Can you believe that the world-renowned brand Lacoste has been around for 80 years, dahlings?

Well, it’s true, palangga, it’s been that long and only getting better and classier each year.

A roadshow exhibit to mark the French clothing brand’s 80th year recently opened at Rustan’s très posh East Wing Atrium at the Shangri-La Plaza. At the entrance, you encountered three cubes filled with moving and still images and objects from the brand archives dating back to the invention of the polo shirt and the founding of the brand by tennis champion René Lacoste in 1933.

The invitees were given an exclusive exhibit walk-through led by no less than Stores Specialists Inc.’s executive vice president Anton Huang and chairman Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., who were joined by French Ambassador Gilles Garachon and Lacoste retail excellence and travel retail director for Asia Pacific Erin Lillis-Arrowsmith.

On top of this, Manille’s style icons and influencers were treated to another delightful tour led by David Celdran, accompanied by Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Bianca Valerio, palangga.

Teddyboy Locsin looked sleek in an iconic Lacoste polo shirt, while blogger/model Robbie Becroft’s simple yet defined style gave a laid-back, outdoorsy appeal to his classic Lacoste getup. Headturner Georgia Schulze-Del Rosario and fashionista Tricia Gosingtian also looked chic in their Lacoste polo for women. Other personalities who graced the event were actor Victor Basa and TV personality Lexi Schulze.

One thing for sure, dahlings, you can never go wrong wearing outfits with the crocodile logo.

Anton’s birthday

Celebrities, plus a full house of our town’s new guard, were out in force to show their affection for Philippine Tatler editor in chief Anton San Diego, dahlings. Anton celebrated his birthday recently at the hip new Spanish restaurant Rambla, the younger sister of the popular Las Flores, at the Rockwell Center in Makati.

We sinfully indulged ourselves on scrumptious Spanish dishes and engaged in juicy talk with other guests—but no politics, palangga.

The night’s special guest was the popular British pop-classical band Blake, which jetted into town to promote its new album of—surprise, surprise!—original Filipino songs. Blake regaled everyone by singing three enduring OPM songs, including the forever-in-demand “Manila.”

Enjoying the music and the company were Kit Zobel, Ina Ayala, Donnie and Crickette Tantoco, Carol Garcia, Haresh and Sharmila Hiranand, Marianne Po, Mikey and Lizette Cojuangco, Pepito Albert and Veana Forés. They all sang along with Blake, and rocked the dance floor, too, dahlings, to the catchy tunes of Italo and the beats of DJ Kat Razon.

The fab grub included tabla de quesos, Iberian ham, omelette with chistarra and a light basil alioli sauce, crispy suckling pig with mustard sauce and bok choy, empanadas of deadly foie gras and pineapple jam, and mulwara tenderloin with romeso sauce, baked potatoes and garlic pasta.

Drinks included Beronia tempranillo, Vinos del Vero Gewurztraminer, Moet & Chandon, Moscow Mule part II, Vodka Martini and Red Sangria and the lethal White Sangria.

All in all, a great fun night with one of my favorite pals, Anton San Diego.

Marketplace by Rustan’s

With supermarkets, malls, casinos, bars, restaurants and what have you opening all over the metro faster than you can bat an eyelash, Rustan’s Supermarket is offering a premium way to shop for groceries, dahlings.

Dash off to Rustan’s Supercenters Inc.’s (RSCI) new Marketplace at the Power Plant Mall, which promises a new lifestyle supermarket experience, palangga, by virtue of its partnership with Hong Kong-based Dairy Farm Group, a leading retailer that operates supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, health and beauty stores and home furnishings stores under renowned brands all across Asia.

“Upscale supermarket is an overused and generic word,” said RSCI president Donnie Tantoco. “Our vision is to bring together the products and experience of shopping in the best marketplaces of the world’s great cities into a one-stop, cohesive destination, which customers will find at Marketplace by Rustan’s.”

The grand opening had all the executives of RSCI present, including Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., RSCI chair ‘Bienvenido Tantoco Jr., RSCI chief operating officer Pierre Deplanck, VP for Rustan’s Supermarket Manuel Alberto , and eye-catcher Frances Yu who helped entertain the invitees.

Marketplace by Rustan’s was designed by international retail artist Shozo Nitta, and carries name brands like Stonewall Kitchen, Tea Forte, Ghirardelli, and Rustan’s exclusive brands such as Casino and Waitrose. Consumers like moi just couldn’t stop putting items in our trolleys, loving the feeling of seemingly shopping for groceries abroad!