Focus On Quality And Innovation

Design Studio Vito Selma owns and runs a one-hectare furniture manufacturing facility in Mandaue City, Cebu in Central Philippines. It has 140 employees, 90% of whom work under the production department. Six designers are on board, along with engineers. Vito Selma, scion of the family that owns the company, personally leads the creative team.

Unlike other factories that specialise in one or two materials, the company works with various types and even develops new ones for clients and their projects.

The company does not require an MOQ. “We have decided to adopt a ‘no MOQ’ policy and focus instead on producing quality work for our clients. Transactions can be as small as producing one special piece all the way to furnishing an entire hotel,” he says.

The client-driven company caters primarily to OEM projects, manufacturing items according to specifications. Occasionally, the designs are customised in form and dimension or manufactured using materials. ODM services are mostly offer to clients in the Middle East.

The turnaround time varies according to the project scale. “One of the biggest factors (affecting turnaround time) is how quickly we obtain the approval of drawings and samples from our clients. Production time can be as short as 45 to 60 days for small- to medium-scale, all the way to 120 to 180 days for large-scale projects,” Selma says. “The longer turnaround times are mostly for large hotel developments or those that require us to manufacture intricate surfaces and materials.”

Design Studio Vito Selma ships to 52 countries worldwide. In Southeast Asia, most of its clients are from Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei.

The company has a long and successful history, starting out as Stonesets International established in 1988. Selma, who would become a prolific and distinguished furniture designer, launched his eponymous company in 2013. In 2018, he also launched Archipelago, a material library and procurement company.

“We have been very lucky that we are blessed with amazing clients over the past 36 years,” he says. “Most of them are projects, brands, and clients in the high-end market. We met most of them at furniture shows or through referrals from other projects that we have completed.”

Before the pandemic, the company used to launch biannual collections. “Unfortunately, a lot has changed since then,” Selma says. “We are now focused on developing new materials and custom furniture for specific clients and brands.”

Design Studio Vito Selma showcases its products in local and international trade shows as well as in a showroom within their manufacturing facility. With the pandemic affecting the viability of trade shows, the company has started focusing on pop-ups shows throughout the Philippines.

The recipient of several awards for material innovation and design, Design Studio Vito Selma is well known worldwide. International brands such as the LVMH Group have worked with the company. It has been supplying bespoke furniture to royal households in the Middle East and Malaysia.