Christmas is magic at Rustan's

MANILA, Philippines - If you’ve walked through Rustan’s Department Store recently, it wouldn’t have escaped your notice that the store is now decked out and ready for the holidays. From its ceilings to its tableaus in the different sections and the carols playing in the air, Christmas, along with its magical atmosphere, is definitely here.

Like in decades past, Rustan’s leads the way when it comes to sophisticated home décor. Jeweled tree ornaments, glittering balls, crystals, glass, wreaths and ribbons oh, you want to take them all home and spruce up your own space!

In fact, it’s not uncommon for customers to see a table setting and buy it lock, stock and barrel down to the napkin rings because they are put together so beautifully.

The very gracious Nena Tantoco, wife of Rico Tantoco and now a consultant of Rustan’s Department Store, says, “When you see the store all lit up and decorated, it feels like a wonderland. In the same way that when people decorate their homes, their spirits are lifted, they feel light and happy. We never forget, of course, that the real essence of Christmas is the birth of the child Jesus. He came into this world to let us live. The greatest gift we ever received is the gift of the Christ child.”

Ironically, while the Tantocos of Rustan’s have made many a holiday beautiful for us, theirs is not quite as structured. While we get to celebrate Christmas for two months starting with decorating our homes and buying gifts at the beginning of November and with the spillover celebrations after New Year this season is the busiest time of their working lives.

Nena, who headed Rustan’s Flower Shop for 25 years, says that they get no holiday during these two months. “My children are all busy during Christmas because their life is in retail. They have given themselves to their work and we are not able to really concentrate on our Christmas holidays.”

The third-generation Tantocos can attest to this, such as Nedy Tantoco’s children Anton Huang is EVP of Stores Specialists Inc. and RCC; Mike is assistant to Rustan’s president Nedy Tantoco; and Cathy is assistant brand manager of Office1. 

A wreath embellished with berries and pinecones becomes the centerpiece of this table with red being the dominant color. Small figurines and fine crystal complete the look.

Nena and Rico Tantoco’s children and in-laws also work for Rustan’s. Eldest son Donnie is Rustan’s Supercenters Inc. president and his wife Crickette is marketing manager of Payless; son Gippy is handling Sta. Elena Properties and his wife Hindy has her own label, Culte Femme; son Robbie is with Le Gourmet, the supermarket’s gourmet food-to-go section, and is training to be a chef and being mentored by Beth Romualdez; Katrina and her husband Paolo Lobregat are buyers for the department store’s ladies and men’s sections; Paolo Tantoco heads the human resources department and his wife Dina is with marketing; and the youngest, Bea, is an R&B singer. Their son Joel, who has passed away, “is our angel in heaven. We call on him and he tells us what to do,” says Nena.

Christmas Eve with the big Tantoco clan is celebrated with Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco on Christmas Eve. Nena and Rico’s own family get to do it a week before Christmas where they exchange Christmas gifts a “meaningful” gift and a “splurge” gift. Nena decorates her table with personalized messages for her children, in-laws and grandchildren, and prepares food that everybody loves chicken soup with vegetables, cochinillo, paella valenciana and roast beef.

For this Christmas, Nena Tantoco walks us through the department store and shows us why Christmas at Rustan’s is truly magical. She relates that Rustan’s president Nedy Tantoco chooses the direction the store takes and also the themes for the holidays.

Andy Vasquez Prada, Rustan’s buyer and home editor, says, “We embark on a buying trip with themes from research and trend analysis and forecast, but we create our own based on what is available on the market and applicable to our customers.”

Then everything comes together. Beautifully.

Andy relates that sourcing for the holiday inventory starts a year in advance as early as January for the following season. For Christmas 2010, products were sourced from the US, and “Rustan’s also does local product development using indigenous material to mix in to the collections.”

Rustan’s has five themes for the holidays: Reminiscing, Champagne, Amber Glass, Amber & Berries, and Elemental.

Andy Vasquez Prada expounds on these themes:

Reminiscing

The tree of Reminiscing — of happy childhood memories and laying under the tree wishing Christmas Day would never end. Ornaments include candy canes and bells, candy boxes with snowman print, Christmas messages and berry trimmings.

Think back to the holidays of your childhood. Gatherings with your extended family, with aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. Listening to Christmas carols or perhaps your fondest memory is laying by the Christmas tree and under the twinkling lights of the tree, you’re wishing that these moments could last forever. Relive these memories of your childhood with Christmas decorations that are nostalgic. Bringing back the magic of when you were young will make your holiday celebration more meaningful and festive. Think candy canes, jolly Old St Nicholas, stocking holders, angel tree toppers, and animated musical plush toys.

Champagne

Various very pale tints of pale gold that are close to beige. The color’s name is derived from the typical color of the beverage champagne, which is also associated with celebrations and the holidays. Understatedly elegant. Polished silver, clear glass, pearlescent white, oyster, and pale gold champagne colored glass sphere ornaments resemble bubbles in a crystal champagne flute. In this collection you will also find polished steel sphere ornaments in various sizes that can float in an arrangement with water. Gold sphere ornaments, glass sphere ornaments, mirrored icicles, and champagne colored glitter sprays.

Amber glass

Amber is an orange-yellow color that got its name from the material known as amber. It gives a rich, elegant antique feeling. The color of energy, warmth, and vintage apothecary glass bottles. In this collection you will find amber colored glass sphere ornaments, Metallic copper glass sphere ornaments.

Apples & Berries

Red is the color considered to be of the greatest excitement, and is also the color of the month December. Red is Christmas. As the religious symbol it stands for charity. Apples in some parts of the world are used to decorate trees, stems from the apple’s associations with the Tree of Life in Paradise. According to popular belief, though the Bible never actually says so, this was an apple tree. Both the beautiful color of Christmas, it is interesting to mix apples and berries. This collection consists of wreaths, garlands, swags, topiaries of faux apples and berries, sphere ornaments, bouquets, and sprays of berries.

Elemental

Eco-chic, eco deco, green, organic, natural. It is certainly not a new phenomenon, but is now gaining more followers as society becomes more ecologically aware. Blending the recycling ethic with a stylish perspective. Decorate with products made from natural materials. Better for the environment, organic materials don’t contain potentially harmful chemicals, and can be easily recycled when they’ve out lived their usefulness. Natural materials have a beauty unmatched by artificial materials. Decorations made from natural, eco-friendly and sustainable products handcrafted by passionate artisans will brighten the holidays. What to expect from this theme are water hyacinth spheres, pinecone spheres, natural pinecones, eucalyptus, cedar, and long pine needle sprays and Magnolia wreaths.

For your own homes, Andy gives these tips: Choose a theme and decorate around it and when buying décor go for quality ones especially with wreaths and trees that you can store and reuse over the years. “Remember, you get what you pay for,” Andy says.

“On you Christmas tree, cluster ornaments together like bunches of grapes, which makes more of an impact. I like using lots of lights on the tree and wiring them on. It’s also time to be friendly to the environment, so use LED Christmas lights.”

The rest of the house should be as brightly lit and use different sources for different spaces. “Incorporate lots of candles in safe spots for your centerpieces and arrangements. Lit candles can transform a room.”

Andy reminisces about his own Christmas memories and says that in his own house they once used Khmer silver deer mixed with pine on top of an antique cabinet; an urn as a base for the Christmas tree instead of the usual tree skirt; and a tree topper made of black lip shell.

“I love incorporating our beautiful Filipino indigenous materials and mixing things, like ostrich eggs with pine cones and metallic ornaments for an arrangement.”

Like Nena, Christmas is all about family for Andy. “It’s being with my family in different places in the world and sharing the experience of a new place, its culture, and cuisine with the people that matter most to me.”