Tatler’s evening of fine taste
When it comes to a fundraising ball, no one does it better than Tatler with Irene Martel Francisco at the helm. She makes sure everything flows smoothly, from the delivery of the elegantly embossed invitation a month in advance to the evening’s culinary delights, entertainment and festivities that usually last till the wee hours of the morning.
First published in 1709 in London, Tatler is one of the oldest periodicals in existence and has continued to remain one of the most prominent society magazines worldwide. In the Philippines, it is in the forefront for everything upscale — fashion, cuisine, travel, business, stylish homes, and social trends.
Chilled glasses of Moet & Chandon greeted us upon our arrival at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel’s mezzanine level, making it a perfect time to greet numerous friends that we had not seen in ages. A handful had just jetted in from various parts of the globe just to attend Tatler Philippines’ 14th anniversary ball. Beautifully dressed ladies were in abundance and noticeable among them were Kit Zobel in a red and purple couture gown by Ito Curata, Tina Cuevas’ French lace with taffeta silk gown by Pepito Albert and Audrey Zubiri’s sleek silk obi gown by Rajo Laurel that featured a beautifully hand-beaded phoenix on her back.
As we congratulated Irene during the evening, she enthused, “This has been a stellar year for us, both from the business and creative sides. We have been privileged to feature many amazing people and events with wonderful collaborations with our advertisers. We are incredibly grateful for their support. We strongly feel that doing something to help others is the best expression of gratitude.”
An exciting auction conducted by Tim Yap and Belle Daza started the ball rolling to benefit Operation Smile Philippines, the world’s largest volunteer-based medical charity dedicated to providing cleft surgeries to underprivileged patients; founded by American plastic surgeon Dr. and Mrs. William Magee, following a 1982 medical mission in Naga City.
Tatler awardees for 2015 were entrepreneur Myla Villanueva, stylish Stephanie Kienle Gonzalez, Diamond awardee Butch Campos, Philanthropist awardee Dee Zobel, “It” girl Dominique Cojuangco, and distinguished couple Lito and Kim Camacho.
A toast to the Tatler team for another successful and fulfilling year — everyone’s palangga Maurice Arcache, Anton San Diego, Mia Borromeo, Chit Lijuaco, and Lynne Palma. Tatler Ball is grateful to its sponsors: Citibank, Globe Platinum, and Mercedes Benz.
* * *
For your comments and ideas, email the author: jacinto.fa@gmail.com.
