Peninsula opens Salon de Ning in grand style
MANILA, Philippines – On a beautiful December evening, the lobby of The Peninsula Manila was the backdrop for the opening of Salon de Ning. The who’s who of Philippine society joined guests from fashion, media, advertising, business and politics to enjoy caviar and French oysters, foie gras terrine with port wine on brioche, mille-feuille of blue cheese in walnut bread, seared tuna with watermelon, Peking duck tartlets with plum sauce and panko-crumbled pork adobo washed down with specially bottled Salon de Ning Champagne Rosé Brut, Moët & Chandon Rosé and the delicious signature “Ning Sling” cocktail.
The lobby was transformed into a lavender-and-pink dance hall with big bands, show girls in white plumes, singers and, for a surreal touch, disembodied black-gloved hands proffering pink bubbly to surprised guests. This set the tone for Salon de Ning, the Peninsula’s unique combination of clubby lounge venue complete with a collection of travel mementoes and objets d’art reflecting the glamorous lifestyle of Madame Ning, a celebrated Shanghai socialite, bon vivant, peripatetic world traveler and international hostess.
Upon arrival at Salon de Ning, whose gate is reminiscent of a traditional Shanghainese “shikumen” (“stone gate house” in Chinese), guests were greeted by a hostess in an elegant oriental dress with art deco details. Surrounding the main lounge were four gorgeous rooms decorated with Madame Ning’s intriguing collection of items displaying her varied interests and pursuits.
The first room is the Zeppelin Room, which is inspired by her long friendship with the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin who pioneered the design of the first rigid airships the world had ever seen.
The second room is the Boxing Room, a shrine to 1937 World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis (who was rumored to have been madly in love with her and gifted her with his boxing robe displayed in a corner) and Filipino pugilist from the same era, Ceferino Garcia.
The third room, the Shoe Room, features a collection of over a hundred boots, stilettos and sandals, and is her homage to shoemakers who transform ordinary footwear into works of wearable art.
The Shanghai Room is a recreation of her 1930s mansion along the Bund — enticing dark wood interiors, Oriental rugs with art deco touches and sepia photographs lining the walls.
Salon de Ning’s eclectic, sometimes whimsical interiors, pink bubbly, dance music, delicious pica-pica and festive atmosphere had guests staying until the wee hours.
