The power of steel

After over 20 years of exporting metal furniture to Europe, Australia and the US, the Pampanga-based furniture brand Industria Edition can finally present its unique steel creations to more Filipino clients at its new showroom at The Residences Greenbelt in Makati City.

Industria Edition merges organic structure with the rawness of steel while discovering new textures, finishes and patinas. Steel is molded, hammered, torched and smoothened by the hands of the skilled craftsmen whose personal touch cannot be replicated by machines. 

Creative director and chief designer Jude Tiotuico said, “The thing that attracted me to metal is its unpredictability. Metal is unlike wood, which you probably can just carve into shape; with metal, instead of shaving it, we bend it, we forge it, we hammer it, and sometimes by hammering it, it goes the other way from what you expect it to be. It gives us that sense of excitement and surprise when we see what we are able to shape it into.”

(From left) Royal Pineda, Budji Layug, Jude Tiotuico and Kenneth Cobonpue.

The brand marries modern design with traditional, handmade production, blurring the distinction between art and furniture.  Tiotuico added, “We are a company that makes steel furniture feel warm, and we do it in a sophisticated way to convey a certain feeling. Our products can be boheme with a touch of artisan craftsmanship yet playful and still grounded as a furniture made for everyday lifestyle.”

Industria Edition has participated in many design shows and exhibitions both in the Philippines and abroad. Its products are distributed in Portugal, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the US. In the ‘90s, Tiotuico and his partner Arthur Viray (under the company Vico Manufacturing Corp.) began years of subcontracting wrought iron accessories and furniture for a French company, which lasted until the early 2000s.

In 2007, he met and began collaborating with interior designer Eric Paras whom Tiotuico calls “my conscience every time I design; I always ask him for advice when I start creating pieces.”

Mariana Zobel de Ayala and Irene Marcos Araneta.

In 2013, he worked and collaborated with internationally renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue and Budji Layug in the newly formed Design Philippines by CITEM.

The brand continues to collaborate with designers and artists. Its Manila showroom will feature the works of the first four designers the brand collaborated with: Budji Layug, Eric Paras, Lilianna Manahan and Leeroy New. It also plans more collaborations with local designers in the future.  

Industria Edition also does sculptural design projects for buildings like the giant sculpture featured at the lobby of 8 Rockwell, commissioned by designer Butch Valdez.

(The Industria Edition showroom is located at The Residences Greenbelt, Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City. For more information, visit www.industriaedition.com or call 738-7626, 0917-6281928 or 0939-9361922.)

‘The legacy of living well’

AXA Philippines president and CEO Rahul Hora.

Leading global insurer AXA introduced Asset Master in a panel discussion with the theme “The Legacy of Living Well.”

Asset Master is a single-pay, investment-linked insurance plan that helps you create your own financial legacy by allowing you to build a diversified investment portfolio of local and global investments. It gives you access to a variety of investment opportunities from different markets across the globe via a comprehensive selection of highly curated Philippine and offshore funds.

During the event, renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, third-generation jewelry designer Janina Dizon of Jul B. Dizon Jewelry, and homegrown Ibarra Watches brand founder Nico Moreno shared their insights on living well and how their personal experiences on creating, upholding and passing on one’s legacy can help others to also leave a lasting gift.

AXA Philippines CFO Don San Jose, chief customer officer Amor Balagtas and chief of retail propositions Alok Roongta.

Asset Master also offers exclusive access to the new Global Dynamic Allocation Funds that provide exceptional diversification to the markets in the US, Europe, Japan, Asia and the emerging markets. The funds also have a built-in, automatic rebalancing feature, which actively seeks growth opportunities while protecting you from extreme market drops.

AXA Philippines president and CEO Rahul Hora said, “At AXA, we want to help you start planning for an enduring financial legacy you can leave to your loved ones. With Asset Master, you can build a global portfolio of investments that will help your family keep on living well.”  

(For more information, visit the nearest Metrobank, PSBank or AXA branch, e-mail [email protected] or check out www.axa.com.ph.)

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