Good morning, October! With the busyness of life, we seemed to have reached the last quarter of 2017 in what seems like nanoseconds. The rapid passage of time is best measured with an elegant Swiss watch, a tiny nod to the inevitability of its onward march.
Lucerne, one of the country’s prominent luxury watch retailers, recently inaugurated its new Rolex concept store at Bonifacio Global City. The boutique welcomed Lucerne’s discerning clientele, who truly appreciates Rolex’s unrivaled reputation for excellence and prestige.
Lucerne managing director Ivan Yao told me that his group had the opportunity to work with Rolex for 30 years. The team collaborated with Rolex on the new venture, upholding the finest standards of quality and service, and designing a store that reflects their shared passion for precision, reliability, performance and the highest standards of service.
The Rolex boutique offers an intimate staging to discover an impressive selection of its wristwatches. The self-winding, mechanical Oyster Perpetual models form the pillar of a collection of legendary timepieces that combine tradition, prestige and technology with precision, peerless reliability and style suited to every occasion.
New models
Along with the opening was an exhibition to showcase the new Rolex models unveiled at Baselworld 2017. At that major watch event in Europe, the models introduced to the Oyster collection included a new generation of the professional divers’ model, the Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller, updated for its 50th anniversary with a new, larger 43-mm case, and Rolex’s new calibre 3235 movement.
The new Yacht-Master II, the unique regatta chronograph, features a new dial and new hands for increased legibility. New versions of the Cosmograph Daytona in 18-karat yellow, white or Everose gold adopted the innovative Oysterflex bracelet in elastomer and a monobloc Cerechrom bezel in black ceramic.
The Oyster Perpetual Sky-Dweller, a classic watch for the world traveler, was unveiled in yellow Rolesor and white Rolesor versions with new dials. The men’s and women’s classic Oyster perpetual Datejust 41 and Lady-Datejust 28 were offered in 904L steel or in white Rolesor versions, equipped with new-generation mechanical movements.
Over the past 35 years, Lucerne has grown to be the country’s premier purveyor of luxury Swiss watches. From a single store in Ali Mall in 1982, Lucerne has greatly expanded, now comprising five showrooms throughout the country.
Lucerne is one of our auction donors for the upcoming Red Charity Gala (RCG) at the Shangri-La Hotel at the Fort.
Gastronomic delight
RCG co-chair Kaye Tinga and I have been hard at work to make sure that aside from the exciting auction, the gala dinner will be delicious and Instagram worthy.
The team of Shangri-La at the Fort, headed by GM John Rice, has worked with chef Joris Rycken on all the minute gastronomic details—from pass-around snacks, to bread baskets and dessert selections.
Jonathan Bailes, Shangri-La’s assistant F&B director, is working closely with our liquor sponsor The Botanist Gin to create a special RCG cocktail drink. Remy Martin Louis XIII will have a special cognac display area at the foyer for guests to enjoy this fine liquor that evening.
With crazy traffic throughout the day, I am happy that our RCG will be held at the Fort. In fact, I am glad that many social events are now held at Manila House in the Net Park Building right across Shangri-La at the Fort.
Classy furnishings
The most current event was Moss Manila Home’s third anniversary collection. With a California-inspired lunch prepared by the chefs of Manila House, Moss Manila Home introduced its new furniture collection aptly called “Manila Living, California Dreaming,” inspired by the chic Palm Springs lifestyle.
The creative women behind the brand are sisters Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran and Happy Fernandez-Victorino. On their latest trip to Palm Springs, the two were inspired by the unique vibe throughout this design mecca of California.
To celebrate Moss Manila Home’s milestone, the home furnishings brand collaborated with three of its existing clients to create its own version of a Palm Springs-inspired furniture piece to complete the 10-piece collection.
Camille Co, Rissa Mananquil Trillo and yours truly—guided by the key elements of pleating, channeled tufting, the stark contrast of soft pink and rich green hues, visual linear chevron-like patterns and luxe materials like marble elements—fluidly translated the Palm Springs feel, creating standout pieces that are unique, stylish and functional.
Moss Manila Home Boutique store, 1 Gilmore St., QC. Its online shop will debut on Oct. 15 at www.mossmanilahome.com.
Dressy affairs
Keeping with the blush hues dress code of the affair, I found a pretty outfit at LCP Boutique. Shop owner Pie Alvarez threw a birthday party for me and invited my Zumba dance mates to a Champagne shopping affair.
The shop is located at 2/F, MDI Corporate Center, 10th Ave. cor. 39th St., BGC. Check out www.shopLCP.com for the latest styles and promos.
I wore another gown from LCP Boutique at the premiere night of “The Sound of Music” at The Theatre at Solaire a couple of days ago. In partnership with Globe Live, the enduring musical has announced a season extension and will now be playing until Oct. 22. Tickets are on sale through TicketWorld.
“The Sound of Music” tells the uplifting true story of Maria, the fun-loving governess who changes the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by reintroducing them to music, culminating in the family’s escape across the Austrian mountains. The show comes with a 30-strong international cast that will perform some of the most memorable songs ever presented onstage.
The Manila run of “The Sound of Music” is presented by Globe Live, with Solaire Resort and Casino. Major sponsors are Nissan and Novuhair. Official airline partner is Philippine Airlines. Ocean carrier is OOCL. It is presented in Manila by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, Concertus Manila and David Atkins Enterprises.
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