Metro Exclusive: Meet The 10 Outstanding Merchants From This Year’s ArteFino Fair (Part 2)

Mark your calendars for the biggest artisanal fair in the Philippines. ArteFino invites everyone to a 4-day celebration of Filipino artistry and heritage. Guided by the theme ka-Pamana, which explores the idea of heirlooms, sharing legacies, and expanding Filipino influence, over 100+ exceptional Filipino brands will be showcasing their work on August 22 to August 25, 2024 at The Fifth at Rockwell, Power Plant Mall.

This year, we had the honor to converse with ten ArteFino merchants. In this two-part Metro Exclusive, get to know the innovators behind the most promising Filipino brands including Vero Fine Jewelry, Piesa, Earl Gariando, Katha Pilipinas, and Beatriz.

Read their stories below.

Vero Fine Jewelry

When asked to introduce her work to someone for the first time, G Young of Vero Fine Jewelry describes her work as wearable art. G, a woman of style, takes inspiration from anything three-dimensional. From architecture, unique structures, patterns, geometry, and other outstanding forms of art, Vero is a reflection of G’s world. 

For her, the piece you're wearing should speak for itself. “Your desires, likes, and what piques your interest—these are the things that I ask my clients when I create something for them,” says G. 

There’s so many possibilities when it comes to design, she’s done this for over 20 years and her biggest piece of advice is to not stick to convention or stereotypes, just let it flow.

Piesa

Since 2011, Piesa has been known for their free-hand wired jewelry. Designer and founder Paula Pioquinto-Dimaano shares that Piesa’s first collection is actually inspired by EDSA traffic. The pieces featured free-hand design that mimics how you weave in and out of traffic. Proof that when inspiration hits you, you pick up from it no matter where you are. 

“The work we did before was purely free form. Over time we learned to embrace symmetry and patterns. Even if it’s abstract, you can still see structure in it. We want Piesa to be accessible not only to people who like avant-garde fashion but also to classic wearers who want a conversation piece in their closet,” says Paula. 

Through Piesa, Paula wants to be a channel for artisans and craftsmen to tell the story they want to tell, from their struggles, triumphs, to their everyday life. 

Earl Gariando

Earl Gariando’s eponymous brand specializes in repose, a tedious metalwork technique commonly used in religious icons like halos, karosas, and more. Earl creates ornate pieces like costume jewelry, bag components such as brooches and charms, and more.

The tote featured above features a repose accent which serves as the focal point of the bag. The base of the bag is uniquely made from abaca paper leather. To create this, Earl shared that he worked with a community in Salay, Misamis Oriental to turn abaca into fine fiber leather. This durable bag has been tested, it can be wet and it won’t disintegrate!

“From the very beginning of my designing career, I always found inspiration from people and places. One of the best places to gain inspiration from is the flea market, it’s where people from all walks of life interact with each other,” said Earl.

For him, it’s important to know your culture and heritage because that’s what defines who you are. It’s a great starting point for any designer.

Katha Pilipinas

The ArteFino fair is not only a place for fashion but is also a thriving space for the art community. Katha Pilipinas is an arts management initiative that supports starting artists through learning programs, retail showcases, and social impact activities. It’s basically a collective tribe of hobbyists who are starting out, some might still have corporate jobs while some are still undecided whether they want to pursue a career in art or artisanal work.

Creative Director and founder Daianne Moreno-Mempin provides the blueprint for these starting artists to guide them into the community. Collaboration starts at ideation. “Our creative process in Katha Pilipinas involves curation of products and collaboration between me (Daianne) and an artist partner. We are proud of Katha Originals, these are incubated brands which were developed in Katha Pilipinas,” says Daianne. 

For her, a successful design should answer three questions: “What does it do? Who is it for? And How does it make you feel?” Each product should have an objective. 

Katha Pilipinas’ goal is to provide support to their artists and equip them to venture out on their own. “We’re very proud of our partner artisans, especially the ones who have already participated in ArteFino. Not all artists are artist entrepreneurs. That evolution is a milestone for them and a milestone for us,” Daianne shares.

Beatriz

We always feel a sense of joy whenever we see pieces from Beatriz. For the brand’s founder Carisa Evangelista, “Beatriz is a fun world where people can enter and have fun. The real world can be so difficult, I want our bags, accessories, and shoes to offer a slice of happiness.”

Like her brand, Carisa has a friendly heart and a bubbly personality. Inspiration comes to her in the form of a feeling, color, texture, music, or scenes from a film. “We started out with metalwork then we ventured into using cow and fish leather. No matter which medium we use, art interpretation plays a huge part in our designs.”

Beatriz values the importance of community. That’s why for ArteFino, Carisa is launching her collaboration with Bayo Atelier. “The collection features pieces made from mushroom leather, I like using new materials that’s why I thought they would be the perfect partner for this,” Carisa continues, “Our collaboration with shoe designer Tish Sevilla is a must-see too. She understands what a woman wants. She’s a creative and elegant lady.”

Photographer: Bria Cardenas

Sittings Editor: Geolette Esguerra

Creative Director: Carla Buyo

Art Director: Raff Colmenar

Shoot Assistant: Syra Victoria G. Garcia

Special thanks to ArteFino