FASHION Council of the Philippines designers Vic Barba, Frederick Peralta, Cesar Gaupo, Jackie Aquino, Tonichi Nocom, Ronald Pineda, Jing Monis, Lulu Tan Gan, Rey Lanada and Randy Ortiz
MANILA, Philippines - I’ve been bitten by the show biz bug. Since my stint in “Celebrity Duets” last year, I have been enthralled by this amazing industry.
So it was captivating to attend the 2nd Annual Star Magic Ball recently. Held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel Ballroom, the ball celebrated Star Magic’s 16 successful years as ABS-CBN’s premier talent development and management center.
It was pure QC-wood, our very own version of Hollywood, as prominent figures in the fashion, media and the entertainment industries converged for one night of glitz and glam. The red-carpet walk was a virtual gauntlet of paparazzi.
Coke Light was front and center, as the world-renowned beverage welcomed the fun and vibrant young stars. To the calorie-counting stars, this is the beverage of choice to produce their ultra skinny figures.
In fact, one of the evening’s most coveted titles was the Coke Light Fashion Icon Awards. My favorite hunk actor, Piolo Pascual, clad in a dashing Hugo Boss suit, and Bea Alonzo, equally resplendent in a gorgeous Patrice Ramos-Diaz gown, were some of the night’s awardees. Both were seen sitting in the Top Honchos Table. Only ABS-CBN’s biggest stars have that privilege!
But, of course, the fizz of the evening was supplied by Moet & Chandon. There is no other champagne that can add such class to an affair. As the official supplier to several prestigious international film festivals, this bubbly elevated the overall ambience of the ball. The Moet & Chandon Sparkling Stars of the Night were on-and-off-screen lovers Sam Milby and Anne Curtis.
Half the guests were mingling around the bar enjoying the champagne. There were only a handful of them that I recognized. One of them was charming Enchong Dee, who awarded the winner of Star Cruises Asian cruise raffle prize. This cruise for two will surely be enjoyed by the winners, as Star Cruises is one of the leading cruise liners in Asia.
BayaNiJuan was the beneficiary of the evening and received a sizeable donation of P200,000 from Star Magic and Planet Flip-Flops. Indeed, giving back rewards everyone, as charity is always shared from the heart.
Vibrant
With an equal sparkling of imaginative brilliance, plus a peppering of class and elegance, the recent Samsung Soul was another sophisticated and vibrant event. One of the leading innovators in mobile phones, Samsung launched its most advanced unit amid a magical white forest of fairies, minotaur, unicorns and a Sea Princess enchantress.
Encased in a brushed titanium body and measuring only 12.9 mm, the Samsung Soul is a classy mobile, packed with amazing features like a 5-megapixel camera with power LED, face detection, image stabilizer and powerful tunes powered by Bang & Olufsen technology. Truly a device with “wow” built into it.
The Peninsula Ballroom never looked so magical! Silver trees adorned pathways leading to enchanted table settings created by talented Zenas Pineda. My puffy Jun Escario gown and bejeweled fairy wings matched perfectly with the lighted wands given to all the guests.
Wearing a magician’s cape, Samsung Mobile VP Charles Choi welcomed the guests to an evening like no other. As he encouraged them to let their imagination soar, the eager Samsung dealers and partners, telecom operators and society figures waved their lighted wands for more magic.
And indeed, more magic came with Erik Mana’s unbelievable tricks. After the playful nymphs and mythology-themed fashion show by talented young designers Tippi Ocampo, Patty Eustaquio, Aval Bacudio and Jun Escario, more tricks stunned the guests.
As the crowd chanted and waved their wands, Samsung GM Jerry Lacson and head of Mobile Phones Fe Varilla gave each guest a Samsung Soul, brought in by the mythical creatures of the forest.
Samsung is everywhere! At Metro Fashionwear, Samsung was also the host of the show together with ABS-CBN’s Metro Magazine. The Fashion Council of the Philippines showcased yet another awesome show, revealing how talented our local fashion designers are.
Red-hot promo
And for its latest red-hot promo, Samsung Mobile tied up with HSBC and Sun Cellular for the Power of Three deal. Intrigued by the triangular invitation that proclaimed the Power of Three, guests arrived and were surrounded by life-size images of powerhouse trios like Charlie’s Angels and The Chipmunks.
The Power of Three is a phenomenal deal, allowing new HSBC cardholders to get a brand-new Samsung M620 along with a Sun Cellular Plan P350 subscription. The silver units will not be available via retail, so all the attendees walked away with a truly unique phone.
It’s truly fantastic to see such an imaginative promotion, and one that combines three great brands into one cooperative venture. I’ve been racking my imagination, too, this past month, working on fundraising efforts for the Philippine National Red Cross.
The beauty of it all is that I have received such positive responses from everyone I have touched to help out on the project, from Leo Riingen and the other members of the Camera Club of the Philippines, to Rene Figueroa of Pagcor, to Helmut Gaisberger of Mandarin Oriental, to Frederick Go of Robinsons Land, and so many other kind souls that I cannot possibly list in this short and limited space.
Suffice it to say that in the next few weeks, I’ll be writing more about these exciting efforts that Rajo Laurel and some other friends are all doing for charity. I hope that, till then, everyone’s imaginations will continue to be piqued.
Copyright 2009 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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