Supreme picks

MANILA, Philippines - Who to follow: Coco Quizon

Coco Quizon just happens to be the daughter of the late and great Dolphy and actress-diva Zsa Zsa Padilla. But if you think this is the most interesting thing about the young Quizon, you couldn’t be more wrong. The TodayxFuture staple is also one of Twitter’s funniest, her pop culture commentary clever and hilarious. Her current DP says it all: a picture of the upper half of her face with Pharell’s ridiculous hat at the recent Grammys. Her life observations are witty, such as how US-based relatives needing to step up their pasalubong game because Old Navy is here, and how she thinks cupcake businesses in Manila don’t need to “vomit” pastel colors in their shops. Sometimes she comments on serious stuff, like “Our nation’s poverty is made more obvious by our need for a Bentley dealership and a Nobu Hotel,” but most of her tweets are about music, film, and the irony of life. Favorite tweet this week: “This guy where I’m eating is opening his presents and is visibly disappointed. He did that sadness fold where he opens the T-shirt, body folds while looking at other things in the bag. Someone is reconsidering friendships.” She’s @cocoquizon on Twitter.

What to do: Go to Graphika Manila

Design hounds are excited for Graphika Manila today, the biggest gathering of creatives in the country, with over 3,000 attendees each year. For its ninth year, the powerhouse of graphic design continues to champion good work by inviting influential creatives to speak about design and inspire listeners. This year’s lineup is impressive: letterer and “cat lady” Jessica Hische, known for her Daily Drop Cap series and her work with Wes Anderson and Penguin Books; illustrator Sara Blake who has worked with Nike, Ford, Hurley, and IBM; collaborative project Dvein, whose art direction in Spanish films has earned them clients like MTV and Diesel; Filipino illustrator Isabel Gatuslao whose work with typefaces has revolutionized lettering; Ash Thorp, who has worked on Ender’s Game, Iron-Man, X-Men: First Class and The Amazing Spider-man; and The Mill, a post-production facility founded in partnership with directors Ridley and Tony Scott. If there’s a design event that features more high-profile people, we’d love to know, but we’re pretty sure this is it. Graphika Manila will be held at the SMX Convention Center in the Mall of Asia.

What to watch: ‘Rak of Aegis’

You know you’re Filipino if you can sing along to an Aegis song. Even if you come from the alta sociedad, you’re bound to know the opening lines of Halik and Basang Basa Sa Ulan. For the first time, PETA will put together every Aegis classic to form a rock comedy musical called Rak of Aegis. Set in the fictional town of Villa Venizia, the town is struck by a typhoon similar to Ondoy. Unable to recover, a mall promodizer decides to record herself singing, hoping to be discovered by Ellen DeGeneres and help save her town. The musical numbers are set to Aegis songs, both popular and underrated, and promise to have audience members singing along. We’re excited to hear Sinta on stage, but we’re more excited for the story, a tale of resilience and the Filipinos’ unsinkable spirit. Rak of Aegis will run from Jan. to March 9 at the PETA Theater.

Where to get your cultural fix: ‘Manila Review’ Issue 4 launch

The indie publication The Manila Review has shaped cultural discussion, and they did this without any corporate sponsors. Editors Leloy Claudio and Mara Coson managed to raise the publishing bar with only their passion, their critical minds, and the help of a few friends (editors and contributors have included Miguel Syjuco, Clinton Palanca, Sheila Coronel, and Teddy Boy Locsin Jr.). It has become a zine worth waiting for, and they will launch their fourth issue today at Yardstick Coffee. The fourth issue looks to be packed with more cultural criticism, with essays from Caroline S. Hau, Nathan Quimpo, Joel David, Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, Lena Cobangbang, Cesar Polvorosa Jr., Patricio Abinales, Alex Almario, Leloy Claudio, Nicole Curato, Angelo Suarez, Job de Leon, Janus Nolasco, Katrina Macapagal, Jayson Lamchek, Alice Sarmiento, and Nicole Cu-unjieng. To balance the intellectual atmosphere of the launch, Outerhope will be providing the music. Yardstick Coffee is located at Esteban St., Legaspi Village, Makati.

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Tweet the author @kojibberish.