INDIGENOUS waves and textiles from Luzon and Mindanao made a style statement at the 60th Manila Furnishings and Apparel Manufacturers’ Exchange (Fame) held last Oct. 16 to 19 in Pasay City.
Maco Custodio, an Industrial Design graduate of the College of Fine Arts and Design, showcased Filipino craftsmanship in his MACO by Maco Custodio shoe collection, which featured different ethnic pattern finishes.
“I wanted to show the Pinoy identity to the world,” Custodio shared. “Majority of my shoes’ components were locally sourced, but we aren’t just manufacturers, we design too.”
The footwear designer translated his own renditions of derby shoes—men’s style footwear with laced-up stitches, for men and women alike. He named the shoes Lady Derby, exhibiting Filipino textiles.
The exterior of one of the derby shoes used hadn-woven Panagabel fabric from Ilocos Sur, with black and white pattern.
Instead of the usual leather, Custodio made use of the jeepney tire for the soles.
Another Lady Derby featured the black-patterned Yakan fabric from Basilan.
It was styled with brown leather and modernized with a higher heel – a crossover to platform shoes.
Meanwhile, the celebrated Abel Iloco textile from Ilocos Norte was also used in one of Custodio’s creations, fused with white leather outsoles.
“I wanted to iintegrate two things in which Filipino craftsmanship is known for worldwide – shoe-making and hand-weaving,” Custodio said.
The Industrial Design alumnus was also one of the featured designers of ManilaWear, a segment of the trade fair that highlighted different locally-made Filipino wear.
Rosvi Gaetos, executive director of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, said this edition of Manila Fame presented “cutting-edge” collections which would help to position the Philippines as a global design hub.
“There is great creative potential and cultural value in merging traditionally woven fabrics and up-to-date design ideas, especially now that artisanal and heritage crafts are steadily taking a prestigious place in the high street,” Gaetos said.
The bi-annual trade fair featured handcrafted products of Filipino artists and manufacturers, which aimed to take local design to the global stage. The fair was organized by Department of Trade and Industry.
