LEÓN Gallery’s recent Spectacular Mid-Year Auction set a world record for the biggest Anita Magsaysay-Ho painting, “Fish Harvest at Dawn,” which was sold for a whopping P52 million!

Many bid fiercely, but only one went home with the painting, thus leaving the others jealous and dejected.

One bidder said he was brokenhearted, but consoled himself that he had won the bidding for two paintings and still had some cash to spare, probably for the next auction.

The León auction also cast the spotlight on the celebrated collection of the late Joe and Nene Guevara, which included works by Filipino masters Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Ang Kiukok and Vicente Manansala.

Aside from the paintings, the auction house scored with the successful bidding of key sculptural works such as Solomon Saprid’s “Mother and Child” (1973) and of fine Philippine antiques such as a large late 17th- or early 18th-century Virgin and Child in ivory.

Another highlight was the desk-and-chair pair by the most remarkable Filipino furniture-maker of the 19th century, Isabelo Tampinco. These are the only pieces signed by its creator to be auctioned, claimed Jaime Ponce de León, director of León Gallery.

“We are propelled by the truism that an auction house is only as good as the treasures it can offer. It is to this truth that León Gallery is committed, from our first auction in 2013 to this 2015 midyear event,” said Ponce de León.

Attending the auction were some of the art world’s movers and shakers, such as mega-collector Paulino Que, society photographer Alex Van Hagen, Galleria Duemila owner Silvana Diaz, Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, Evelyn Forbes, Anton Mendoza, glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, Manuel A.J. Teehankee, and Jaime Laya.

For more of León Gallery’s stunning collection, visit the showroom at G/F, Eurovilla 1, Rufino and Legazpi Sts., Legazpi Village, Makati. Visit https://leon-gallery.com/.

Fashion series

Salon Series 3, the Philippine fashion showcase, brought together three top designers, including Cesar Gaupo, Lulu Tan-Gan and Dennis Lustico, in one dazzling show at SM Aura’s Samsung Hall.

Gaupo created his hard-to-beat classic clothes with quirky and interesting twists. Inspired by the ’70s woman, queen of knits Lulu Tan-Gan continued to explore knit and indigenous mix-and-match possibilities. She continued as well her experiments with piña, the ethereal and weightless fabric.

Inspired by the ’40s, Dennis Lustico had a vision of the sophisticated siren with his black-and-white collection of deeply cut, fringed, detailed and well-tailored jumpsuits.

Meanwhile, guest designer Joey Samson’s sharp tailoring softened the “uniform” look and broke down the traditional suit silhouette. The deconstructed pieces were boxy and oversized.

Guest designer Rhett Eala’s pieces took their cue from royalty and highlighted his talent for balancing great-fitting pieces and interesting textures and colors created by his hand-painting.

Salon Series 3 was supported by Smart Communications. The cocktails that opened the event were by Ogetsu Hime and the Martini Party afterward was hosted by Svedka Vodka.

Esprit

Esprit relaunched its new lighthouse concept store at Glorietta 3 recently. With the theme “Less is more,” the shop featured minimalist design elements as well as lighting that allowed each product to shine while attracting buyers. Whitewash oak wood and raw elements complemented Esprit’s laid-back Californian style.

“I am Esprit” is Esprit’s global campaign that promotes confidence in individuality and uniqueness in a social world where different personalities, styles and aspirations are shared, explained Darren Guyatt, Esprit head of retail partnership for Asia Pacific.

Among the guests were Mega magazine founder Sari Yap, Celine Arambulo, Sasa del Rosario, Nanette Miloda, Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite and Ranier Sison. They were welcomed by the Coronel family of Cinderella.

No celebration is complete without the right tunes to match the ambiance, natch, so the launching saw DJ Kristel Lim spinning tunes. And because Esprit is a brand “that promotes a natural and sustainable lifestyle,” coconut water from Vita Coco was passed around to balance off the indulgent gourmet desserts from Patti Grandidge’s Sweet Patti Cakes.

Esprit is exclusively distributed by Cinderella Marketing Corp., with stores at SM North Edsa, T rinoma, Gateway, Robinsons Magnolia, SM Megamall, VMall Greenhills, The Shops Greenhills, Power Plant Mall, Glorietta 3, SM Aura Premier, SM Mall of Asia, SM Manila, Lucky Chinatown, Robinsons Ermita, Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, Harbor Point Subic, Ayala Cebu, SM Cebu, Centrio Mall Cagayan de Oro, and Abreeza Davao.