From March 6 to 9, 2025 the North and South Courts of the Power Plant Mall will be
transformed into a tropical oasis, serving as the ideal backdrop for ArteFino RESORT 2025.
During this four-day pop-up, visitors are invited to explore, discover, and integrate the best of
Philippine fashion and resort wear into their year-long wardrobes.
It was in March 2023 when artisanal platform and incubator for local design talent, ArteFino, first
mounted its summer pop up. Since then, founders Maritess Pineda, Mita Rufino, Cedie
Lopez-Vargas, Susie Quiros and Marimel Francisco have continuously explored fresh new ideas
of bringing a distinctly Philippine resort lifestyle to trade fair experience. They begin,
“Our tropical, eternal sunshine climate contributes to fueling the creativity of a lot of our designers
and artisans. It has inspired them and it’s reflected in their designs as well as the material they
use. We wanted to put brands that carry this essence at the forefront of our curation.”
Exploring the many islands of the archipelago was a key idea that sparked inspiration for
ArteFino Resort 2025. Marimel Francisco shares,
“We have a total of 30 Filipino brands joining us for this year’s edition. Each one, hailing from different parts of the country that has its distinct set of fabrics, weaves, patterns and styles. As a general idea, we wanted to transport guests of the resort pop-up to all these beautiful regions of the country. We wanted to invite everyone to
travel the Philippines through their senses.”
Fashion and design, inspired by the country’s travel and resort lifestyle, will shape the ArteFino
Resort experience this year. “It’s summer all year round in the Philippines,” says Marimel.
“This doesn’t only mean that every day is ideal for travelling around the country. Tropical weather also
influences the way we dress as a people. In many ways, resort or summer dressing is innate to
us Filipinos. Our designers, artisans, makers, and brand owners are naturally inclined to utilizing
lightweight local weaves, vibrant colors, tropical-inspired patterns and ornaments that invoke
year-long summers.” For this year’s pop up, brands, designers, and makers will be presenting
exclusive, capsule collections that embody the resort state of being. Natural tropical fibers,
breathable fabrics that are indigenous to the Philippines are reimagined and reworked into
contemporary garments that echo life on the island.
The process of curating a select number of partner vendors for the summer pop-up compelled
the founders of ArteFino to ponder on what Filipino fashion might look like through the lens of a
global style community. It also furthered the conversation on circularity, highlighting and
exploring the long-term use of Philippine-made resort-inspired garments. As they handpicked
each brand and designer, the founders considered elements of design that reflected the resort
lifestyle and Filipino style sensibility. The founders observe,
“Tropical resort living is characteristic of Philippine culture. You will see this in the easy silhouettes, the tropical color
palettes, choice of breezy fabrics, and even the use of natural materials."
This year, the pop up will occupy two key locations at Rockwell’s Power Plant Mall, ArteFino’s
co-presenter and home since its inception. The North and South courts of the mall will be the
venue for highlighting the exclusive capsule collections from Philippine contemporary fashion
brands and designers.
“”We envisioned the space to bring shoppers a more relaxed experience
as they peruse the curated selections and collections.” True to celebrating eternal summers and the vibrant resort lifestyle, there will also be happy hour in the afternoons with Three Hens Wine. As it was when it was first launched in 2023, ArteFino Resort continues to promote the love for
local design through contemporary resort living. It is also an extended conversation and
exploration of the ArteFino values that bind brands and shoppers as one community. These are
values of craft, culture, heritage, sustainability, and Philippine identity.
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