Sid Consunji: This construction prince is so down-to-earth

Construction magnate Isidro "Sid" Consunji has made a reputation for himself building things. As president of DMCI Holdings Inc, Sid has been at the forefront of the construction of some of the country’s most visible landmarks. At 18, Sid was already a hardworking apprentice under his dad, David Consunji, the dean of builders, who was then doing the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a majority of the country’s five-star hotels. Name a major corporate structure, high-rise condominium or flyover, and chances are, it was built by DMCI with the eye for precision of David and/or Sid Consunji. Sid and his company have also gained "household status" with their new venture into the residential market, which includes building high-rise condominiums and developing subdivisions, both for the middle-income market, on prime land. Sid has also had his turn giving back to society by building low-cost housing projects for soldiers in Fort Bonifacio. Sid Consunji is a builder, and is a whiz at it.

For this photo shoot, however, we tried to convince Sid to build something else, something that might not exactly be up his alley: his wardrobe.

When it comes to fashion, Sid Consunji may be as dense as the concrete blocks he works with. "I’m just usually in comfortable T-shirts and pants," he casually reveals. "I don’t care much for shopping. I go into the store, point at something and ask for it in four different colors." None of the fitting and fussing that he puts into his construction work, nor the elaborate assessment and planning that go into his blueprints. The same can be said of his hairstyling habits.

Sid Consunji’s thick salt-and-pepper hair can be described as rumpled at best; at worst, it can be a study in traffic management: it goes in all directions and eventually ends up in a snarl at one point. And Sid doesn’t even pull out the stops. "I’m not really sure what to do with it so I just leave it alone," he shrugs, before going on to explain that a styled finish probably won’t stand up to the sand, wind and dust that’s abundant on construction sites.

Sid Consunji is not pretentious about his fashion. He prefers it to be both comfortable and practical. So that’s what we gave him. Proving that you don’t have to compromise style for sensibility, we dressed up Sid in clothes that sidle up nicely along the hip scale, yet still sit well for an outdoorsy lifestyle. (Definitely no pinstriped suits for this shoot.) Lacoste’s new collection of sporty piqué shirts offered bold colors like orange, blue and magenta. We paired these with lightweight jackets, soft khaki pants, and jeans in unrestricting cuts from Springfield. Cosmopolitan beauty editor Mariel Chua did a number on Sid’s hair, taming it on the sides and scrunching it up on top. As a remedy to sand, wind and all other environmental threats to a smart-looking hairstyle, Mariel suggested Sid use strong-hold gel. (She also seriously urged daily use of a light sunblock, given his job’s outdoor requirements and his weekly golf habit.)

At the start of the shoot, Sid’s son Victor (also the appointed photographer) jokingly remarked that fashion and construction don’t mix. After the shoot, we begged to differ. Sid Consunji, in his usual no-nonsense manner, just said he was happy he didn’t have to suck in his stomach for construction the way he had to for this photo shoot.

Your chief characteristic: Intense, friendly, well-intentioned, driven

Your favorite qualities in a man: Reliable, resourceful, leader, pleasant

Your favorite qualities in a woman: Quiet strength, easy to share with

Your favorite qualities in friends: Loyalty

Your biggest flaw: Easily bored

Your favorite occupation: Business and management

Your idea of happiness: Freedom, time, travel, love

Your idea of misery: Prison, hospital, loneliness

If not yourself, who would you be? Peter Drucker/Steve Jobs

Where would you like to live? Philippines (Manila, Baguio, Boracay)

Your favorite color and flower: Blue and rose

Your favorite prose authors: G.K. Chesterton

Your favorite poets: Robert Frost

Your favorite heroes in fiction: Superman, Batman, the Phantom

Your favorite heroines in fiction: Batwoman, Lois Lane

Your favorite composers: Burt Bacharach

Your favorite painters: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Joya

Your favorite heroes in real life: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson

Your favorite heroine in history: Helen Keller, Margaret Thatcher

Your favorite names: Vicky, Cristina, Lucy, Victor, David

What characters in history do you most dislike? Hitler, Stalin

The reform that you appreciate: Revolution

What gift from nature would you like to have? Forests, sea

How would you like to die? Peacefully, with family

What is your present state of mind? Quiet optimism

For what fault have you most toleration? Laziness

Your favorite motto: Try again.

–Based on the Marcel Proust Questionnaire

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Lacoste and Springfield are both located at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati. Both are exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. E-mail comments to ana_kalaw@pldtdsl.net. No spam mail, please. I’m vegetarian.