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ONE of the leading artisanal fairs in the city, ArteFino, ran from Aug. 22 to 25 at The Fifth at Rockwell this year, and BusinessWorld dodged dozens of titas looking to score the next hard-to-find item in looking for these picks.
CMV TXOKOLATChocolatier Christian Valdes isn’t just going viral online for his good looks, but for the innovation in his chocolate. Passing by his booth, he offered us his Sunrise Mangoes, dried mangoes coated with cielo chocolate (that’s roasted white chocolate) and pink peppercorns. This writer, normally averse to fruit, was surprised by the zing of the peppercorns and the caramel notes in the white chocolate (another no-no normally) that made us forget we were eating something we had been wired not to like. Because of this innovation, we might give all those ingredients another chance. Mr. Valdes also told us about his latest experiments involving Knorr liquid seasoning, Sinigang sa Sampalok mix, and salted egg powder, which will hit his store soon. Get them at https://cmvtxokolat.com/.
CASA MERCEDESArteFino veteran Casa Mercedes, headed by Monchet Olives, again showed off his fans, now a staple in many handbags. The Filipino Flora and Fauna line, done in partnership with artist Reena Gabriel, includes some new innovations like spot embroidery, and handcuts on the edges. A partnership with artist Robert Labayen saw brightly colored flowers. Casa Mercedes’ Icono fans can be seen a mile away, thanks to their large size and large block letters bearing phrases ranging from the witty to the pithy (we got their fan that opened to shout, “Ambiciosa!”). Some of their fans have been reworked for a much younger audience, with a line inspired by Filipino girl group Bini. Other premium selections include fully embroidered fans in abaca, and a large sinister black one topped with tassels. Find them at instagram.com/casamercedesph.
DWELLBEINGAll-natural soaps and balms are the star here, as well as home decor and linens. The selling point for everything cloth? They’re made with upcycled ex-hotel textiles like sheets and towels. They take sustainability to heart, pointing out that a lot of their liquid wares are stored in ex-liquor bottles (the linen spray is in a soju bottle), and some of their bags and scarves are made from recycled PET bottles. Community is also important: they employ deaf people, they source their lemongrass essential oil from farmers in Bacolod, and a percentage of gross sales goes to the feeding programs of Project PEARLS (how many meals a sale can buy is printed on the label). Find them here at https://shopdwellbeing.com/.
PROJECT NOVAIt’s all about sturdy and waterproof bags at Project Nova. They have that quality because they’re made from ex-tourist kayaks from Bohol. Instead of being thrown away, they’re ripped apart, dyed, and sewn together. The person in charge at the store said that the bags can last from 10 to 20 years, depending on their usage. PS, they also won Best Product 2024 for Fashion Accessories from the Stilo Artefino Awards. Hit them up at instagram.com/pn_upcycled/.
MILLIE MONDAYClassic toile de jouy (repeated monochromatic prints on a white background) might have been all the rage a few years ago thanks to Dior, but the trend is here to stay. Millie Monday, with printing as their core business, showed us a line of their wallpaper, but we were more interested in the linens, coasters, and even lanterns, printed with a toile de jouy-style design with exclusively Filipino scenes, made in collaboration with artist Mia de Lara. Turns out we can switch Countryside style from French to Filipino. Find them here athttps://www.milliemonday.com/.
HAPPY ANDRADAThere’s nowhere to go but up for veteran designer Happy Andrada, who showed off a collection of heavily beaded and embroidered balintawak. Think a terno, but in a cocktail length, and impossibly sexy: the designs are sewn onto sheer netting. For the selfie generation, she has an iridescent line: iridescent nylon is concealed in a piña cocoon shell. A flash from a camera lights up the iridescent layer, and that’s what shows up in the picture. Get ready to shine. Contact the designer at www.instagram.com/happyandrada.ph. — Joseph L. Garcia
