Pinoy pride at Harrods

In London, one name that strikes a beautiful note every time it is mentioned is Mobo. Many think Mobo is Japanese. No, he’s not. He is Filipino. Mobo is the surname of Lesley, Harrods’ (owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, father of Princess Diana’s boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed who died with her in that car crash ), creative director. Lesley is a self-taught artist from Aklan who won a scholarship at the prestigious Central St. Martins College of Art Design.

At 28, Lesley has created a name for himself in the London fashion scene and has a collection that bears his name for the fashion label Diesel. Among the designers, Lesley looks up to Hussien Chalayan because "he doesn’t seem to be defined by boundaries."

How did he get into Harrods? According to Lesley, Mohamed Al Fayed’s daughter, Jasmine, who is very young and also into fashion, wanted something new for Harrods. At that time Harrods didn’t have a creative director and Jasmine wanted to attract the younger crowd. Jasmine’s creativity came to the fore — she got Lesley into her team. Jasmine and Lesley hit it off so well even if they came from different backgrounds. Lesley advises young designers to push themselves to the edge, be creative and do things that have not been done before.

It was also in London where Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Leo Valdez, Ima Castro, all of the musical Miss Saigon bannered Filipino talent and creativity. Lea was the first to headline Miss Saigon. Others who played the title role include Ima, Monique and Jenine Desiderio. Lea got her Tony and Sir Laurence Olivier awards because of her sterling portrayal as Kim in the musical.

Lesley Mobo is an addition to world-class Filipino talents who continue to shine around the globe.

Welcome back, Pin!

Stylist Pin Antonio, who is also creative director of Salon de Manila arrived from London where she attended the avant-garde TIGI Academy under master Anthony Mascolo. Pin is the pioneering Asian student to attend the Academy. Pin brought home the latest trends and styles she learned from the TIGI Academy. She also made a side trip to Moscow for the yearly convention of the Organisation Mondiale Coiffure, an international federation of hairdressers based in Paris. She was one of the country’s representatives.

Last year, Pin traveled to Milan and Rome where she updated herself from such experts as Jean-Pierre Cazaux of France, Anthony Mascolo of Italy, Robert Cromean of the United States, Trevo Sorbie of England, the latest in trends and techniques in hair fashion.

"I am so thankful I am blessed with this sense of fashion," she says. "I am passionate about creating new hairstyles and I am always full of energy to learn new things in my field."

For more than 23 years, Pin guided Salon de Manila as one of the country’s top hair salons. Pin believes her work as hairstylist is a collaboration between her and the client.

"I’ve attended schools abroad that says what the hairstylist wants should prevail," Pin says. "I don’t believe in that. I listen to my clients, but at the same time, I also want them to trust me – that they are in good hands with me. Constant communication between you and the client is important."

Like a true achiever, Pin does not stop learning. "I don’t stop reading. And my reading fare is not limited to hair and business matters. I read all sorts of books."

Araw Mo for a cause

Have you heard of the song Araw Mo? If you haven’t, it’s time for you to get a copy of the CD which is commemorative of the 40th anniversary of Goldilocks. Araw Mo, sung by Nina, is essentially a Happy Birthday song, reinvented for the Filipino. Araw Mo hopes to raise funds for the Leukemic Indigents Fund Endowment (L.I.F.E.) and UNICEF.

L.I.F.E. is on its 11th year of helping poor leukemic children. It assists leukemic children from indigent families, achieve remission and provides optimum care in response to the children’s material, psycho-social and spiritual needs. UNICEF, on the other hand, is a worldwide agency affiliated with children’s welfare. Among UNICEF’s many advocacies is maternal health. Thirty-eight percent of women die during childbirth because of complications and widespread infection while 26 percent die from excessive bleeding.

When you buy a CD of Araw Mo, you are giving life to L.I.F.E and the UNICEF. Go get a CD and get a life!