The Man Jong Chair Reimagined

French furniture brand, Roche Bobois tapped ten Filipino creatives to redesign their signature Mah Jong chair. Metro met with five of the designers for an exclusive first look at what to expect from the special collaboration.

- Isabella Lichauco

More Roche Bobois collaborations are underway, and this time their Mah Jong chairs will have the Filipino touch. Designed by Hans Hopfer in the 1970s and inspired by the Chinese tile game, the brand’s signature collection consists of lounge furniture that can be stacked and combined to create a living space. Since arriving in the Philippines in 2012, the French brand has taken notice of the increased celebration of local artisanship and homegrown design. Having collaborated with fashion houses such as Missoni and Jean Paul Gaultier, Roche Bobois has most recently tapped 10 Filipino creatives from different fields to produce their own takes on the iconic chairs: Ed Calma, Bea Valdes, Cos Zicarelli, Chat Fores, Bobby Mañosa, Paloma Urquijo Zobel, Vito Selma, Geraldine Javier, Nikki Luna, and Jojo Lofranco. Given six months to execute their designs, the pieces will be unveiled at the “Interactions” exhibition this September and auctioned off, with proceeds going to worthy organizations.

Ed Calma