Pigalle armchair by Kenneth Cobonpue

Object of design Cobonpue, a native of Cebu, combined his western education in design with the artisanry of his birthplace to create furniture for the 21st century.

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Since Year Dot the artisans of Cebu, in the Philippines, have been making furniture, perfecting their skills in carpentry, metalwork and - especially - the weaving of rattan and similar fibres. So much so that the region has become a "secret source" for such elevated names as Dedon, B&B Italia and Moooi. However, local design talent was conspicuously absent (indeed, Filipino wicker furniture was practically a synonym for the fusty, vaguely colonial styles so ubiquitous on the front porches of the western world).

Then along came Kenneth Cobonpue. Born in Cebu (his mother, Betty, owned a furniture company), he studied industrial design at New York's Pratt Institute, worked in Florence, studied some more in Germany, then returned to Cebu. The Pigalle armchair epitomises all that makes his work so special. First, there are the lines: organic, sculptural, timeless yet unquestionably modern - and the open, airy form. Then there's the craft-based manufacturing technique: fine ropes of abaca fibre are hand-tied to a steel frame that also was formed by hand. And its sheer comfort: with minimal hard material, the weave carries your weight, its natural "give" conforming to your body. And, finally, its eco-credentials: abaca is native to the area; the steel of the frame is recycled; the workmanship preserves local traditions.

The name Pigalle is a cheeky counterpoint to these right-on credentials. After all, Pigalle is home to the Moulin Rouge- and what's the Moulin Rouge famous for, if not corsets? Look again and the resemblance to the framework of a 19th-century corset is unmistakable. Pigalle armchair Dh5,460 from The Cape Couch Company, Dubai, 04 340 7674, www.capecouch.com