñalan. In the months leading to the trade show, the two design experts visited the factories of local manufacturers to help them conceptualize and develop new product designs that maximize the use of their signature materials. Carpenter worked with 41 companies from across Bohol, Ilocos Sur, and Quirino, while Dagñalan collaborated with 4 exporters based in Tarlac.

 

Tony Gonzales also served as the creative director and curator of Philippine Components, which makes its return after a well-received 2024 debut. A setting dedicated to architectural components, parts, and fittings, it is Manila FAME’s expansion into contract markets, a new industry that serves architects and specifiers looking for unique and luxurious components such as wall coverings, cabinet handles, door handles, brackets, and more.

 

On display as well are the collections made by the 11 participating Filipino designers in FASHIONPhilippines Milan: Adam Pereyra, Joseph Bagasao for Bagasáo, Theresa Nepomuceno for Calli, Jo Ann Bitagcol for Bitagcol, Carl Jan Cruz, Christian Edward Dalogaog for Ched Studio, Steffi Cua for Idyllic Summers, Jerome Lorico for Lorico, Renz Reyes, Gabby Garcia for Tagpi, and Vania Romoff. The collections were first unveiled at the Fondazione Sozzani in Milan in September during Milan Fashion Week in the Philippines’ first-ever solo fashion presentation in the design capital. Now, it’s the local audience’s turn to see the designers’ contemporary cuts, innovative silhouettes, and exquisitely handmade pieces that flaunt weaves, patterns, and materials reflective of the Filipino heritage and creativity.

 

 

“We extend our deepest thanks to all the buyers, exhibitors, partners, and guests who continue to support Manila FAME,” CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido said. “Your trust fuels our commitment to elevate each edition to deliver a better show quality and innovative products that proudly showcase Filipino creativity to the world’s design and lifestyle markets.”

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Catch days 2 and 3 of Manila FAME 2025: Objects of Nature at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City. Register as a visitor and find out more about the show’s details at Manila FAME’s official website.

See you at Manila FAME 2026: Bloom, happening on October 15 - 17, 2026 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City.