Page one was at Warehouse Eight in December 2016. Nestled within a hundred-and-fifty-square-meter space with a roster of twenty local brands, Pursuit Fair’s first run was birthed as an additional revenue stream to fund one of the publication’s print issues. It, however, would morph into being the prelude to a string of volumes — each larger than those before it, but with its essence as enduring as how it has been all throughout — bridging local brands and businesses to their consumers and the PURVEYR audience.

In contrast to its humble beginnings, the fifth run was on a league of its own. Housed in the roomier Samsung Hall in Bonifacio Global City, the most recent fair was a confluence of creativity, artistry, and entrepreneurship – fifty brands strong, raking in more than one thousand five hundred guests.

Upon entry, a strip of booths housing the best local finds, ranging from refreshments to retail, greets you. Stroll around, walk rack to rack, and a pulsating atmosphere hugs you. The bustling conversations among merchants and attendees, along with the string of beats playing in the background, provide the sensorial symphony that differentiates it from the typical weekend market.

Video — Surfbirds Production
Photos — Zaldine Alvaro

The Meeting Point

It has become a meeting point — an avenue that connects brands to curious individuals and individuals to thoughtful brands. Exchanges between buyers and sellers go beyond the mundane; people rarely leave with only a bag or cash at hand. Insights were shared and connections were made; other than commodities, ideas were exchanged.

For Helena Abella, an avid Pursuit Fair attendee, it showcases a certain subculture that no other pop-up marketplaces have been able to shed light on. Here, she is able to find pieces that she loves, and love the pieces she would eventually find. Additionally, the fair connects her to the artists and brands that she holds dear — fostering a linkage that goes beyond monetary value.

This is not only seen amid consumer-facing transactions, but among brand owners as well. Pursuit Fairs envelope a community of entrepreneurs that nurture one another. Romeo Padilla of Synopsiiis buttressed this, adding that a lot of the entrepreneurs present in the fair were actually close friends. “Our relationships [were] built up through creativity…We help each other out. It’s kind of crazy, ‘cause even [if] you’re starting from nothing, they will help you, even if they’re one of the biggest or known brands already.”

Of Profit and Passion

It is common knowledge that businesses are built with the end of earning in mind. It would not come as a surprise for one to come by an enterprise that takes this aim to heart and is driven solely by this feat. It is in this vein that the brands in the Pursuit Fair would deviate from — being exceptions to the maxim than exhibits to the rule.

Soleil Ignacio, through her art, strives to help individuals and brands make their endeavors, beautiful, engaging, and inspiring. Romeo of Synopsiiis echoes a similar force, citing that what started as a platform for his personal art has now evolved into a clothing brand that aims to instill hope and inspire reflection among audiences. Kenneth Borlongan of INSTINCT has shared that their brand stands for something bigger too — being an insignia for uninhibited and unapologetic creative work. They are but a few of these entrepreneurs — propelled by motives that run deeper than self-sufficiency.

(Further) Satiating the Curious

Other than the fair, Pursuit, with the introduction of Pursuit Workshops last year, is now a two-fold concept — the fairs, a platform for commerce and personal engagement, and the workshops, for education and growth.

Despite the seeming dichotomy, PURVEYR editor-in-chief and founder Marvin Conanan believes that they are complementaries. With talks that delved into various industries’ landscapes, the Pursuit Workshops armed business owners with ideas they can leverage on to grow their brands. In this light, it makes perfect sense to integrate both sub-concepts — adjoining a series of talks as a value-adding layer to the fair.

Pursuit Fair Vol. 5 coexisted with two workshop sessions — one on the business of fashion and retail and one on future-proofing local streetwear. Both have been panel discussions between industry experts — from brand builders to lead designers — working on famed brands like Commonwealth, Akimbo, The Twelfth House, KLTRD, Titan, Randolf, among many more. Through these, attendees have gathered insights and have been inspired to ignite their own pursuits.

Onwards

Brighter and bolder, Pursuit Fairs’ future runs are to stay by the truth they have long been tethered to — being a modern cultural fair that delivers and satiates varying layers of creativity, from fashion, to art, to design, to many more.

As aptly summed up by Marvin, “[the Pursuit Fair will continue to be] a premier marketplace for local creative brands to set up their pop-up shops twice a year and a safe space for the creative community.”