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Ivy andCynthia
Almario
The sisters behind Atelier Almario
have cultivated renown both here and
abroad for high-end interior design, a
reputation that they put to good use
—
starting up, in the case of Ivy, the
entire project, and then using their joint
network to get others on board.
A chair with a past
The Almarios’ chair
is laced with the siblings’ trademark
taste for luxe, but (surprise!) uses
recycled materials — something GK’s
handicrafts have also been known to do.
EdCalma
Following in the footsteps of his
father, the legendary architect Lor
Calma, Ed has made his own mark
with such exceptional designs as the
DLSU College of Saint Benilde, the
Metropolitan Museum, the National
Museum and even the new Mind
Museum in Bonifacio Global City.
More than meets the eye
Ed’s sexy,
eye-shaped chair has a lot going
for it. There’s seating on both sides,
concealed storage under the cushions,
and it can also be extended.
Sitting pretty
The designers
and their chairs
D E S I G N E D F O R G O O D
These chairs
are made of
sustainable
materials
PHOTO
KENJI O
Not only were each of them built by
luminaries of the design industry —
Ivy and Cynthia Almario, Ed Calma,
Tobias Guggenheimer, Milo Naval and
Joey Yupangco — but they also follow
three design guidelines: the use of
sustainable materials, the promotion of
Filipino identity, and ease of production
by GK communities. No wonder, then,
that the October 16, 2012 auction of
these impeccable, one-of-a-kind pieces
raised more than PHP1 million for the
community’s cause.
Working on this momentum, the
project is already moving forward,
says Marivic Pineda, the product
development director of GKonomics.
The group is looking into designing
“
more democratic” chairs of equal
quality — a designer Monobloc, if you
will — as an ongoing project to add to
the list of items manufactured as GK
products. Some of the designers are
already in discussion with GKonomics
to build from scratch a model
It’s the very
model of a
self-perpetuating
cycle of good
A craftsman working on an
Ed Calma chair
