Manila Design Week 2010 Day 1: A wet but warm reception

PHILIPPINES, AUGUST 8, 2010 – Manila Design Week (MDW) returns to unite the Philippine graphic design community and bring graphic design into the mainstream. As in 2009, MDW 2010’s line-up of events features graphic design in its applications such as advertising, fashion and music. This year’s theme, "Design Everyday" focuses on the ordinary citizen’s relationship with commonplace items and how the democratization of design makes quality design accessible, ultimately making life better.

"This is the platform for all of you professionals and for students interested in design," MDW project manager Clara Balaguer told the crowd at the launch party held at The Collective in Makati City on August 7, 2010. With music, overflowing Manila Beer and 13,500 lollipops from the installation "Suck Design", the MDW launch party had a wet but warm reception.

Earlier in the first day, the SMX Convention Center hosted an SRO audience for the Graphika Manila International Design Conference. A mixed crowd of students and professionals paid close attention to speakers Danny Yount, Phunk Studio, Cynthia & Arnold Arre, Underground Logic and Rocketsheep Post.

Keynote speaker Tara McPherson was overwhelmed by the response at Graphika Manila. "I’m blown away. It’s such a great crowd, so honestly happy. I couldn’t have expected a better welcome," said the designer, who is best known for her rock band posters and illustrations.

Despite the intermittent rain, street artists congregated at The Collective that same afternoon for Wall Lords, the battle for the country’s best graffiti crew. The top winner Pilipinas Street Plan will represent the country at the 1st Wall Lords competition in Shanghai, China.

McPherson also graced her exhibit at lifestyle store Vinyl on Vinyl. She posed for photographs and signed shirts, toys, tickets and booklets before enjoying the music of bands such as Us 2 – Evil 0, reducing its vocalist, the filmmaker Quark Henares into a gushing fanboy. "I love you so much that my sneaker palette is based on your palette," he said to McPherson over the microphone. And he was not alone. A good number of bidders  waited almost two hours, until past midnight, for the silent auction of McPherson’s art.

Manila Design Week, organized by Team Manila, runs until August 13. View the schedule here.

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