25 years of Ito Kish: An odyssey of eclecticism and resilience
Nestled within a warehouse compound on Makati’s drab J.P. Rizal Street lies an unexpected oasis: a quirky haven for home décor. Lush tropical foliage softens the stark concrete buildings, drawing visitors into a darkened room that encapsulates the owner’s personal history.
This year marks a significant milestone for not with champagne, but with a simple “Whew!”— an indication of the wildly varying experiences his career has been.
From pioneering his eclectic style and winning awards for designs inspired by his Laguna roots and family, to store expansions, burnout, closure, and a pandemic-era comeback, Kish has navigated it all.
His restaurant, Ito Kish Design Foods, a designer-styled eatery featuring Laguna-inspired cuisine, operated for nine months, ultimately succumbing to operational and staffing challenges. Yet, rather than viewing it as a failure, Kish considers it a personal triumph, having launched the venture single-handedly, without investors or consultants.
Thus, he commemorates his 25th year by doing things his way.
Eclectic
Kish has gained a dedicated following by ingeniously blending furniture, colors, patterns, and textures from diverse sources, embodying the essence of eclectic decor: creating spaces that are both visually engaging and deeply personal. The foyer of his namesake store is an intriguing black room, showcasing archival pieces that mark key milestones from his 25-year career.
The Ito Kish store, initially opened in Glorietta in late 2000 with a grand opening in January 2001, displays glass cases containing four pop-up invitations, including bedroom and living room designs by ad agency TWBA. As Ito Kish’s first client, TWBA’s invitations earned an award.
His journey, from humble small-town beginnings to establishing himself in Greenbelt, was chronicled by editor Alya Honasan in a compelling 2002 Sunday Inquirer Magazine feature.
In 2012, he received his first industry award, the Katha Best Furniture Design, for his Gregoria chair, inspired by colonial turned balusters. Two years later, the chair was featured in Elle Décor USA’s “What’s Hot” section.
Insisting on a physical piece rather than a file photo, Elle Décor requested the chair be shipped to their Condé Nast office. To maximize the $8,000 shipping fee, the Gregoria chair was displayed at the Philippine Embassy for a month and was ultimately purchased by a Filipino American at a discounted price.
The foyer also showcases sketches of his remodeling of Rustan’s Makati’s Home Section, his 2016 Southern Living Magazine cover story, and mementos from his design portfolio, including invitations to store openings, collaborations with fashion designer Rajo Laurel (pillows and placemats), and sculptor Reg Yuson (lamps), and catalogs from his curatorial work for Design Philippines at an international furniture trade fair in Tokyo.
“Entering from bright sunlight, people are disoriented in the dark foyer. They can’t see, and often mistake walls for exits. It’s a deliberate, memorable start to the store experience,” he says.
Maze of vignettes
Kish recently downsized his store, transitioning from two warehouses to a single 330 square meter space. He emphasizes that passion, rather than profit, fuels his endeavors.
The store’s layout, resembling a maze, ensures that every corner is utilized. To further personalize the space, he introduced “From The Neighborhood,” a curated collection of mementos from his travels. These range from affordable organic bottle cleaners from Japan and miniature toy soldiers from Paris to a luxurious gold-rimmed china teacup from Dubai.
Each display vignette reveals surprising details. For instance, a Kish lampshade, crafted from looped rattan strands, evokes the image of a bird’s nest. A t’nalak shade adds a striking graphic element to a floor lamp inspired by church candelabra from the Rosario collection. The classic butaka chair is reimagined in a sleek black finish. Inspired by designer Josie Natori, the Josefina chair is accentuated with stingray strips and carved roses on its sides.
A stool inspired by the tingkop basket of Palawan, woven with synthetic material, harmonizes with the award-winning Basilisa seater, which features indigenous weaves.
“Basilisa, my maternal grandmother, was in her 80s. She would often squat in the garage, smoking her tobacco, while repairing a solihiya (woven) chair from our dining room,” Kish explains.
The Basilisa seater is adorned with fluffy piña throw pillows featuring callado, or fretwork embroidery, which echoes the baluster design of the seat. These rare piña cases were reintroduced during Kish’s comeback at Manila FAME.
“We struggled to fulfill orders because the embroiderers from Lumban require significant time for their intricate work,” he notes.
One of the most intriguing examples of Kish’s eclecticism is the juxtaposition of an antique French slipper chair with damask embroidery against a sleek, minimalist Florence love seat, a midcentury modern Scandinavian leather armchair and side table, and a vibrant Persian rug.
‘The Belly’
Despite the limited space, Kish cleverly addresses storage needs. Dining tables and chairs are stylishly stacked, decked with flatware and silverware. The remaining inventory is neatly organized in a corner aptly named “The Belly.”
“This is the starting point and the heart of everything. It’s not cluttered, it’s organized,” he clarifies.
Operating a small-scale business presents both challenges and advantages. Kish acknowledges that, unlike other designers and retailers, who were funded by their well-to-do families, he saved for the initial capital and resources to establish his business. He collaborates with JB Woodcraft and South Sea Veneer Corp in Pampanga, and Coast Pacific in Cebu.
However, he regrettably discontinued the Arellano bone china vases, which featured Art Deco patterns inspired by the Manila Metropolitan Theater designed by architect Juan Arellano. CSM Philippines, a porcelain specialist, was unable to accommodate his request for small-volume production.
Nevertheless, Kish focuses on the positive aspects. He has become a significant distributor for Phaidon Books. When “Grace Coddington: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue” was reissued in 2015, he swiftly sold 21 copies. The principal of Phaidon Books expressed admiration for Kish’s store, noting that the books were not merely commodities on a shelf but rather integral elements of the interior décor. He also appreciated the generous hospitality, a rarity in other markets. In return, Kish benefits from more favorable payment terms and pricing.
Kish’s primary project for this year, “A View from Afar,” centers on the connections he has forged with seven international designers whom he admires. “I asked them to reinterpret an Ito Kish piece from their unique perspective, focusing on shape, function, color, material, and cultural representation,” he explains. “We are unveiling their designs on Instagram and through our newsletter until December. The Zurich design will be launched next month. Expect the unexpected.”
