Pursuit Fair Vol. 3 continues the journey towards Better Local

It was a Friday morning, the day before June 16. Paulo Reyes was one of the first to arrive at Century City Mall’s events place. Face-to-face with the near-empty space, it looked more vast and overwhelming than it actually was. He had been running his online clothing brand, MHC, since 2012 but Pursuit Fair marked the first time he would ever take his business offline. “I didn’t know what to expect, so I ended up fixing the booth alone and did six trips from the fifth floor to my car,” he shared. “But it was nice because I met other brand owners who saw me struggling and willingly helped me set up.” Thankfully, what would’ve been a frustrating moment became a chance for friendship, support, and community – which is exactly what Pursuit Fair is all about.

Now on its third run, Pursuit was originally put up as a fundraiser for PURVEYR’s print magazine. However, seeing the people it connected and the positive energy it cultivated, PURVEYR’s Marvin Conanan and Sara Martinez couldn’t let the opportunity pass. “We didn’t expect to have good foot traffic, good sales for the brands, and overall good reception, but it happened – and that’s when we knew that Pursuit Fair was definitely something,” recalled Sara.

Photos by Cosio

There were moments during the event where I’d stop and think, ‘hey, there’s some kind of magic here, and people are just feeding off of each other’s energy.’ It was beautiful. – Mark Zavalla of Saan Saan

Since its humble beginnings in 2016, a lot has changed with Pursuit and the community it has helped foster. From just 20 brands and a much smaller space, Volume 3 has welcomed 50 brands and 1,500 guests – more than twice the number of partners they started with and nearly double their predicted visitors. However, their secret sauce isn’t in insider deals or expensive promotions. What each customer, brand partner, and passerby gets is much more than a curated yardsale.

“It felt like a cross between a community gathering, celebration party, and weekend market,” described Mark Zavalla, owner of Saan Saan and another first-time brand partner. As a new entrepreneur in the creative scene, bazaars and popups act as ideal test runs for his business strategies without the tax of commitment. “I really didn’t know what to expect. I mean, it’s people selling things to people, right? But after Pursuit, I totally understood. There were moments during the event where I’d stop and think, ‘hey, there’s some kind of magic here, and people are just feeding off of each other’s energy.’ It was beautiful.”

For Raniel Moraleta, co-owner of Wednesday, it’s a platform to understand and experience Filipino creativity at its finest and most diverse. “It’s basically a melting pot where all subcultures come together,” he quipped. “But the substantial difference between Pursuit and usual bazaars is we’re not here to just buy and sell.” True enough, you can talk to anybody there and no one will ever turn it into a contrived sales pitch. Despite that, leaving empty-handed is never an option when thoughtful insights and conversations are the best deals you can come home with. “In most places, customers just buy and transact with no personal connection to the owners at all,” shrugged Jaq Lopez of Kultura Caved. “It’s definitely not profit-driven. Yes, we [brand owners] sell our products there, but it’s really more of an [opportunity] for creatives and makers to coexist under one roof,” clarified Finn from NOBODY Clothing. “It becomes an endless stream of inspiration where you see people and their crafts up close, allowing yourself to be inspired while allowing yourself to inspire others as well.”

With most of its independent brand partners coming from small, tight-knit online communities, Pursuit becomes a common ground for creative entrepreneurs to come out from the confines of the internet. “Instagram literally comes to life,” observed Pursuit attendee Thysz Estrada. “You can expect to see like-minded people you probably already know online, and finally get to meet offline.” By making these stores accessible to a wider crowd who may not follow the same roster of Instagram personalities, Pursuit is able to bridge cultures and groups. “Consumers are now more aware of local brands and are building them a loyal following, which would have been harder to achieve if not for the increased presence and accessibility to the market,” Rik Rasos, owner of Proudrace, stated.

Photos by Cosio

However, expanding their reach wasn’t always a cake walk. At the start, the team could hardly even rack up a thousand visitors. “We knew that the whole ‘support local’ movement was already thriving, but it needed some time, more exposure, and a little push,” recalled Sofia Onte, co-organizer and former Pursuit intern. Interestingly, Pursuit ended up becoming the push that the local creatives and retail scene has been waiting for. “We can’t really say that Pursuit Fair is fully responsible for changes in the industry, but we’ve definitely seen an increase of thoughtful, independent brands since then,” said Marvin. “Plus, participants who have been constantly joining us now work together more often. I feel like it contributed to better relationships between brands and brand owners.”

Photos by John Crawford

While some might congratulate them for the milestones they’ve achieved so far, the team thinks there’s still a lot of work to be done in elevating local creatives and entrepreneurs. “There’s still so much for us to discover and unearth about the creative scene. It’s already so big, but it’s just going to get bigger and more diverse from here,” added Sara. However, don’t mistake “support local” for a marketing gimmick. “I used to hear all the time about people not wanting to shell out cash for local goods when they can spend it on imported items instead,” commented Una Ilarde. “Pursuit is ending that mindset and showing that we should put the same value we think so highly of Western brands.”

At the end of the day, the movement is built on providing a genuine human experience and promoting a lifestyle that is just as authentic. “It’s a full circle of street culture that is distinctly Filipino – artists, musicians, designers, writers, graffiti writers, brands, everything,” noted illustrator and attendee Chad Manzo. “It’s a united front in advocating and pushing for the local scene. The sentiment and the goal is now the standard – we’re no longer confined by the term ‘local’.”

So how else is PURVEYR going to hold the fort and lead us towards an even more flourishing creative economy? “PURVEYR will continue to do its part in producing stories, objects, and experiences that foster the creative spirit,” reveals Marvin. While Pursuit has changed, the chase has remained the same: better local, and a stronger community that deserves it.