Accessories company Kit Silver Jewelry has been regularly exhibiting at local trade shows in the Philippines, attracting clients here and abroad. But last September was extra special for the Bulacan-born brand as one of its designs won at the ASEAN Jewelry Competition 2015 in Bangkok and was showcased at the 56th Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair.
Judges were impressed by “Serpent,” a wearable objet d’art by Filipino designer and entrepreneur Milagros “Mila” Imson. The jewelry set, handcrafted from brass and embellished with carved lapis lazuli blooms, presents a remarkable, modernized display of delicate jewelry metalwork that is distinctive in its asymmetry and intricacy.
Aside from the opportunity to showcase her creation at the prestigious jewelry fair in Bangkok, Imson, owner of the Kit Silver Jewelry, was also presented with a trophy and a study visit to the prestigious jewelry firm John Hardy in Bali, Indonesia.
Organized by the ASEAN Intellectual Property Offices in collaboration with the European Union, the ASEAN Jewelry Design Competition is part of the ASEAN Project on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights conceived to motivate creativity, excellence and research in high-class, top-quality fashion jewelry. The creative competition also aims to uphold original, innovative design as a significant marketing instrument in the business community in the region.
Participants to the competition include jewelry designers, artists, professionals in the fashion industry, students and apprentices from ASEAN member-countries Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
From the hundreds of entries sent, five designs were selected as national finalists by the Philippine panel of judges comprised of jeweler Hans Brumman, fashion icon Lulu Tan-Gan, Design Center of the Philippines executive director Myrna Sunico, and Architect Daisy Palattao of De La Salle University – Dasmariñas’ Innovation and Technology Support Office.
From these five jewelry designs that qualified for the regional stage, Imson’s “Serpent” was named by the ASEAN regional judges – composed of experts in the jewelry, design, and fashion industry from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Spain and Thailand – as the winning entry from the Philippines alongside the winners from other member-countries.
Since its birth in 1980, Kit Silver Jewelry has grown into a trusted name in the industry of jewelry design and manufacturing. Its gold, silver and brass accessories are exported to France, Italy, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Despite its impressive and still growing list of stable clients abroad, Kit Silver Jewelry regularly exhibits at the bi-annual trade show Manila FAME to showcase new product designs, meet new buyers, open new and promising business networks and opportunities, and discover new design inspirations. In the recently concluded 62nd Manila FAME, Kit Silver Jewelry unveiled a vivid collection of fashion accessories that evoked a sense of luxury and grace.
The 62nd edition of Manila FAME featured fashion apparel and accessories, furniture, home decor and home furnishings, holiday gifts and décor, and lamps and lighting crafted by Philippine SMEs for global export.