Erwin Canlas
From visual arts to fashion, the launch of OPPO’s newest foldable phone showcased Philippine artistry
When it comes to art, Filipinos are known for their ingenuity and creative prowess. For the launch of the OPPO Find N2 Flip, the global mobile brand tapped their brand ambassadors—chef Josh Boutwood, multidisciplinary visual artist Anina Rubio, photographer Magic Liwanag, and Vogue Philippines fashion director Pam Quiñones—to interpret new concepts that pay homage to their newest foldable phone.
At the Shooting Gallery, guests were introduced to the OPPO Find N2 Flip and the latest in foldable phone technology through an array of palatable and visual activities curated by their brand ambassadors.
The event commenced with a four-course meal prepared by Boutwood. The dishes were inspired by the notable parts of the foldable smartphone. “We started with a fresh Hamachi dish that is high impact and a [highly] flavorful bite that represents OPPO,” he explains. “In the second dish, the Adlai porridge, squid ink, and purple yam highlighted the meaningful colors of the Find N2 Flip—Astral Black and Moonlit Purple.”
With the third dish, he says that they aimed for it to be thought-provoking. “With the 72-hour short rib paired with yuca and sambal, we wanted something that challenges the conception of the taste buds and the eyes,” Boutwood says. “It represents the innovation that OPPO has put into this phone.”
They ended with a dish inspired by the varicolored elements of the OPPO Find N2 Flip. “It was one of our main thought points to create this menu—a colorful expression,” the chef says.
After dinner, guests were led to pods by the other brand ambassadors, which showcased their creations and interpretations of the smartphone. Hosted by Anne Gauthier, friends of the global mobile phone brand found themselves immersed in “See More in a Snap,” a segment where Rubio, Liwanag, and Quiñones talked more about their artworks.
For Rubio, it was a first for the multidisciplinary visual artist to create a 3D model of her Caja pieces, citing the vivid colors of the OPPO Find N2 Flip’s display screen as her inspiration. “When you unfold the phone, you see layers of feathers on the wallpaper in shades of purple and blue. I was inspired by that visual,” she shares. “I wanted to create an abstraction of that imagery and convert it into layers of fabric of different textures.”
The visual artist also shares how the Flexion hinge, a feature of the foldable phone that leaves the least visible crease, as another facet that inspired her sculpture. Given that she is a sustainability advocate, it made sense that the materials, from the fabric to the metal base, were upcycled. “I always aim to create pieces that aren’t just visually appealing but meaningful and purposeful,” Rubio says.
More than the Hasselblad-tuned 50-megapixel main camera of the OPPO device, Liwanag feels a jolt of sentimentality whenever he uses the smartphone to snap photos. “It’s that feeling of nostalgia that encapsulates it all for me. The Find N2 Flip—despite its sleek design and hybrid capabilities—brought me back to the 90s and early 2000s when camcorders were still a thing,” says the lensman. “It excites me as a photographer and a content creator.”
Liwanag also demonstrated how you can take photos with the second-generation OPPO foldable phone using its Flexform mode like Dual Preview, Flexform Selfie, and Waist-level framing.
The event wrapped up with a fashion show curated by Quiñones, with pieces from Vestido, her fashion rental service that she started in 2018.
“We’ve always championed to be a brand that stands on one of the pillars of sustainability and circularity, which is re-wear and rental,” she shares. “The idea for this collection is a mix of concepts that highlight the features—at least my favorite features—of the Find N2 Flip. It’s composed of minimalist looks, concepts of aquamorphism and fluidity, and reflective materials that alludes to the curves, adaptability, and gleam of the foldable phone.”
To learn more about the OPPO Find N2 Flip, follow OPPO Philippines on Instagram.
