Oliver Wendell Pormento
What is your full name?
Oliver Wendell Pormento.
What is your first name?
Oliver.
Where were you born?
Manila, Philippines.
Where do you currently reside and work?
Pasay, Philippines.
What is your educational background?
I obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of Santo Tomas.
What are other details of experiences, work or otherwise, that have led you to your current work?
I have built businesses before and tried ventures that were structured, polished and predictable. But PILOSOPO is different. It came alive because of a team of misfits consisting of jokers, thinkers and creatives from all walks of life. We call ourselves tambay, or loafers, but what we really are is a design collective that thrives on chaos, humour and curiosity.
How would you describe your practice/business?
We are PILOSOPO — the ones who ask bakit or why? even when the answer is already kasi or because. We turn serious talk into comedy shows, and comedy shows into a philosophy class. Our mission is to make people laugh, roll their eyes and then think that we have a point. We turn everyday banter into designs that feel alive, human and unforgettable.
What are the highlight projects in your career so far?
Our pieces tell the stories of the people who wear them, why they buy them and why they were made. If someone sees a PILOSOPO bag and thinks about it for a moment, that is already a highlight.
What are you currently working on?
We are tinkering with glass bags now, alongside our signature metal ones but that is just the beginning. The real experiment is the PILOSOPO Playroom in Newport, Pasay. It is not a showroom in the usual sense. It is more like walking into a friend’s living room that happens to be alive with unreleased pieces.We are exploring accessories, clothing, shoes, even furniture. But we are not trying to do everything. We are chasing probabilities, testing ideas and letting curiosity decide what comes next.Meanwhile, we are building a fashion rental app because PILOSOPO merges design, technology and philosophy.
Instagram: @pilosoposhop
Website: pilosopo.ph