‘Look for inspiration anywhere’

Not everyone could see the beauty of a rusty three-wheeled ‘trisikad’ on the street the way designer Kenneth Cobonpue did.

His artistic interpretation of the common man’s cab – now called Eclipse – was developed over a year ago as a gift given by President Benigno Aquino III to the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, during the sultan’s  visit to the country.

Cobonpue took notice of the ‘trisikad’ and played with a design.

“The round circles juxtaposed against each other in the design composition remind me of an eclipse when viewed from several angles,” said Cobonpue.

On seeing the Eclipse, President Aquino asked him to make one for the sultan.

“It’s customary that we give gifts to heads of states who visit us and the President thought of giving him the Eclipse so I made one and had it packaged well ready for transportation back to Brunei.”

Cobonpue said that heads of states usually just receive the gifts and turn it over to their people for safekeeping.

“When the sultan saw pictures of the Eclipse in its package, however, he got intrigued and asked to open the package so that he can see it. He was very pleased with it that he had it loaded in his private jet so that he can give it to his kids.”

Cobonpue, who spoke in last week’s 2nd Cebu Creative Industries Summit in SM City, said that he believes that not all artists are born but are created.

“I think artists are made. I couldn’t draw when I started. I just knew, however, that I love art.”

Cobonpue said that when he applied for admission in the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 1987, he failed the exam because he couldn’t draw.

“I did not pass the entrance exam because I can’t draw. I tried to reason out with the screening committee that the reason we go to school is to learn and that I believed I could learn,” said Cobonpue.

Cobonpue first enrolled in a marketing degree program in UP Diliman on the advice of his father that it was a practical choice that was related to business.

His passion for art and design got the better of him and he tried to shift to Fine Arts. When he was rejected, it only made him more determined to find another school. He moved to the Pratt Institute in New York and took up an Industrial Design course.

Years on, Kenneth Cobonpue was no longer known in Cebu as the son of Betty Cobonpue, owner of furniture exporter Interior Crafts of the Islands Inc.

He became a global brand known for furniture desired by Hollywood A-listers like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

His tip is simple: Look for inspiration anywhere.

“There is no formula for creativity. There is beauty in everything,” he said.

Cobonpue said that as a child, he was fond of playing “carpenter” – tinkering with a hammer and nails in their backyard in Molave, Lahug, Cebu City.

“I created things and everytime I showed it to my mom, she would say ‘why don’t you make something different’ so that inpired me to make things that are different and innovative,” said Cobonpue.

One of his first collections was inspired by the croissant. The Dragnet was inspired by fishermen’s nets and created from fabric that’s twisted and wrapped around steel frames.

“The Hagia is inspired by the cathedrals, the Noodle collection is obviously inspired by the noodles and the Voyage bed looks a boat and the Bloom collection inspired by flowers. When you look around, everything is a source of inspiration,” said Cobonpue.

The Phoenix, which is a bamboo and rattan concept car, is Cobonpue’s first non-furniture creation which took center stage in an exhibit at Salone Internazionale del Mobile Milan, Italy in April 2011.

According to Cobonpue, the Phoenix aims to demonstrate the concept of a “green” automobile which is currently in one of the universities in Germany that is trying to develop an engine for it.

“Phoenix is named after the mythical bird of ancient lore. The car resembles a bird in flight even when at rest.”

While most of his creations exudes an open and refreshing, simple and elegant feel, he describes the engineering and design that goes with it as “bloody”.

According to Cobonpue, every masterpiece entails precision design and engineering from the angling and shape of the frames to the weaving of the material to sewing components together.

“There is great detail involved when we put everything together and I have a team that I work with from the design development to coming up with the finished product,” said Cobonpue.

For every design and product, Cobonpue and his team comes up with a working guidebook where they describe in detail what is acceptable and unacceptable from framework to the fabric cuts and stitches.

Game Changer

For his customers worldwide, Cobonpue is a brand known for masterpieces of innovative designs and techniques in the use of many different materials and fabrics all put together in Cebu.

Cobonpue was among the first homegrown manufacturers in Cebu who changed the face of the furniture export industry from being purely manufacturers of products for international brands to making products for their own brand.

“For many years, our works would be sold under different brands in the world but I decided to make my own brand. It was not that easy, but it was a challenge I was willing to take,” said Cobonpue.

For a time, they lost many old customers from his mother’s mother’s clients because of his decision to manufacture under his own name.

“Eventually however, the customers started coming back after they saw our new products,” said Cobonpue. He said he was glad he was brave enough to take a non-traditional path.

“My principle is simple – why do anything unless it becomes something great? So in everything we come up with, we always put in our best to assure our customers quality products which is what our brand is known for,” he said.