Caro Wilson

Harvard-educated designer Mark Wilson grew up in Manila, the child of an American father and Filipina mother. After many years working as a furniture designer in the States, he returned home to combine his love for modern aesthetics with his Philippine heritage. He designs furniture in Philippine hardwoods, lighting made from ebony wood and mother of pearl and trays in woven copper and brass that are woven in a similar fashion to traditional water bamboo baskets. All of his pieces are handmade by artisans in small workshops in Manila and Baguio province. In addition to his interior pieces, he recently launched jewelry collections that also incorporate local materials and techniques. His Cordillera bracelet, for instance, is woven in 18 karat gold or sterling silver and his Creolla earrings incorporate 19th-century filigree techniques that are updated with local stones like quartz, pearls and lapis lazuli. Wilson hopes that all of his designs express what he believes is true Filipino identity: “the Filipino soul is not a Western one. It is gentle, modest, self-effacing, and full of lightness of being.”