Mario Katigbak is known for building good relationships, whether with friends or clients. His graciousness and fine taste foster loyalty—where he goes, clients follow.
In his first event for Tiffany & Co. at Rustan’s Makati last Saturday, even with little fanfare, friends turned out to support Katigbak as the brand’s new country manager—and a good number of them broke out the plastic, we learned. There were also some walk-in clients, couples shopping for engagement rings and wedding bands.
The pre-Valentine event was not the relaunch of Tiffany here—not yet. That will be sometime in June, when it unveils its flagship boutique in Greenbelt 4, Makati. (Tiffany will keep its stores at Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La Plaza, Katigbak said.)
Tiffany will beef up its jewelry offerings here with mid- to high jewelry pieces, said Katigbak. In high jewelry, he has a long, successful history of selling to the country’s elite. (He’s also country manager of Hermès.)
At the Rustan’s event, models wore pieces from the HardWear collection, the edgy line headlined by Lady Gaga in the campaign, and the daintier Tiffany Paper Flowers collection, represented by young actress Elle Fanning.
Tiffany as a brand has been enjoying a sort of renaissance in recent seasons. From the classic Audrey Hepburn, it has made attempts at a more cutting-edge and bolder image, notably when it tapped Lady Gaga to be the face of HardWear, a collection inspired by the edgier side of New York.
While it’s not turning its back on traditional customers, Tiffany has said that it also wants to attract women with Lady Gaga’s brand of fierce feminism and rebellious streak.
Speaking about Tiffany Blue Book 2018 collection, the brand’s high jewelry collection, chief artistic officer Reed Krakoff told US Town & Country: “These are jewels with a heartbeat, meant to be worn and lived with. It’s a new day for high jewelry. People should make it their own. People want to wear things how they want to wear them.”
