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Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc., the leading specialty retailer in the Philippines, announced a franchise partnership with home furnishings retailer West Elm. West Elm, the Brooklyn, New York based retailer known for helping people express their personal style at home with authentic, affordable, and approachable products will open to the public in Estancia Mall at Capitol Commons on Friday, June 12 at 10 a.m. The majority of West Elm products is exclusive to the brand and designed by a talented team of in-house designers. In addition, the brand collaborates with independent artists and craft communities around the world to create statement pieces and seasonal collections that make a positive impact on people, communities, and the environment.

“We’re excited to open our doors and introduce our full breadth of products to the Philippines where there is a tremendous appetite for well-designed, finely crafted home goods and furnishings,” said Jim Brett, President, West Elm.

The 7,000 sq. ft. store will open with West Elm’s summer collection which includes furniture, bedding, bathroom accessories, rugs, window textiles & hardware, lighting, decorative accessories, dining, kitchen products and gifts. West Elm also offers a suite of helpful services at the Design Lab, a center of creativity and inspiration where customers can partner with design specialists on complimentary consultations and space planning sessions.

“We are extremely proud to open West Elm in the country not only because we would be able to offer Filipinos more design and quality choices in home goods and furnishings, but also because West Elm cherishes Filipino craftsmanship in the products they offer. Their trust in our artisans is a testament to Filipinos’ skill and creativity, and we are honoured to be able to showcase these products in our store.” said Anthony Huang, President, SSI Group, Inc.

West Elm joins other Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brands that have opened stores in the Philippines with Stores Specialists, Inc., including Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and the soon to be opened PBteen in Estancia Mall.

In celebration of the opening, a limited edition West Elm Philippines tote bag capturing Manila’s iconic jeepney and designed by Filipino calligrapher Fozzy Castro-Dayrit will be offered. Additional opening weekend promotions will also be enjoyed by West Elm lovers.

The West Elm Philippines store opening assortment will include locally crafted products from the following artisans:

• Filipino Capiz Artisans – These family-owned businesses help support local Filipino artisans while preserving traditional capiz handcrafts to create lighting and decorative accessories including the Capiz Chandelier and Pendant lighting.
• Filipino Weavers – Known for their exceptional craftsmanship, the family-owned businesses weave, braid, twist and knit using innovative techniques passed down through generations to create the Braided Storage collection of baskets and bins.
• Santo Tomas Potters – Located in the northern province of Pampanga in the Philippines, Santo Tomas is known for its hand-thrown, hand-cast and hand-painted ceramics. This community of artisans creates the collection of Linework vases.

1. Medina/Globalist

• This collection evokes a feel of Morocco meets the American Southwest desert –modern and global at the same time.
• The assortment is created around a palette of soft, sandy hues and intricate patterns and embroideries in our handcrafted products.
• The versatility of Mid-Century pieces ground this look and work in any room and mix well with many other decorating styles; not just in furniture, but also in lighting, bedding and decorative accessories.

2. Pure Home

• In this collection, we start with a neutral foundation, rustic woods and crisp whites and then layer on tonal textures with linen weaves and handcrafted pieces.
• A stripped-back approach to summer style, this aesthetic is modern with clean lines, strong shapes and material simplicity.

3. Prep

• Bring the breezy beach club style to the home. This summer we are pushing the boundaries of traditional prep and playing up the fun and whimsy with textured pillows and geometric prints.

 Vanessa Holden, Creative Director, West Elm has added the below about this season’s assortment, trends and techniques:

 “This year we’re celebrating artful living – there is an exciting resurgence and appreciation for art and creative expression of all kinds– painting, craft, sculpture, and photography–a really eclectic explosion! Increasingly, customers are interested in knowing the stories behind what they’re buying for the home – who is making their products and under what conditions.

For Summer 2015, we were inspired by the richly colored, layered landscapes of deserts from Morocco to California, creating a modern globalist look that infuses the home with painterly color, worldly pattern, textural richness and a confidently casual approach. Summer is a time for feeling like you’re on holiday, even when you’re at home – the season to wake up your wanderlust!

From pared-back silhouettes to sculptural forms in new techniques, here is a taste of what we are seeing for 2015 (we love the surprise of natural fibers woven with the soft shimmer of silver and gold):

• Mid-Century meets Globalist: Mid-Century continues to trend as a simple, sophisticated foundation with a warm nod to nostalgia. We’re excited to loosen up the look with graphic, painterly geometric pattern and bright pops of color that combine for a carefree California-modern vibe
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• Textile Texture:  There’s more textural interest in summer than ever – in new knits and crewels, and interesting embellishments like chindi and candle wicking that can be used to layer interest into a monochromatic palette, down to details like mirrored embroideries and hand-tied tassels.

• Soft, Sandy and Pure White:  Summer calls for the lightest touch. Start with a neutral foundation, then layer on tonal texture with linen weaves and handcrafted pieces. Just like pulling off a monochromatic outfit, embellishments are the trick to getting white right. From soft sandy hues to a wide range of blues, we drew inspiration from the desert and the summer sky, creating a liveable, layerable palette of neutrals in soft, sanded finishes with shimmery whitewashed metallics on everything from candlelight to embroidered bedding and floor rugs. We love white layered with beige, grays, ivories and the sun-faded hues of the desert sky.

• Repping Prep: Bring beach club style (and a lot of fun) home with modern madras and seersucker (stolen from suiting and for the best-dressed summer beds), summer stripes and a punchy update to the classic summer palette of red, blue, yellow and white.
• Handcrafted:    Every season, we work with artisans globally to create unique takes on traditional techniques. For summer, we worked with weavers in India to reinvent the summer flooring staple – jute – incorporating metallic patterns, leather stripes and hand-braided details that bring the natural look to life. In bedding, we updated a traditional Indian candle wicking technique with mirrorwork inspired by Moroccan wedding blankets. And we’re introducing new lighting pieces handcrafted from capiz in the Philippines – their soft glow comes from wild pearl oyster shells.”

For up-to-date information on West Elm Philippines store promotions and events, customers are encouraged to like the store page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/westelmph and follow the store on Instagram @westelmph. West Elm Philippines is open Monday-Thursday 11am – 9pm, and Friday-Sunday 10am – 10pm. The store’s address is Ground Floor, South Wing, Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City.

About West Elm:

Mixing clean lines, natural materials and handcrafted collections from the US and around the world, West Elm creates unique, affordable designs for modern living. The brand offers choice in products and services, builds community through connections with customers, collaborators and associates, and focuses on consciousness in everything we do, from handcrafted and local products to supply chain transparency and sustainability. Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, West Elm introduced its first catalog in 2002, followed by its first store in 2003. The brand’s complete assortment can be found in 72 retail stores in the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK and around-the-clock at westelm.com. We also offer international shipping to customers around the world and have an unaffiliated franchisee that operates stores in the Middle East. West Elm is part of an active community on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram and a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands.

About SSI Group, Inc.:

SSI Group, Inc. is the leading specialty retailer in the Philippines with the exclusive franchise rights to some of the biggest international lifestyle brands and luxury icons.  SSI Group, Inc. represents 112 international brands traded over more than 740 stores across the Philippines. It counts among its subsidiaries Stores Specialists, Inc., which was established in 1987, and was the pioneer in introducing globally recognised brands through specialty store retailing to the Philippine market.

Our Summer 2015 assortment features three distinct styles that take our customers through a journey that is simultaneously modern and globalist in approach. Whether it’s the feeling of a vast Moroccan desert or a preppy beach cabaña, this summer assortment will help our customers find their personal styles at home. We believe personality is more important than a perfectly styled space and if you surround yourself with products you love, your home will have a point of view, and that point of view is you.