Sosyalizing with Pinoy Fashionistas

To say that the Bench Pinoy Pop Culture book launching at The NBC Tent at The Fort last Oct. 27 was a resounding success is an understatement.

It was one single event that attracted the country’s top names in the entertainment, fashion and political scene under one roof – the one event where the common tao rubbed elbows with the elite; where the glitterati shared the same spotlight with the literal; where political names gladly vamped it up on the catwalk for the first time.

Spotted at the ritzy book launch were Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Catherine Zobel, whose Ayala Foundation’s CENTEX project is the sole beneficiary of the book’s sales; Robinson Malls’ Lance Gokongwei and wife Mary Joyce, and Robina Gokongwei-Pe; Makati Congressman Teddy Locsin, Jr., Bayan Muna’s Satur Ocampo, Apo’s Jim Paredes and Boboy Garovillo, Herbench image model Lucy Torres-Gomez, fashion designers Inno Sotto, Rhett Eala and Randy Ortiz; and well-respected talent manager Douglas Quijano.

Also seen at the scene were Bench image models Jomari Yllana and Diether Ocampo with current squeeze, screen siren Joyce Jimenez; party organizer Tim Yap who came all dressed-up as pop icon Kenkoy; broadcast journalist Ces Drilon, supermodels Tweety de Leon and Sarah Jane Paez, lifestyle journalists Myrza Sison, Tina Bonoan and Liza Ilarde with Elbert Cuenca, and Herbench image model Amanda Griffin and Paolo Araneta.

Likewise seen were Philippine STAR society columnist Maurice Arcache, Alta Tan, Lorraine Belmonte, Sylvia La Torre who gave a rousing performance, Lexi Schulze and Javi Berenguer-Testa, Gift Gate’s Virgie Ramos, Margarita Fores who prepared the fabulous food for the event, Alvin Liu, Louie Locsin, Bonjin Bolinao, former beauty queen Myrna Panlilio-Borromeo, writer Meiling Sicam, Chacra’s Ging Naguiat and Celia Atienza, Jackie Aquino, Ming Moreno, indie filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik and Pinoy rock icon Pepe Smith.

Other famous faces rendering the night all the more colorful were couturier Steve de Leon garbed in Chinoy mode, singer-actress Agot Isidro and husband Manu Sandejas, Genesis’s Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano, model Angel Jacob, PR stalwarts Susan Joven and Toots Tolentino, Aleth Ocampo, Dulce Lukban, sculptor Julie Lluch in Tausog makeup and eclectic wardrobe, Philippine STAR columnist Mons Tantoco, veteran choreographer Douglas Nierras and the Powerdance, and People Asia executive editor Philip Cu-Unjieng.

All in all, it was an evening full of fun, music and a lot of fashion statements – something you would not expect from your usual book launching. Only Bench has the vision and the audacity to pull it off.

Pinoy Pop Culture, written by the grand dame of Philippine literature and theater Gilda Cordero-Fernando with brilliant designer Manuel G. Chavez, offers Filipinos the nuances and the psychology why pop icons (spanning decades) were considered such.

Behind this trailblazing book is fashion maverick Ben Chan whose boundless imagination gave fruition to this book.

Pinoy Pop Culture is currently available at select Bench stores nationwide.