Bravo, Bench!

We’re only several weeks into 2018 and Bench is already ringing it in with some major milestones, palanggas.

Since celebrating its 30th anniversary in August 2017, Bench has brought out the big guns — the launch of its first ever Bench Design Awards, collaborations with New York’s VMan magazine and the iconic Bruce Weber, and its highly anticipated 30th fabulous anniversary show at the fully packed Mall of Asia Arena.

Recently, Bench added to its long list of accomplishments the launch of its new fab flagship store on Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City. The brand treated its loyal customers and spectators alike to a different kind of shopping experience at the three-story store. This new shopping destination is proof that Bench has evolved from a small clothing label to a complete lifestyle brand, dahlings.

Bench’s brilliant resident architect Miguel Pastor said, “The store’s overall layout was driven by the growing need to cater to the younger generation, the millennials. We need to embrace and understand them more.” He added, “The store is also Bench’s first foray into creating bigger, more experiential places, in contrast to the smaller spaces it has for its older stores.”

Inside the multilevel store are Bench Fix Salon, Bench Barbers and the new Filipino food haven, Bench Café. Dahlings, this is the first time for any local brand to create such a space where shopping, dining and grooming needs all come together.

To coincide with the launch of Bench’s flagship store, dashing Brooklyn Beckham, who is a “Global Benchsetter,” was recently in town to grace its ribbon-snipping ceremonies and the bash for the flagship store. Beckham also went for a quick round of book signing events at the SM Mega Fashion Hall and SM Mall of Asia. He was also at the press preview for the soon-to-open Bench Café, palanggas.

Brooklyn Beckham, one of Bench’s newest international brand ambassadors, is a student, a model, a style star and a budding photographer.

Although he takes after his superstar parents — world-famous football star David Beckham and stylish fashion designer and former Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham — Brooklyn is slowly but surely coming into his own, palanggas. At 18, he continues to prove there’s a reason they call him “Britain’s golden boy,” and that there’s way more to him than just his famous last name. Amen, dahlings.

Leave it to Bench to move forward even faster than a jet stream. Now, dahlings, that’s what a true visionary Ben Chan is all about.

(The Bench flagship store is located at 9th Ave. cor. Lane O, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Visit @benchtm on Instagram for updates.)

Salaysay

We got a glimpse on the various possibilities and interpretation of furniture design recently through an exhibit titled Salaysay: Philippine Culture Narrated through Furniture Pieces at SM Aura Premier.

The exhibit, a joint project between the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Interior Design program and the SM Aura Premier, showed how Philippine culture can be expressed through furniture design.

“Being a students’ exhibit, Salaysay highlighted the future of furniture as functional art,” explained SM SVP for marketing Millie Dizon.

In Salaysay, Benilde’s Furniture Design and Construction students narrated stories of Philippine culture by designing furniture in different themes. These included Philippine flowers inspired by the exotic bird of paradise, the graceful bougainvillea, and tropical gumamela, other themes included Philippine festivals like the Pahiyas, the Panagbenga and the MassKara.

Other furniture pieces had elements of the landmarks of Palawan,  palanggas, like the rock formations of the underground river, the blue seas and the idyllic island lifestyle.

In her speech during the exhibit launch, School of Design and Arts associate dean Cynthia Funk explained, “How each furniture piece can be appreciated in two ways: through form and through content. The pieces show that in the College of Saint Benilde, designs are not only meaningful but also purposeful and how exhibits such as Salaysay enables College of Saint Benilde to train students beyond the four walls of its school.”

Inspiring leaders

(From left) SGV & Co. tax advisory and advocacy group principal Jules Riego, Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc. president Richard Yee, program emcee Jeanine Tsoi, Philippine Seven Corp. president and CEO John Victor Paterno and First Life Financial president and CEO Peter Coyiuto.

First Life Financial Co. Inc. president and CEO Peter Coyiuto spearheaded the company’s annual leadership summit at the New World Hotel Makati recently. 

The event provided an opportunity for guests “to gain valuable insights on family wealth and estate planning as well as inspiring business success stories,” Coyiuto explained in his opening remarks, palanggas.  

Speakers during the event were SGV & Co. tax advisory and advocacy group principal Jules Riego, Goldilocks Bakeshop Inc. president Richard Yee and Philippine Seven Corp. (7-Eleven Philippines) president and CEO Jose Victor Paterno.

The well-attended event was emceed by UAAP courtside reporter Jeanine Tsoi.