Support Local Brands at This Weekend’s HIMÔ Fair

by SHARI QUIMBO

Shelves of handcrafted products—made from various materials, and in a myriad of colors and textures—fill up the 32 Sanson by Rockwell office this weekend, as it’s turned into a furniture and home accessories bazaar in the second run of the HIMÔ: A Space + Making Fair.

Named after the Visayan word for making something, HIMÔ is a curated pop-up marketplace that encourages people to create a space that reflected their personality, by bringing Filipino artisanal products into their homes. At the helm of the trunk show is HoliCOW (Holistic Coalition), a company that believes in sustainable design, and bringing together traditional and modern techniques.

At HIMÔ, HoliCOW features home accessories like table napkins made of local fabrics, seagrass trays, napkin rings with “coral” details upcycled from surplus rubber, crocheted Christmas wreaths, among many others. Those looking for a fashionable fix will find accessories and jewelry from All That Glitters and Strozzi, as well as clutches from Neil Felipp. Foodies can enjoy delicacies from neighboring provinces, local cheeses from the Malagos Farmhouse in Davao, and bottles of Don Papa’s premium local rum. Selected paintings by Sio Montera are also on display for the art-inclined.

“We always look to the three values that began and uphold the essence of Holistic Coalition,” says communications offer Kae Batiquin about how they chose which products to put on display. “First is Sustainability—is your company or are your products espousing or working towards sustainability in production and design? Next is Community—does your product and company uplift a community in the Philippines within your value web? And lastly, Identity—authenticity and spirit, because in a world of copy-for-capitalism, Filipino products shine in their genuine artistry.”

“The companies we partner with are collaborators whose values intersect with ours, always with a community that is empowered and enabled,” Kae continues. “Within this circle of companies, we curate items that fit the lifestyle we envision as HoliCOW: sophisticated and genuine, with an identity all its own, that fit industry standards of safety and ergonomics. Everything we carry or are affiliated with is handcrafted.”

As the former headquarters of one of Cebu’s pioneering furniture export companies, 32 Sanson by Rockwell seems like the perfect place to celebrate local artisans and companies at the grassroots. “32 Sanson by Rockwell is one of the companies in the real estate industry that share and wholeheartedly believe in our values as well,” Kae shares. “Situated in a historical location within Cebu City, they have endeavored greatly—and to rewarding effect—to preserve the aspects of 32 Sanson that endear it to Cebuanos; from preserving the authentic ancestral showroom of one of our oldest furniture companies (and a HoliCOW-affiliated brand), to making breathable, private but open units that are truly ‘living spaces.’ A perfect meet-in-the-middle of what we aspire to do and be, with our products.”

Catch the last day of HIMÔ: A Space + Making Fair today, November 12, 2017 at 32 Sanson by Rockwell, Sanson Road, Lahug, Cebu City. Hours are from 10:00 AM-7:00 PM.

View the article as featured in http://zeelifestylecebu.com/support-local-brands-at-this-weekends-himo-fair/ on November 17, 2017. Written by Shari Quimbo.