Happy birthday, Anton!

Instead of the usual tradition of “salubong” (a gathering on the eve of his birthday), designer Anton Mendoza just decided to celebrate his birthday on the night of the actual day. Anton opened his beautiful home to about 60 of his close friends to celebrate his special day.

Guests had appetizers of fried mozzarella with ratatouille or salami, artichoke dip with cheese crackers and siomai. Anton actually sent invitations that said “after dinner with heavy cocktails” but of course, there was dinner food! Many of his friends expected this much and feasted on salad, two types of pasta and lechon stuffed with truffle rice. There was a variety of desserts as well, which I attempted to stay away from.

All the guests obviously had a great time as they were surrounded by the beautiful artworks and furniture in Anton’s house. Drinks varied from white and red wine to champagne, single malt, whiskey, vodka and tequila.  Merriment continued after the blowing of the candles in the cake with still lots of food and booze.

It was truly another night to remember and we look forward to Anton’s celebration next year!

Happy birthday, Anton!

It’s time for Superdry

After its successful launch in Europe, North America and many parts of Asia, the Tokyo-inspired and UK brand Superdry has finally unveiled its wristwatch line in the Philippines. The brand offers stylish timepieces for gents and ladies. Its arrival in the country may just be in time for those struggling to find that perfect gift for Valentine’s Day.

Superdry is known for capturing elements of urban and streetwear designs with subtle combinations of vintage American and Japanese imagery and British tailoring — all with strong attention to detail. It is fast becoming the brand of choice for A-list celebrities including actors, musicians and sports stars, with big names such as David Beckham, Nicole Scherzinger and Cory Monteith.

The brand’s urban and streetwear elements are captured in the watch collection that comprises both contemporary and sleek designs. Other quality pieces boast more rugged looks.

Each watch represents timeless utilitarian silhouette housed in stainless steel watch case, and is powered by high-quality mechanisms such as Japanese Seiko or Miyota movements.

The timepieces have intricately detailed and bold watch dials. All watches are finished with modern straps and bracelets of various materials from thick quality leathers and stainless steel to canvas.

The various details of the watch straps include layered and wide leather straps with perforated detailing for the Harness, Thor and Triton collection; stylish dyed leather straps for the Charterhouse collection; ultra chic canvas straps for the Field collection; playful silicone straps for the Scuba collection; and classic stainless steel bracelets for the Battalion collection

The Superdry watch collection is available at L Timestudio in SM Southmall, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Place Manila, Greenhills Shopping Center, SM Marikina and SM City  Pampanga; at Swiss Gear in Greenbelt 1 and SM North EDSA; and at Wristpod in Bonifacio High Street and SM Megamall.

(For more information, visit www.ltimestudio.com or www.facebook.com/timestudio.)

Shared passion

Over a sumptuous dinner recently, Bridgestone Tires, the tire of choice of many car manufacturers and owners, launched its newest brand ambassadors: furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue and racecar driver and first Filipino BMW M certified driver/trainer JP Tuason. They were honored at the Performance and Classic Car Enthusiasts (PACE) Club of Cebu.

PACE Club is a group of car collectors and enthusiasts. Its members have one thing in common — they all enjoy driving well-crafted vehicles.

Cobonpue, a member of PACE Club, has been successfully designing and creating furniture pieces that marry form, function and eco-sustainability. These are the same values that he and Bridgestone share. He designed a prototype bamboo car called “The Phoenix,” which was displayed at some furniture and design shows abroad. Cobonpue requires being in top form and on top of technology as he continues to be a creative force that inspires other Filipino artists.

Tuason is the founder and president of Tuason Racing School, the first and longest running racing school in the country. He has had a successful racing career spanning 24 years of karting, circuit car and formula racing. He is a road safety advocate and the lone Filipino BMW M certified out of 160 individuals worldwide. He is passionate in providing world-class training and experiences to Filipino racing enthusiasts and continues to help grow motorsports by creating cost effective grassroots race programs. Bridgestone not only supports these programs, but also gives Tuason the confidence of high performance and safety on track.

Marc Tagle, vice president of Philippine Allied Enterprises Co., the official distributor of Bridgestone in the Philippines, said, “We wanted to bring individuals who are all passionate with performance and who value quality. The PACE Club, our brand ambassadors and Bridgestone all require the best quality and high performance in all facets. The brand is passionate on how to improve people’s journeys. We continuously evolve to complement our customer’s lives and the world.” Photos by Pepper Teehankee on a Canon Powershot S100