Spain's FARCAMA showcases centuries-old crafts for 21st century buyers
Susan Dickenson -- Home Accents Today, 11/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
The regional crafts of Castilla-LaMancha were showcased at FARCAMA 2007 held in October in Toledo, Spain. The 10-day fair featured handcrafted ceramics, leather, furniture, tile, forged iron and textiles in the categories of home furnishings, gifts, gardening, personal accessories, architectural restoration and construction materials.
FARCAMA's organizers have been working to expand the fair's international reach to help exhibitors tap foreign markets. An international buyers program organized in 2006 expanded this year to include architects, interior designers, journalists and representatives from the building and hotel trades.
Toledo, located in south central Spain, is an ancient city with origins dating back to the second century. Cited as a UNESCO World Heritage City, Toledo's history is steeped in Moorish, Christian and Jewish culture, the result of which is a confluence of styles unique to the region, its architecture, artistry and design.
The quality and uniqueness of the handmade ceramics, tile and ironwork offer a source for interior designers, wholesalers and smaller retailers seeking “one-of-a-kinds” and “with-a-story” items for customers and clients. There also appears to be a growing market among architectural designers and restoration specialists for the custom work and installation of the region's wood, tile and iron crafters.
Importer/retailer Alicia Lomba was at FARCAMA to stock her Delray Beach, Fla., shop, A Touch of Spain. Lomba was particularly interested in the ceramics, an industry well established in Toledo since the 16th century. “With so many of the companies exhibiting side by side, you can really see the differences in style, detail and quality,” Lomba said. “This company (Ceramica San Gines) for example, was recently asked to design a pattern for Prince Felipe – their work is outstanding.”
The Sonseca furniture makers shared a section of the exhibition center identified by Sonseca banners. Furniture maker Carlos Gomez of Casa Dalba has been producing and selling domestically for 20 years and is exploring going beyond Spain's borders. “I want to export more furniture, especially in the contracting business, but so far it's been quite difficult.” Gomez had just finished his fourth meeting with international buyers at the show, one of several communication events facilitated through FARCAMA representatives.
FARCAMA's sponsors include the Institute for the Exterior Promotion of Castilla-La Mancha and the regional governing body for the municipalities of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo. Javier Vega, director of the Castilla-LaMancha's foreign trade institute, expressed an interest in organizing a pavilion-type setup at one of the U.S. home furnishings markets.
FARCAMA officials tallied the 10-day fair's traffic at around 80,000 local and domestic buyers, 140,000 visitors and 260 exhibits.
Several of the region's local artisans exhibited their craft and works in progress.
Small to medium cotton area rugs from Ar-Tex Mulena.
The decorative ceramic tilework of Alarife Taller included wall decor, sculpture, furniture and architectural collections.
Monogrammed place settings by Angel Nunez Garcia.
Ceramic vases by Ruben Navarro.
Marsedo Designer Lighting combined traditional handcrafted and tanned leather with modern lighting technology to create leather lamps and blooming chandeliers in a variety of colors.
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