Arts and crafts that for two years could only be scrolled online are welcoming everyone in a vibrant, festive way in this year’s most awaited comeback of Artefino.
“Whenever he creates something artisanal, the Filipino pours his heart, his soul, his story into whatever he does, and that is what we want to emphasize,” Cedie Lopez-Vargas one of the five co-founders of Artefino, said.
“We want their stories to surface. More than just the products, it’s the stories behind that are told through the products that they made,” co-founder Maritess Pineda emphasized.
Since 2017, Artefino founders Lopez-Vargas, Pineda, Mita Rufino, Susie Quiros and Marimel Francisco have worked to create an inclusive platform for local brands to tell their inspiring stories. They wish to uplift local artisans and craftsmen so they may know their value in the market.“We wanted to help them beyond teaching them how to sell, so we have to go back and see how do you improve their technology, how do you improve their way of life, and how can you help them to become a better designer, better manufacturer of what they’re doing,” Pineda explained.
More than the selling event, Artefino is a movement that inspires an elevated yet responsible lifestyle. Promoting sustainability and social enterprises, it binds a community of like-minded brands, makers and consumers who value craft, culture and conscious living.
The community was severely affected by the restrictions and adjustments due to the pandemic. To sustain its advocacy for artisans, for two years Artefino provided the platform online but during unprecedented events, for Pineda they felt, “We don’t have the platform that we used to have.”
So, this year, bringing back its vigor and consistency, Artefino Festival 2022 is back.
Festivity in the new normal
‘Sensibility’ has been the big idea of Artefino in the new normal.
“We have reworked our sensibilities because the pandemic forced everyone to reevaluate what’s important in their lives, what’s essential, so Artefino is responding to that because we’ve always been pushing for natural fiber sustainability in terms of product,” Vargas elaborated.
This year’s Artefino showcases, for five weeks, Contemporary Filipino Lifestyle with over 150 brands to bring fresh and new ideas towards producing and celebrating Filipino creation and art. The festival will also welcome 44 new designers and brands that include Aire, Bagoyan, Camille Villanueva, Christian Cera, Edited Limited, Style Ana, Kelvin Morales, Jill Lao, Katha Pilipinas, The Shape Shop, Nuevo Ystilo, Pinagtagpi, Pinas Sadya and Vina Romero.
Adding more than just fashion and jewelry, art decors and home supplies are presented in designs that represent the Filipino culture.
“Almost 40 percent of our vendors this year are new. It speaks of the emergence of social enterprises and a deeper understanding of what sustainable living is all about. This year’s roster will show the many layers of responsible retailing that include going hyperlocal and employing fair trade practices,” Marimel Francisco shared.
Not limiting the Artefino Festival to only products and goods for FIlipinos, this event is also a campaign that amplifies the movement that calls for “renew, repurpose and recycle.”
This bazaar will stage events and workshops that will open more doors and avenues for both creators and consumers to connect. Artefino wakes all five senses of the audience as they offer a collaborative effort with The Seven Pantry which will whet appetites with the best local flavors, and soundtracks from Tarsier Records.
As a gathering for Filipino creatives in crafts, fashion, lifestyle and design, Artefino embraces what we can offer globally, instilling the culture of regional crafts, as well as provides an avenue for young and emerging Filipino artists and designers.
“We wanted to bring this bond together in a shared space where we could all shop, learn and connect,” Vargas emphasizes this year’s goal.
“As in the past, we always aim to bring something new to the community. This being that year that we step out again, we hope to create an experience where everyone can immerse with the community,” Vargas and Francisco concluded.
Supporting local is among today’s most important campaigns as it revives the nation’s identity.
#ArteFinoFestival2022 will be open from 26 August to 26 September at the Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City. For more information and updates about the ARTEFINO Festival, follow @artefinoph on Instagram.