Deck the halls (with melancholy)
The exhibit captures the concept in one breath, making Christmas décor sound surprising rather than predictable.
What if Christmas décor made you feel a little wistful, a little giddy, and a little like you were watching old home videos at midnight?
Manila FAME returns for its 74th edition from 15 to 17 October, bringing together home, fashion, holiday and gift products that showcase Filipino design. Among its featured displays is Pasko x Pascua, part of Design Commune’s celebration of local craftsmanship, led by creative director and head designer Josef Crisanto, alongside mentees Clark Mendoza and Razel Mari.
The title plays on the word Pasko, derived from the Spanish Pascua, meaning Easter. As Crisanto explains, “Both are celebrations: one is of Christ’s birth while one is of His rebirth.” In the showcase, Pasko captures the joy of Christmas, while Pascua evokes a more atmospheric, bittersweet mood. Together, they reflect a season that balances celebration with quiet contemplation.
Crisanto’s brief to himself was simple: No Santa, no reindeer, no garlands, no typical trees. Starting from a tabula rasa, he asked his young designers to dig into their own Christmas memories, from the gifts they treasured to the songs and movies that still tug at them. The goal was Christmas on their terms, not the catalog’s.
‘We wanted to come up with a collection of objects that will evoke longing, joy, melancholy and sadness all at the same time.’
HEART-SHAPED wall sculpture.
It is also not meant to be packed away in January.
Guided by his “Christmas Every Day” philosophy, Crisanto creates pieces meant to stay on display long after the holidays. At the heart of the concept is a distinctly Filipino observation: Christmas is best experienced at night. As Crisanto puts it, Christmas Day itself is “just another ordinary day, except for the tinsel decorations.”
For Filipinos, Christmas Eve is the main event. The showcase captures this through two contrasting moods: one “subdued, muted and controlled,” the other “explosive with color and life.” One evokes the quiet glow of candlelight, while the other bursts with the festive energy of Noche Buena.
These contrasts reflect the many sides of the season, and the collection embraces them all.