Undressed at the Absolut Masked Ball

A masked ball was the theme of the night as Absolut recently unveiled its latest fashion project, Absolut Label: the 1879 Collection, in an old house in Makati.

This year, Absolut invited eight up-and-coming designers who came up with different designs of underwear with the inspiration of 1879.  The group of designers from all over the world included the Filipino head designer of Harrods, Lesley Mobo. 

The Absolut Label event is a fashion show presenting the Absolut 1879 Collection.  The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the underwear piece made by Lesley. He said, "I think that it is clothing, and in this case men’s underwear, which helps reform the body, or gender, rather than cosmetics, for example. The material has a multitude of meanings; displays of power, reproduction, sociographic and theoretical approaches. My item is men’s underwear in 100 percent cotton fabric with Moulin Rouge-inspired elastic suspenders in white placed and stitched on the waistband area."

The fashion project Absolut Label is now on its third year. Each season, the most exciting up-and-coming designers from around the world are asked to design an essential fashion item. This year’s theme was underwear. The collection encompassed all kinds of underwear. Apostolos Mitropoulos had a modern take on an 1879 classic, the corset, this time, was created from black rubber. Indian designer Ashish produced an elegant singlet, and Laura Figueras produced a stunning, multi-layered piece reminiscent of 19th century crinolines. The Absolut Label 1879 Collection was also displayed the night before at Mix Greenbelt 2. 

Seen at the event were Maxxium’s Bleng Gallardo, Monique Jamlang with Absolut’s Frances Tong, Astrud and Norman Crisologo, Raul Manzano, Philip Cu-Unjieng, Leah Caringal, Annie Ringor, Mich Dulce, Marcus Schmidt, Brian Tenorio, Mimi and Juliet Tan, Kelly Davis, Leica Carpo, fashion designers Joey Samson, Ivarluski Aseron, Puey Quiñones and Frederick Peralta, director Ariel Lozada and photographer Sara Black.

Get some spa-mpering

The Spa at The Podium, located on the fifth floor of the mall in Ortigas, recently opened for businessmen in the area.  Heading the unveiling was TV host Lucy Torres-Gomez and TV personality and The Spa endorser Angel Aquino.

Present to give guests a grand tour were The Spa executive manager Richard Uy, sales and marketing manager Rita Marcos and branch manager Aimee Bulay. Guests were treated to free facial and body and foot treatments. "With a new branch at The Podium, we promise to deliver a unique spa experience to our guests by giving them a place where they can heal their body, mind and spirit," said Uy.

The Spa made sure to give an international flavor to its latest branch, just like its other branches that adopted international themes. Joining the minimalist Asian-inspired Acropolis, tropical ambience of Alabang, Moroccan-inspired Bel-Air and the oriental Thai design of Greenbelt, top interior designer Ivy Almario and architect Francis Ong designed the Spartan inspirations of Greece at The Podium.

The Spa Podium also boasts of trained and licensed therapists and aestheticians ready to soothe one’s senses and bring peace and tranquility to one’s life.    

The opening of the new branch is part of The Spa’s expansion plans as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.  "We are also opening more branches soon to reach out to more customers all over the metro. Next on our list is a new branch at The Fort which is set to open very soon," said Marcos. The Spa’s commitment to health and fitness has earned for it an accreditation from the International Spa Association and the Department of Tourism. 

Events manager Marilen Nuñez of Lenplus Inc. made sure the launch would be a success. The sumptuous Greek-inspired dishes were prepared by Bizu.

(Visit its website at www.thespa.com.ph or e-mail [email protected])

Canada day

The Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Makati City Hotel Manila was the perfect venue as The Embassy of Canada celebrated Canada Day.  Swirls of red and white from the ceiling décor to the flowers and lights conjured images of the colors of the Canadian flag.  The menu was of course salmon, beef, wine and desserts made from Canadian maple syrup.  Over 500 guests enjoyed the feast while Filipino-Canadian Trade Commissioner of the Canadian Embassy Francis Uy played host for the night, introducing other Filipino-Canadian performers who provided live entertainment that night: versatile singer Leah Navarro, Star in a Million runner-up Nyko Maca and illusionist Erik Mana. Soprano Joanna Go sang both anthems of the Philippines and Canada. Television personalities Nancy Castiglione and Brent Javier were introduced as education ambassadors to promote the high-quality education Canada is becoming known for.

In his speech, Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland pointed out the significant people to people relations between Canada and the Philippines. He commended Canada’s 400,000 citizens and residents of Philippine origin as assets both for their country of birth and their present home country. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio noted the significant contribution of Canada in the government’s sustainable development programs. 

Shanghai surprises!

I met Charles Belin through Rose Montenegro and Tonito Payumo during one night out in Manila. Charles told me to drop him a line if I ever go to Shanghai because he wanted to invite me to his club Mint. I did call him when I got to Shanghai and finally saw Mint.

Little did I realize that Mint is one of the hottest and most hip bars in this cosmopolitan city with a bustling night life! The club has a bar, a lounge area, a sitting area and a dance floor. It is what you can expect from a typical bar but one gets a good vibe upon entry. The charming Frenchman welcomed my friends and I to his busy and friendly bar where we stayed for hours just chatting with people. The two resident DJs continually played house music that kept everyone entertained.

Shanghai is one big party place and I was amazed at the number of Filipinos I bumped into there! There were newlyweds Robbie and Angela Dinglasan, Mati’s Geni Psinakis, actress Belinda Bright, Drinnie Aguilar, Dominic Uy, Toby Consunji, Steve Uy, Absinth’s former manager Leo Capispisan and Lorelei de Leon to name a few. With Philippine Airlines flying directly to Shanghai daily, I believe this city will soon catch up or maybe even overtake Hong Kong as the party city in Asia!

(If you catch yourself in Shanghai, check out Mint at 2/F, 333 Tong Ren Road, Shanghai. Check out their website at  www.mintclub.com.cn or e-mail them at [email protected].)

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(E-mail me at [email protected])