His story continues as he shares a mix of his designs and curated curios at a brand-new retail space
It has been three years since Ito Kish, the designer whose works include the iconic Gregoria chair, closed his eponymous shop. The store’s location then was on Nicanor Garcia, a street in Makati that is home to a row of showrooms carrying prestigious brands and award-winning names in the home and interior design scene. Kish’s shop has been there for almost two decades until he decided it was time to let it go in 2017.
“The pressure of the business, maintaining a staff and trying to keep the standards of the brand took their toll on me. It pushed me to close. It took me just three days to make the decision. This after running the business for 17 years,” recounts the visual storyteller, who, a few months leading to the closure, had just received an international accolade for Binhi, a collection of multifunctional bench inspired by the organic form of binhi (Filipino word for seed).
But he’s back. After living a semi-retired life, he returns this year to launch the Ito Kish Retail Seasonal Space which, as the name implies, is designed for occasional retail events. “It is smaller [than our original showroom] and the collection is edited,” he explains. The 175sqm property on JP Rizal Avenue is not open year-round; rather, it will only be open on certain days and on a by-appointment basis.
