When a volcano explodes, it’s a potential disaster caused by nature. But can you imagine rugby balls and tuxedos inciting pleasurable heat of volcanic proportions?
The occasion was the gala dinner send-off of the Volcanoes, the Philippine national rugby union team, which will compete in the Rugby World Cup Sevens to be held in Moscow. The Volcanoes will play against Kenya, Samoa and Zimbabwe on June 28-29.
Hosted by the team’s sponsor, Fila Philippines, the dinner was held at the elegant Prince Albert of the InterContinental Manila. It was so well-attended, dahlings, that the party later spilled over to the Romulo Room of the hotel.
Welcoming the guests from Manille’s high society were Fila Philippines’ gorgeous owner and president Cris Albert, her husband
Butch and their son Carlo.
Thundering applause greeted the grand entrance of the hunky Volcanoes in their elegant tuxedos, naturellement.
Cris, on the other hand, was a dazzling jewel in her sapphire-blue gown.
Also attracting attention during the presentation was 15-year-old Carlo Albert, who represented the next generation of Fila.
Adding more class to this chic affair was the free-flowing Dom Pérignon champagne, with delicate shrimp, pepperoni, and baba ghanoush hors d’oeuvres from the hotel’s Gambrinus Bar.
Philippine Rugby Football Union president Rick Santos and Volcanoes team captain Michael Letts shared their insights about the team and rugby’s future in the country, palanggas.
Highlight of the program was Cris Albert’s presentation of the official Fila jerseys to the Volcanoes, “symbolically cementing the partnership between the brand and the team, she said, as more champagne flowed to toast a bright Fila-Volcanoes future.
The lavish dinner setting at Prince Albert was adorned with lots of flowers by Robert Blancaflor, no less, while the Manila String Machine with guitarist Jerome Rico serenaded the invitees.
Prince Albert pulled out the stops in the dinner menu, starting with Scallop Saltimbocca salad followed by Duck Liver Royale. There was Mango Sorbet to refresh the palate, and then a
choice of Roast Aberdeen Angus Prime Rib that seemed wider than the legs of the Volcanoes, palanggas, and Atlantic Salmon with Artichoke Hearts, which I die for, natch! And, finally, for dessert, Chocolate Cake with Poached Pears.
Credit goes to the InterCon’s newest top asset, food and beverage director Janine Taylor, who went around table to table to see to it that the service was fast and efficient, dahlings.
All the best for the Volcanoes in Moscow! We will be there in spirit cheering for you guys!
SM sets the bar higher
The SM Group’s department stores set the bar higher with cosmopolitan elegance and showmanship at the recent SM Ladies’ Philippine Fashion Week 2013. The event featured a multi-range lineup from in-house brands Studio S, Weekender, Philosophy, Folio, NY Square, and Coco Cabaña.
“SM Ladies’ Fashion successfully styled its retail offerings into a veritable runway show with an elegant, sometimes irreverent mix of chic prints, emphasis on impeccable tailoring, and a strong concoction of basics and hot trends segmented for various lifestyle sets—from the career woman and business maven to the jet-setting fashionista,” said vice president for SM Ladies Fashion Charlene Yu-Banzal before the show.
The much-talked-about feat was the surprise appearance of three hot celebrities “who epitomize the range and aesthetic of SM Ladies’ Fashion”: Ruffa Gutierrez, Divine Lee and Ingrid Chua-Go.
Lee sashayed down the runway in a Studio S dark-plum halter top and a curve-hugging midnight-green peplum skirt.
Next was a garden of fashionable florals from Philosophy for the bunch of women who lunch.
Chua-Go led the Weekender set in a fashionable interpretation of nautical apparel.
Gutierrez closed the show in a colorful Coco Cabaña party number, making her look more glamorous than she already is, palanggas.
It was a show-stopper that earned loud applause and a standing ovation.
SM Ladies’ Fashion collection is now available at SM Store Ladies’ Wear Departments nationwide.