Emerald casket

In an unusual, if dramatic shift away from his renowned work in shoe design, Brian Tenorio has lent himself to exploring one of the more unexpected paths for creative innovation, developing no less than the Philippines’ first line of designer coffins and urns, aptly named Lux Mortem.

“It was the chance, as a designer, to design around a very significant and important human experience that convinced me to design Lux Mortem,” Tenorio recalls. “With our caskets, we hope to show how good design can add more meaning and texture to the significant human experience of passing away.”

In part a product of his current studies in Design Management at the Pratt Institute in New York, the project runs side by side with a paper thesis Tenorio is developing with other students about the politics, economics, ecology, and aesthetics of the world’s most common burial practices. But, of course, to begin, the designer’s own view of the importance of the funereal ceremony inevitably informs his recent design venture.

“My mother worked in the memorial plans industry, and I used to go along with her,” he recalls. “Even with relatives and friends, we’d help out with wake and funeral arrangements. In fact, when my father and grandmother passed away, I was right there in the embalming room, helping to dress them and fix them up. These were familiar faces that I love, anyway.”

“Also, having experienced the passing away of a loved one,” he continues, “I now feel that we should focus on the constructive and meaningful details of events like these. It has often been said and is probably cliché by now, but a memorial service should really be more a celebration commemorating one’s life rather than mourning over loss.” As the occasion of passing away and the ceremonies and practices around it are significant events in a person’s life, Brian contends that each and every detail about it should be wholly celebrated, deeply understood, properly managed, and, as might be aptly said here, carefully designed.

As a designer, on the other hand, it was only logical to Tenorio to design around a very significant and important human experience. Given the current global consciousness—where, with all the changes and new concerns in the world, it has become easier to challenge long-standing beliefs and systems—he argued that was now the most opportune time to introduce the brand philosophy of Lux Mortem to not just the upper strata, but to all levels of society.

“This project actually seeks to make its products available over the widest possible gamut of the Philippine market,” Tenorio explains, arguing against elitist notions of design. “In this sense, this project aims to democratize design, make its pieces available, so that understanding and appreciation crosses different social strata. I believe that a good product is thought of well, made well, and made accessible to as many people as possible. Good design should not be exclusive.”

Indeed, inasmuch as the notion of a designer item typifies premium product positioning, the brand is set to offer not just industry price leaders—such as a dish-shaped mother of pearl laminate casket called Tears of Nacre, complete with a detachable skirt with hanging crystal and mother of pearl details—but also more value-based designs. Most important, however, each of the products, regardless of price range, is created with a strong focus on the various aspects and values of design. Aesthetically efficient and environmentally-friendly, the Emerald-cut Onyx casket, for example, is a solid, shiny, black, emerald-shaped casket made out of recycled particle wood or wood chips. Woven Memories, on the other hand, is a completely biodegradable casket hand-woven from rattan, bamboo or water lily leaves, with purely organic assembly and finishing.

Notably, beyond the efficiencies of design, sustainability is a key focus in Lux Mortem. From his studies at Pratt, Brian notes that sustainable design has become an increasing priority in the world, and as such, something that is important to study in the context of everyday products.

“From my research, the Philippines is not yet as informed and sophisticated with sustainability as a concept, especially since this is eclipsed by economic concerns,” Tenorio explains. “As early as now, there is a need to improve our level of awareness and instill in our society a sense of urgency, because even though we still don’t have consumption patterns like most nations in the West, we should take advantage of the knowledge and technologies presently available so that we may not have to go through destructive industrialization as others have, and instead leapfrog towards a sustainable economy.

“Lux Mortem is really a personal project of mine to explore ways to inject sustainable design into products and practices that we face in our daily life,” he continues. “Beyond biodegradable and environmentally-friendly products, sustainable design means that the designs, processes, cultural references, and manufacturing and distribution methods allow for a product’s continued existence into the future by maintaining a certain balance in the systems involved.” With Lux Mortem, he notes, this actually translates to fairly commonsense and basic design and production directives, such as keeping components simple and basic, carefully selecting what materials to use in the production of these caskets, and, of course, bringing production back to the Philippines to support local industries.

In line with his vision of making values-centered design accessible, Tenorio underscores the potential of Lux Mortem products to open dialogue about how sustainable design can be profitable and at the same time meaningful. “While the long-term goal is to create a very sustainable system when it comes to burial practices in the country,” he says, “Lux Mortem initially aims for achievable goals, such as providing a more sustainably-made option, and basically contributing to awareness-building and creative problem-solving.”

Brian Tenorio launches Lux Mortem this November. Article reprinted with permission from Imagine The Silence, the fourth and current issue of the two-time Asia Media Awards Gold Prize winner Imagine magazine, published by Sesame Seed Creatives, Inc.