Delightful Debenhams

A refreshingly laidback crowd greeted the opening of Debenhams in Manila.  It was quite easy to relax around the velvety ottomans that gave that "loungy" feel which was enhanced more by the lighted candles and the endless servings of wine.

Shopping at the 17,000 square meter Debenhams is all about a leisurely experience which shoppers got to experience after the fashion show. Clothes flew off the rack as guests hurriedly bought the latest Fall collection from the Debenhams house brands and its designer lines which include the likes of Jasper Conran, John Rocha, Matthew Williamson and Julien Macdonald.

This is Debenhams’ first store in the Philippines, and its 24th around the world. Seen at the opening were British Ambassador Peter Beckingham and his wife Jill, Debenham’s international director Francis McAuley, head of international operations Peter King, business manager for Asia Simon Crowther, Shangri-La’s Tom Zita Jr., Store Specialists, Inc. president Zenaida Tantoco and EVP Anton Huang. SSI is the one responsible for bringing Debenhams to the Philippines. 

Debenhams is currently celebrating its 100th year in the business of fashion and lifestyle. It is one of the most respected retailers in the UK and is renowned for its successful portfolio of exclusive "own brands," international brands and the pioneering launch of Designers at Debenhams just over a decade ago.

Debenhams is located at the 3rd Level of the Shangri-La Mall, EDSA.

Class loves Crass

The tee-shirt, the world’s new uniform gets a facelift with Loungeri Lux’s limited edition run with the Class loves Crass theme. My dear friend/Star columnist/model/designer Celine Lopez created the line as the iconic objects are splattered with beads, semi-precious stones and vintage buttons. The shirts are the first local pieces to be available at MIX in Greenbelt 3.

The tees were celebrated with a by-invite-only sale that boasted wine courtesy of Ralph’s Wine and Spirits and a mega pan de sal bar from Kitchen dreamed up by Tina Ocampo.

Other guests spotted included sisters Alessandra and Tina Tinio, Gian Romano, Lulu Tan Gan, Carol Jimenez, Macky Fah and Pauline Suaco-Juan.

Loungeri Lux’s Class loves Crass limited edition tees were available at MIX Greenbelt. Last I heard, the shirts were all sold out so wait until January 2006 when the next limited edition tees from Loungeri Lux will be launched.

Uniquely Singapore

Singapore is a city pulsating with life and unique experiences – great food, great shopping, great night life! The Lion City was recently showcased in an exciting event dubbed Uniquely Singapore, Uniquely Podium which marked the launch of Singapore Tourism Board-Philippines’ (STB-P) series of fun destination road shows.

The launch featured Sindaw Philippine Performing Arts Guild, which performed the cultural dances of Singapore’s four major races – Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian. The performance gave them a glimpse of Singapore’s rich, diverse and colorful culture.

The launch also featured fun activities where lucky guests were able to take home gifts from STB-P such as limited edition Uniquely Singapore Monopoly sets and of course, air tickets to Singapore. 

The Singaporean community was there to support the event led by Singapore Ambassador Lim Kheng Hua, Keppel Properties Philippines country head Sin Wai Meng and VP Ng Chin Fei.

More Singapore trips and prizes from STB-P and The Podium were given away to shoppers who met the minimum required purchase and got lucky in spinning the Uniquely Singapore Wheel, an exciting game where they vied for great prizes. A total of 20 free air tickets to the Singapore were given away.

STB-P has been mounting its annual Singapore destination road shows for three consecutive years and the activity has always been a huge success. 

The stamp of Converse

Converse is back!

Those stylish signature shoes step back into the fashion scene through the opening of its boutique at the Glorietta 2 in Makati. Anchoring on the iconic Wade shoes inspired by Miami Heat’s off guard Dwayne Wade, the signature shoe is posed to be the next big thing.  The partnership was recently announced by Converse CEO Jack Boys who commented, "Dwayne has proven to be an important partner in reestablishing Converse basketball."

Converse’s celebrity guests John Pratts and Marco Alcaraz donned their Chuck Taylors with panache. Others seen sporting this prestigious line of footwear at the event were Converse’s Ryan Ty, Margie Go, Jake Ramirez and Kim Sia. 

The featured designers included JC Buendia, Randy Ortiz, Anthony Nocom, Vic Barba and Kate Torralba. Their creations reminded the audience of the versatility of the classic chucks to suit any style from multi-faceted walks of life. 

The UA&P basketball team formally unveiled the Wade shoes and joined by Converse endorser and Purefoods hard court hero James Yap. For the record, Converse has sold a billion pairs of Chuck Taylors alone in its almost 100 years of existence.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

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(E-mail me at [email protected])