Another historic milestone in Philippine nightlife and luxury clubbing was introduced to Cosmo Manille’s upper-class A-listers, dahlings.

The brilliant creators of Republiq, Opus, Encore and the legendary Embassy Superclub introduced the next evolution in nightlife: the chic Prive Luxury Clubbing, the first true boutique nightclub.

Prive introduces luxury in a unique designer space that is a fusion of an ultra-exquisite bar and lounge, with full-on dance floor, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and designer interiors. Yes, it’s truly soo exclusive, from the original Embassy partners headed by Mr. Genius himself Erik Cua, with club owners GP Reyes and Louie Ysmael, joined by promoter KC Santi, Republiq Group VP Kim Yao, and, naturellement, our very own southerner celeb/host JM Rodriguez making the place totally the hottest spot in town, palanggas.

“A keen understanding of fashion shows and special event requirements have been a consideration in the planning, as Prive is projected to be a top venue for designer shows and launches, alongside its Wednesday to Saturday DJ-driven programming,” explained my pal GP Reyes.

Opening night was absolutely awesome, dahlings, with the endless flow of Johnnie Walker, Ciroc Vodka and Smirnoff, plus that bubbly champagne, natch, and the grand giveaway to lucky guests, the new Blackberry Bold 9900 handsets, courtesy of Smart Infinity, with special performances by Amber Davis, AJ Tabaldo and Kat Agarrado.

My palangga JM Rodriguez said in his welcome speech, “Cheers to us, the new generation of clubbers, with extra cheers to Prive, the first luxury club in the country.”

More info? Do contact Cyrene at 0917-8988181; visit www.priveluxuryclub.com; or on Twitter @PriveLuxuryClub, and become a fan of Prive Luxury Club on Facebook.

Louis XIII fetes Manila’s elite

It had to be French royalty who lent their name to one of the best, most exquisite cognacs in the world. No less than the Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac, the most exclusive cognac brand from the House of Remy Martin, dahlings, gave Cosmo Manille a special dinner co-hosted by Tessa Prieto-Valdes at the Crystal Room of The Establishment, naturellement, for the “King of Cognacs,” which uses only grapes from the Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, France.

Remy Martin “is the Heart of Cognac, representing almost 300 years of French wine-growing and cognac-making know-how,” explained connoisseur Christophe Bourrie, director of sales development and prestige business. “It is the favorite in France, the original country of cognac distillation and aging, the House of Rémy Martin offers a cognac of unique aromatic intensity.”

Highlight was the special sampling of Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac led by Tessa V. and C. Bourrie, followed by an awesome to-die-for 10-course menu superbly prepared for the evening by master chef Hylton Le Roux, no less, dahlings.

One can rightfully say Louis XIII Grand Cognac is top of the line, for the true champagne connoisseur.

‘Open your minds’

It was a hot Saturday night, palanggas, when we followed the sound of the beating drums of Billy and Lou Bonnevie, and were greeted by the smiling waiters of Manila Jockey Club at the entrance to Now Gallery, the hottest new gallery this side of town. The president and founder, none other than avid art collector Patrick Reyno, presented their third exhibit for the year, “Open Your Mind,” dahlings.

All the deeply spiritual artworks convey, in their individual, quiet ways, something for those who love nature. You will see it in the beauty of the Antarctic and Arctic in “Bipolar” by Gutsy Tuason, or the women you may hear in the unspoken domestic struggles of Nikki Luna’s “Comforter,” or you may smile at the homage to “Lolo Juan” by Agnes Arellano, and thoughtfully dissect the younger generation’s ways of seeing in Zean Cabangis’ paintings on memory and forgetting.

Multitalented beauty Jinky Lorenzo Reynoso’s “Transcendence” makes repetitive use of birds, and titles that are more of questions, supposedly a record of her own “inner geography,” bemoaning the lost tranquility of landscapes. Are these perhaps representations of a city dweller’s search for some peace amid the constant chaos of our asphalt jungle? Whatever, dahlings, the paintings are truly romantic.

“The artworks invite the audience to pause and consider the questions we push out of our minds in the busyness of everyday; perhaps we are too afraid to regard their possible answers and the truths revealed in their simplicity and forms,” Jinky explained to us.

The opening night had tons of pals of the artist present, like those eye-catchers Audrey Carpio, Bianca Araneta-Elizalde and hubby Juan, and close friends Fritz and Hubert Webb.