Mel Meer and Loro Piana define luxury

Mel Meer celebrated his birthday in style in his beautiful European-inspired home.  The evening started with Beluga caviar and perfectly chilled champagne amid the eye-catching artwork and a huge crystal chandelier that hung low in the midst of the  living room. Formal wear was the requested attire and I must admit that it was befitting the magnificent surroundings.  

Another reason to celebrate was the appointment of  Bergamo to be the main Manila outlet of luxurious Loro Piana textiles.  Known for its highest quality fabrics the world over, Mel was happy to announce that it was the Italian company that approached him for a professional tie-up due to his stores’ reputation for top-of-the-line quality. 

Bergamo has been around since the mid-1980s with designs that feature classic simplicity and fine workmanship that are favored by the male clientele for made-to-order suits, jackets and barongs.  A number of clients also include women who want to have perfectly tailored jackets with painstaking hand stitching, a mark of a bespoke creation.

Bergamo stores are located in Greenbelt (Makati),  Osmena Highway/Makati, Shangrila-Plaza and Rustan’s Alabang.

For inquiries, call  888-0072 to 73.

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On a recent working holiday in Manila, Ambassador to Portugal Philippe Lhuillier  explained how he enjoyed his latest post because of the beauty and cuisine of this often-underrated Latin country.  Not many realize that Ferdinand Magellan (Fernando Magallanes) was actually a Portugese explorer when he “discovered” the Philippines for Spain under King Carlos 1, and later circumnavigated the earth in search of expanding Spain’s territory and to look for  spices that were then worth their weight in gold.

Foremost in Philippe’s to-do list is assisting the numerous overseas workers and bringing in more business between the two nations.  His third plan is to showcase Philippine furniture and crafts by opening a showroom in the Portugese capital.

The gracious hosts of the evening were Nene and Jun Leonor who made sure there was a perfect mix of social and diplomatic friends. 

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For comments and ideas, please e-mail the author at:  jacinto.fa@gmail.com.