Borgy Manotoc has grown up, finally

MANILA, Philippines - He invaded our collective pop culture consciousness at the tender age of 15, then a little boy without his shirt on, pouting in front of us via giant Bench billboards all over the city.

The years have passed and Borgy has added a lot of slashes under his belt. Party promoter, hipster, host and entrepreneur are just a few of the tags you’ll find the name Borgy Manotoc associated with. Through the years I have witnessed his style evolve. In fact, it is safe to say that Borgy is one of the most, if not the most stylish man we have in town. He can don loud-colored overalls, wear a leopard print pair of sneaks, and wear his hair long like Pocahontas and get away with it with all of it.

To say that he has sartorial flair would be an understatement. To say that he is a denizen of the indie movement is limiting. Borgy comes from a family that is deeply entrenched in public service, yet his inner passions are very much closely linked to the arts and culture. He surrounds himself with a motley crew of DJs, photographers, designers, toy collectors, musicians, artists — like a modern-day Warhol Factory of artisans all passionate about their craft. 

I guess they all share one thing in common: passion. Passion is what pushes people to go beyond expectations and rise above limitations. Sure, there was a time that people thought Borgy had a temper, but they really didn’t know what happened. Sure, some might think Borgy is a trust fund baby, but they really don’t know how hard he works just to get it right, all the time.

Women Behind The Man

There is always a woman behind every successful man and while this article is devoted to Borgy Manotoc, I cannot help but point out the influence of lady love Georgina Wilson in his life. Yes, their relationship goes beyond billboards. It goes as far as making each other better versions of themselves. Okay, I am not discounting the innate and effortless style of his mom, Congresswoman Imee Marcos and the grandiosity of his grandmother Madame Imelda, but that would be stating the obvious. 

Borgy is Borgy because he wanted to be his own Borgy. That’s that. Being Borgy is not easy, but hey, he’s gotta do it. Calling it a coming-of-age of sorts; after all that he has been through — business endeavors and various enterprises — he is now part of the team (alongside buddy Andrew Garcia) that is bringing Doc Martens to the Philippines. They formally opened their first stand-alone store yesterday at the plaza at The Fort strip, behind the former Encore space.

And what a perfect fit for Borgy this is, aside from the obvious shoe fixation that is his birthright. “I wore Doc Martens for 10 years in school and for me to be bringing in this brand is like re-immersing myself in learning,” he told me matter-a-factly. “More than just bringing in the products, we really want to push for the culture that it stands for,” he says. “And what might that be?” I asked. 

“Supporting music, fashion and the arts,” said Borgy, as he donned pair after pair of Doc Martens for each layout in this spread.

Borgy’s boots were made for walking, so I guess that’s what he’ll do.

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