Louis Vuitton expanded!

Manila’s social set excitedly trooped to Greenbelt 4 in Makati City recently for the opening of Louis Vuitton’s newly expanded store. The store expansion is proof enough of the famed Malletier’s growing confidence in the Philippine retail market.

The façade of the store has Louis Vuitton’s signature Damier pattern. Once inside, your senses will be treated to a travel area that is pervaded by the unmistakable scent of expensive leather goods. Men will also have a field day in this new store because its mezzanine area is devoted to a wide array of men’s leather goods, shoes and accessories.

It’s very interesting to note that a new feature of the store is the addition of a lower floor extension, which houses the women’s leather goods, shoes and accessories. Look around and you’ll notice a special wall that contains the rare and exceptional pieces such as the Lockit and Brea in crocodile skin. Also found at the lower level is a private salon that is dedicated to the ultimate personal shopping experience. A painting entitled Blossom 1 by Roberto Robles, courtesy of Galleria Duemilla, is on display in this private salon. The salon — filled with private ambience — is perfect for Louis Vuitton’s VIPs to appreciate better the brand’s special highlights and exclusive offer.

Louis Vuitton Asia Pacific president Jean-Baptiste Debains said, “We are very proud of the expanded Louis Vuitton store in the Philippines. Our business in the Philippines has grown year after year since we opened in Greenbelt in 2003. This expansion allows us to even better welcome our guests and showcase, in the best way, the quality and variety of our products.”

(From left) Nicole Jacinto, Erin Campos, Rosanna Rodriguez and Amina Alunan.

Debains added: “We will also continue to support efforts of the SOS Children’s Villages in the Philippines as we feel it is important to give back to the local communities in which we operate, following Louis Vuitton’s global CSR actions.”

The company gave a special grant to the “Family Strengthening Program” of three SOS Children’s Villages in the Philippines located in Lipa, Davao and Tacloban. This program aims to keep families together by providing education, livelihood and other basic necessities.

Joining Debains in the ceremonial ribbon-cutting were Kit Zobel de Ayala, GM for Micronesia and the Philippines Edouard Faure and country manager of Louis Vuitton Philippines Rhea de Vera-Aguirre. A cocktail followed where the crowd enjoyed an overflow of Veuve Clicquot.

The night’s celebration continued with a special journey as guests were transported to Whitespace, the after-party venue. DJ Simon Washford and DJ Janva provided the music that kept guests entertained while sipping what seemed to be an endless supply of champagne. French magician Stefan Leyschon delighted guests with his illusions and “mixologist” Joseph Boroski from New York created martini concoctions for that night.

I remember the Greenbelt store opening and the after-party at New World Hotel a few years back and the party held recently was quite reminiscent of it. This was truly a distinct Louis Vuitton party.

Vanessa Pastor-Ledesma with Tony and Alice Cripps.

(Visit www.louisvuitton.com)

Premier experience

When he recently opened his home to a select group of Premier clients, HSBC president and CEO Tony Cripps made sure his guests would enjoy the moment. He served them delectable crispy shells with roasted duck filling, succulent prawn rolls in Thai chili dip and lemongrass crème brulee. With that sumptuous fare, guests happily interacted with each other and with other HSBC executives for the bank’s first “Market Conversation and Cocktails with the CEO.”

Tony delivered an economic briefing that covered Asia’s key markets, as well as the bank’s outlook for the Philippines. The bank’s VP for wealth management-product development Cliff Cabungcal made a short presentation on the bank’s newest product for its Premier customers, Premium Currency Plus, a product that offers potentially higher returns for investors willing to take on more risk.

Tony was HSBC’s managing director and head of global markets in Australia and was also HSBC’s Asia Pacific head of foreign exchange and rates strategy in the late ‘90s, helping the bank successfully navigate the Asian financial crisis.

(From left) HSBC VP-retail branch head Dette Pantoja, Barry Jake Brillantes, Amelia Ward and HSBC VP-Premier Michelle Go-Tanjangco.

Tony said, “In addition to our global strength and connectivity, as well as our world-class customer service, we think it’s also the exclusive access to information and expertise we provide that gives our Premier wealth management service its competitive edge. With this event, we hope to provide our clients with a highly informative, as well as enjoyable, evening.”

He added that while the Philippine financial markets are seen as vulnerable to shifts in overseas investor sentiment, the country is still considered a growth haven.