Tatler gives back on its 15th anniversary
As expected, Philippine Tatler’s 15th anniversary ball was was all elegance and pizzazz. Irene Martel Francisco, the publication’s managing director and its heart and soul, made sure that the evening would top the previous years’ celebrations.
During cocktail hour, the finest Moet & Chandon champagnes were served. As the dinner bell was rung, guests proceeded to the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La and were amazed at the numerous crystal chandeliers, adding sparkle to the already glittering jewels worn by the finely attired ladies accompanied by their tuxedoed escorts.
Various shades of green, purple and red were the primary choices worn by most of the best-dressed women who showcased Philippine fashion by our top local designers. My favorites for the top five of the evening are Rissa Trillo in Rhett Eala’s nude-colored chiffon accented with a big bow and a shredded fabric skirt; Mia Borromeo in a rich purple damask silk terno; Marivic Vasquez’s black tulle hand-embroidered gown by Ito Curata; Linda Ley’s emerald green haltered bubble gown by Mark Bumgarner; and Tatler’s Most Stylish Lady Stephanie Zubiri in a green silk ball gown that fits her trim figure by Rajo Laurel.
Awardees for the evening were called onstage to be acknowledged and given tokens of appreciation: Dedes Zobel for her philanthropic acts; taipan Andrew Tan (represented by his son Kevin Tan), former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, and the creative duo of Budji Layug and Royal Pineda.
After the sumptuous dinner that featured poached lobster and foie gras as appetizers with a veal loin as the main course, the auction masters led by Tatler’s dashing Anton San Diego, Mike Toledo, and kuya Kim Atienza were able to cajole bids from the generous donors, with all proceeds going to the evening’s beneficiary, the Philippine General Hospital’s Breast Care Clinic (BCC), which cares primarily for the underprivileged patients and is also a breast cancer research center.
Entertainment followed with the appearance of the handsome Welsh pop/classical singers Richard and Adam who are brothers in real life. Soon after, disco and swing music brought the guests to their feet as the dancefloor came alive with the very game crowd. A number of us “seniorellas” were ready to go home by midnight, but the rest of the beautiful crowd partied until the wee hours of the morning, happily knowing that the target of P7.5 million for BCC had been exceeded.
As we congratulated Irene on our way home, she enthused, “I feel that there is no greater way to give thanks than extend one’s blessings to others. This is what we seek to do yearly at the Tatler Ball. Once a year, the country’s influential people gather to celebrate and why not use that occasion to raise funds for the greater good.”
The Tatler ball had major partners: Mercedes Benz and Globe Platinum, with support from HSBC.
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