Wings of fantasy

The sparkles that night were enough to light up the mood of the guests who attended the launch of Swarovski Wings of Fantasy Fall/Winter 2011/2012 collection. Presented by the Gallerie at Rustan’s and Philippine Tatler, the launch also had a photo exhibit that featured 10 beautiful faces donning the Swarovski Heritage Catwalk Collection flown in from Paris.

The photo exhibit showcased the works of Philippines’ top photographers in capturing the sparkling moments of 10 selected ladies donning Swarovski Heritage Catwalk Collection. These were Karen Pamintuan as photographed by Wig Tysmans; Maggie Wilson-Consunji by Tom Epperson; Georgia Schulze del Rosario by Eric Alessi; Stephanie Zubiri by Denise Weldon; Valerie Weigmann by Raymund Isaac; Pauline Prieto by Jo Ann Bitagcol; Iza Calzado by Paolo Pineda; Bea Soriano by Doc Marlon Pecjo; Denise Laurel by Sara Black; and Audrey McCormac by Wesley Villarica.

The event was led by Rustan’s EVP Anton Huang, Philippine Tatler editor-in-chief Anton San Diego and Swarovski’s Chris Neff. Others spotted were Eleonora de Strobel-Hannikainen and son Leif-Erik, Paolo Lobregat, Melo Esguerra, Hindy Weber Tantoco and Criselda Lontok.

Events’ beneficiary, The Philippine National Red Cross received donations from the guests together with the proceeds from the silent auction of the special pieces from Swarovski Fall/Winter 2011-2012 collection not sold in stores.

The collection is available in Rustan’s Department Stores. ‘

Canon-ized’ camaraderie

Some 2,000 professional and amateur photographers recently competed for the final leg of the Canon PhotoMarathon event at the Philippine Trade and Training Center in Pasay City. It was the sixth and so far the biggest PhotoMarathon in the country.

Jerome Ross Lacbayan of Cainta, Rizal won the grand prize for the DSLR category and received an EOS 5D Mark II DSLR camera. Jackielou Garcera of Quezon City was chosen for the point-and-shoot category and she received an EOS 600D DSLR camera. Both were also given a pair of Cebu Pacific round trip tickets to Busan, South Korea.

PhotoMarathon was part of Canon’s ImageNation campaign. It was a one-day, on-the-spot photo contest where participants shot images based on a given theme. It was open to all amateur and professional Canon camera users. Registration was free.

CMP president and CEO Alan Chng said, “The Canon PhotoMarathon was created to be a venue of friendly competition and learning. It is where aspiring photographers hone their skills and creativity within an atmosphere of camaraderie.”

Preliminary marathons were held in Cagayan de Oro, Bohol, Vigan and Bicol months before the finals in Manila. Winners of the preliminary marathons were brought to Manila to represent their cities in the final leg. With five legs held this year, the 1,500 competitors who joined the three-leg-event in 2010 increased to 2,670.   

The country’s top photographers and videographers judged the event. Among them were Canon brand ambassadors Jo Avila, Sara Black, John Chua, Ibarra Deri, Mark Floro, Jay Jallorina, STAR’s chief photographer Val Rodriguez, Edwin Martinez, Jun Miranda, Mark Nicdao, Doc Marlon Pecjo, Ernie Sarmiento, Jay Tablante, JA Tadeña, Ely Teehankee, Pilar Tuason, Wig Tysmans, Wesley Villarica and Raffy Yllana.

Canon PhotoMarathon major sponsors were Benro, Biostar, Black Rapid, Cebu Pacific Air, Columbia Sportswear Company, Foxconn, Honda, i-Mag Photography, Mang Inasal and Transcend. Minor sponsors were JT Photo World, Mint Design, Nissin Cup Noodles, Sandisk, Water Plus. Media partners were Business Mirror, Crossover, DZAR, HWM and URFaceRadio. Donor sponsors were Energizer, Fitness First, Hygienix, Levi’s, Metro Dental and Vitaminboost.

(For more information visit www.canon.com.ph.)

Stylish living

Five-star luxury living was showcased when SM Development Corp. (SMDC) presented a glamorous fashion show at the Philippine Fashion Week with the Spring Summer 2012 collections of designers Chris Diaz, Lizanne Cua and Eric de los Santos. The 45-piece collections of each designer reflected SMDC’s vision of luxurious and elegant living.

Sarah Meier-Albano hosted the event. The SMDC Grand Showroom was turned into a perfect replica of the stylish and elegant lifestyles of the SMDC residents.   

Confidently owning the runway were Marina Benipayo, Gisselle Paqueo, Michelle Panamenglor, Claire James, Justine Gabionza and Ford Supermodel of the World 2010 winner Danica Magpantay.

By combining elegance and functionality, Chris, Eric, and Lizanne’s designs showed that they share SMDC’s zeal in offering glamorous five-star homes that showcase stylish and convenient living.