To most who are familiar with the organic, handmade pieces of Kenneth Cobonpue,  it might come as a shock to discover that the Cebu based designer is somewhat of a car fiend! This predominately industrial and mechanistic past-time sits at odds with the environmentally inspired collections for which Cobonpue is renowned.  The modern-asiatic flavour of his furniture and interiors have always mirrored natures forms, celebrated its patterns and borrowed many of its fast replenishing materials in their fabrication. It must be a sheer joy at this point in his career for Cobonpue to unveil what is ostensibly a meeting of his two greatest passions in "Phoenix". Quite some time under development but only ten days in construction, this World first Bamboo, rattan and carbon fibre vehicle was unveiled in Via Tortona, Milan, ahead of the upcoming Salone Internazionale Del Mobile.
It’s a challenge (to design a car), when you think about it, car building has been all about high technology, robots. But maybe you don’t need all that. It can be handmade. Cars outlive their purpose. How long do you keep a car? Five years or a little more? Then it goes to the junkyard... The cost of recycling (a car) is prohibitive...
Very much a concept design that was produced and exhibited under invitation, the vehicle still manages to convey the potentiality for review in short journey transportation design, automation and what is actually required in the type of vehicles currently choking city streets. Due to unveil a few new pieces from his own collections in the coming months and many exciting developments over at sister company HIVE, Kenneth is still on the lookout to foster and mentor new talent.  This month putting out the International call for Industrial and Interior designers to work on projects that would be developed under the ever expanding Kenneth Cobonpue brand. We can't wait to see what KC does next...