THERE ARE several new kids in town, and they will be all under one roof. Noble House, Inc., which distributes brands such as Paul & Shark, Piquadro, Luminox, and Aigle, has a new subsidiary called Mattony, Inc., which manages its new lifestyle store, Xception.

BusinessWorld was taken around its Eastwood Mall pop-up last week, which serves as a preview for the store, set to open in May this year. Xception will house home and lifestyle brands under its roof, as opposed to the fashion brands currently under Noble House’s umbrella.

One of these brands is Emeco, the company behind the 1006 Navy Chair (made first for the US Navy in the 1940s). Most of the brands are obscure, and anyone who’s anyone is supposed to know about them: there’s the paper product company Octaevo from Spain, which makes paper vases and greeting cards, sexy European furniture brand Serax, and luxury trashcan, furniture, and light fixture manufacturer Vipp.

A definite surprise was Renova colored toilet paper, selling at about P600 per package. Lightly perfumed, dermatologically and gynecologically tested, it’s what Beyonce’s famous tush uses (the red kind, specifically), at least according to Cosmopolitan magazine and E! Online. Move your Ferrari over, folks, this is the new status symbol for the times.

“Both companies carry a solid assortment of premium international brands that highlight exceptional design and style,” said Xception’s Assistant Brand Manager, Angela Abores when asked why Noble House decided to add lifestyle goods to its usual fashionable fare.

“These brands are carefully curated, and chosen for their uniqueness and remarkable design. We want to focus on the different quirks and qualities of each item, revealing functionality that is commonly overlooked,” she said. — J.L. Garcia

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