So Adorable

If Glecy Tantoco were alive today, she would be so proud to see the throng of shoppers trooping towards the new Adora store in Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center. The late founder of Rustan’s fashion empire would have seen how her vision has been imbibed by the third generation of this royal retailing family.

Adora happens to be a most beautiful store in Greenbelt 5 and it is the brainchild of Glecy’s grandson Eman Pineda, son of Marilou Tantoco-Pineda.

Adora doesn’t look like any store you have seen before. Neither looking like Barneys nor Joyce nor Harvey Nichols, it is totally original, and it clearly doesn’t aim to copy any store. And it certainly does not aim to compete with Rustan’s.

“Adora is not about luxury,” says Eman, as if acknowledging that Rustan’s is the ultimate luxury chain in the country, carrying the world’s best brands together with Stores Specialists Inc., the sister company so ably steered by the fashion retailing stalwart Nedy Tantoco and her dynamic son Anton Huang.

“Adora is about the merchandise itself, and we focus on brands that  have not yet reached the country. They do not have to be name brands. In fact, most of our brands are perhaps not known by the brand-conscious fashionistas,” Eman says as he offers to give me a tour of Adora, gently guiding me by the arm around Adora’s two floors as I get lost in the elegant maze.

Why Adora? “It sounds like a shortened term for J’adore, and it means ‘adored.’ Adora can be easily pronounced by an American, a Frenchman, a Japanese, a Filipino. Besides, when capitalized, ADORA has symmetry, with the letter A on both sides. Adora — it looks good, doesn’t it?”

Yes, Adora looks good. It has that defining classical pattern, perhaps French, circa 1800s, on cut velvet for its drapes, which were especially woven in Belgium only for Adora. The same pattern is laser-printed on doors, giving the store a contemporary, edgy feel. “We adapted this classical pattern for a modern approach. I want an interior design that can stay for 20 years,” says Eman as I gasp at the beautiful lamps and chandeliers. There’s Ginetta from Italy for the fragrance area. Beaded chandeliers for the lobby and escalator by Barbara Barry. Metal chandeliers from Brand van Egmond and the Lucite, Therese XL from the Netherlands.

I have more OMG moments as Eman shows me the dressing rooms that look like they’re part of a stately boudoir. And the bathroom with mirrors on all walls! I cannot describe them, you have to see them yourself.

Eman proudly leads me to the different showcases for men’s and women’s clothes, showing me the labels many virtually unheard of. “Look at this pair of jeans, only P1,000 plus ... and this shirt, only P2,000 plus. And the shoes, all nice but affordable. We sourced them from different places all over the world — Bangkok, Turkey, France, Belgium. The point is, the items in Adora are all well-edited, especially so in the houseware section, where any item you get  — a plate, a bowl, a napkin — can blend with each other.”

I checked most of the tags on the clothes and shoes, and I didn’t find anything higher than P3,000 plus. Just then, Eman pulls my hand to show me the exquisite Hermes Watches section. What a wow!

And still another jaw dropper is Adora’s floral section Fiori di M, with the most exquisite arrangements by culinary princess Gaita Fores. Prices range from P800 for a bouquet to P1,250 for a table arrangement using cock’s comb, such quaint red blooms that carry a statement.

“For Valentine’s, we are not going to overprice our flowers,” says Eman, adding that every piece in every bunch of blooms (or fruits or veggies for table arrangements) is reusable. Opening in April is Gaita’s resto called Lusso.

Where did all this look, this vision come from?

“From exposure,” Eman explains. “Every time my parents took us with them during their travels, I would always keep my eyes open.” His sensitivity to details and his gift for discerning good design — whether for fashion or interiors — were sharpened and nurtured by his family.

His proud dad, businessman Eddie Pineda, and mom Marilou (or “Merle” to her close friends) readily threw in their support when Eman, at age 19, declared he wanted to have his own store. At 21, his Tyler store immediately became a must-shop place among young fashionistas.

At 28, Eman Pineda is a fashion mogul, so focused and so gifted.

What I find most lovable about Eman is his humility. Publicity-shy, he seems allergic to the camera, even as his tall and slender frame and his own impeccable dressing style make him look like a runway personality.

“Better if the customers don’t know me. That way, I can effectively monitor feedback as I mingle with them. I want to know what customers want, what they need.”

Right now, Eman wants his sales staff perfectly trained in service (which explains why he announced a soft opening only last Thursday). “My idea of perfect service is the kind given by Singapore Airlines. If you ask for the restroom, the stewardess won’t point at the restroom, she will accompany you to the restroom.”

Needless to say, Eman grew up absorbing the service-oriented mantra of Rustan’s.

His design concepts are shared by interior designer Anton Mendoza, another artist with a vision. “I would call Anton at 3 a.m. when an idea comes to mind, and we would discuss details whenever and wherever we felt excited.”

Mom Marilou says it took Eman two years to personally shop for the decor pieces at Adora.

Did his economics schooling at Ateneo help shape who he is now? “Not really,” says Eman, who admits he wasn’t exactly an academic whiz. “But what I found very useful was my Jesuit training.”

Eman hopes Adora will succeed “with the help of prayers.” There has been so much blood, sweat and tears on the road to Adora.

When Adora finally holds its formal opening weeks from now, I eagerly picture in my mind a most beautiful and heartwarming scenario: Rustan’s patriarch Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco raising his glass to the success of his grandson’s Adora, with all the Rustan’s siblings — Rico Tantoco, Nedy Tantoco, Menchu Lopez, Marilou Pineda, Marilen Valbuena and Maritess Enriquez — joining the toast, and all their spouses and children embracing Eman.

That looks good, doesn’t it?