Inquirer RED: 2016 February

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AllTheThat Glitters Heritage of Luxury 2/12/16 10:32 AM

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1/14/16 5:20 PM

EDITOR'S NOTE

Business of Passion I remember sitting atop a pattern-making table that my mom had in her dress shop, set up in my grandmother’s place in Dasmariñas Village; I was a toddler then. After it closed, my mom opened the fashion and dressmaking school Golden Hands, and in my tweens, I loved going with her to fabric stores whenever I wanted some clothes made. Now, I work in the fashion industry— well, I don’t make clothes, but I’m passionate about fashion and everything that goes with it. And I never really thought about how this connects to what my mom did until I started working on this issue.

Jewelry is the focus this month and how it passed on across generations. My favorite brand is Jewelmer. After all, isn’t the pearl our national stone? But mostly, I like the brand because not only has the business been passed down through generations but also its industry of pearl farming. It’s a trade that gets inherited, like jewelry.

In this issue, we also feature the fairest of the pieces presented at design fair Maison & Objet, Issey Miyake’s latest collaboration, and a snippet about the lost jewels from the Marcos era.

I’ve learned that nothing is coincidence; passion gets passed on. What are you passing down to your kids?

@riaprieto

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Inquirer RED Magazine-OFFICIAL

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Want to see the other issues of Inquirer RED Magazine? Check out inquirer.net/red

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CONTENTS

This page: Delfine collar necklace, Chloé, chloe.com On the cover: Diamonds in white gold bracelet, Jul B. Dizon Jewellery; two-strand necklace with 27 and 29 white South Sea pearls, Jewelmer; earrings of tanzanite with mother of pearl collar, diamonds, and akoya pearls, Aum Jewels. All available at The Peninsula Manila.

Photography Patrick Segovia

ACQUIRED 8 A tale of two design forces

ATTIRED 19 The latest collections

and what they’re bringing

to have and to hold

to the table

DEVOURED 9

ART 22

Adaäm & Yves takres us back

Wider points of view at this

to the genesis of the

year’s Art Fair Philippines

organic movement

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INSPIRED 12

TECH 23

Objets of desire

A timepiece declared almost out of this world

ADMIRED 14

THOUGHT PIECE 24

Manila’s most sought

Three writers answer Facebook’s

after bling ring

question: What’s on your mind?

Group Publisher Bea Ledesma Editor in Chief Ria Prieto Creative Director Nimu Muallam Associate Editor Meg Manzano Copy Editor September Grace Mahino Editorial Assistant Loren Dimaano Staff Photographer Patrick Segovia External Relations Officer Liza Jison

Contributing Writers Ringo Bunoan, Pristine De Leon, Doris Dumlao, Angela Manuel Go, September Grace Mahino, Bambina Olivares Wise, Cai Subijano, Contributing Photographers Sam Lim Contributing Illustrator Lee Caces

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Board Chairperson Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez SVP and Group Sales Head, Inquirer Group of Companies Pepito Olarte Sales Director Ma. Katrina Mae Garcia-Dalusong Business and Distribution Manager Rina Lareza Sales Inquiries Email: sales@hip.ph Telephone No: +63 (2) 403 8825 local 239

2/12/16 11:08 AM

ON THE RADAR

Romancing the Stones The latest on all that glitters W ORD S P RI S TI NE D E LEON

k BOTH ENDS MEET CHILD’S PLAY

Dior’s Granville collection looks more like stolen jewels from a nine-year-old’s doll set.

Of course, we should have expected no less from Victoire de Castellane, the infamous high-end jewelry designer whose works have gone from controversial and sublimely psychedelic to just downright trippy. Here, though a bit less outlandish yet still straying from convention, de Castellane brandished a rainbow of aquamarines, amethysts, beryls, and tanzanites, their shapes forming no obvious pattern and their arrangement snubbing symmetrical rules. The name of the line is a nod to Christian Dior’s hometown at the coast of Normandy, as the collection pays homage to childhood’s joie de vivre, its enjoyable mayhems embodied in the collection’s many multicolored stones.

The 10-piece capsule collection by ready-towear label Sacai can, in a sense, be called a study in contrast, what with its two designers hailing from the opposite ends of the globe (jewelry designer Sophie Bille Brahe is based in Copenhagen while Sacai’s founder Chitose Abe resides in Tokyo). Their feminine and masculine styles create jewelry stripped of the complications that the line coined “sacaisophiebillebrahe” would otherwise suggest. Bille Brahe’s delicate sculptural touches meet Abe’s rough bent, birthing croissant moon earrings that feature pearls and gold chain fringe. Last Feb. 2, the collection has reached Dover Street Market in London—incidentally also where the two designers had first met over a year ago.

f MOTHER OF PEARL

Kris Jenner, celebrity, manager, and the grand dame of reality TV’s most infamous clan, is delving into yet another business at 60. In between posting photos of Kendall Jenner’s Calvin Klein campaign and Khloe Kardashian’s talk show, the matriarch promoted the Kris Jenner Signature Collection, which, as of the moment, consists only of a limited edition piece: a string of Majorca pearls in gray, champagne, and black.

There may yet be more to the line than the necklace that doubles as a bracelet. As always, the momager enlists us to just stay tuned.

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AUCTION STARS

Largely associated with the world’s most legendary auctions since the 18th century, Christie’s recently launched its latest set of vintage whimsies that date back to the Belle Epoque. The Art Deco-inspired rings, watches, and brooches from powerhouses Buccellati, Bulgari, Cartier, David Webb, Mikimoto, and Tiffany & Co. went under the hammer for an online-only auction, with a pair of antique natural pearl and diamond earrings made circa 1890 as the most covetable item.

i STARS IN THE CLOSET

The stars are aligning this season as online retailer Moda Operandi commissioned a number of designers to create their fifth anniversary capsule series Créateurs. The first collection culled inspiration from the zodiac, closely mimicking the constellations’ natural designs, and French footwear and accessories label Christian Louboutin created heeled mules and pointy-toed flats for each celestial sign.

Each shoe can come customized with birth dates and initials to go with the small sequins and gold-embroidered star points. The collection was made to have every wearer “witness the wonders of the universe from a mere glance at [her] feet”— possibly the closest we can get to prancing and dancing with the stars.

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h ALL THE QUEEN’S JEWELS

The reviews surrounding BBC’s War and Peace can well make up their own convoluted storyline: The Daily Mail calls it “too English,” academics are up in arms over its highly sexualized plot, and The Telegraph lauded it “the greatest costume drama of the decade.”

Needless to say, the series partly owes the last remark to the stones that adorned its fictional czarinas. While less controversial than Tolstoy’s literary classic, Axenoff Jewellery by Petr Axenoff lends some serious Russian gleam to the series that is deemed too English. The designer took inspiration from St. Petersburg’s palaces and museums, refashioning them into tiaras, necklaces, and hand-painted cherubs cavorting within cocktail rings. With these, audience all over were assured that the opulence of Russia wasn’t lost in another gimmicky period drama.

2/12/16 11:08 AM

SPECIAL FEATURE

Golden Era

Jewelmer Joaillerie reveals their newest collection

While talismans dating back to the medieval era haven’t quite lost their charm, we’re not ones to pass off on gorgeous ones crafted with South Sea pearls. The Chinese New Year has always warranted certain celebrations, whether it’s a dizzying dose of retail therapy or a banquet shared with friends and family, the crossing of that yearly threshold comes with much promise and possibility. This year, Jewelmer Joaillerie has decided to take part in this embarkation with the Auspicious 8 collection—a set of jewelry we’d gladly wear every day with denims or even a LBD. A golden pearl sits in 18-karat yellow gold with intricately crafted emblems meant to awaken an auspicious force. From a dragon meant to call forth power or the littlest pineapple that is associated with money, luck, and continuous good fortune, these modern day talismans offer the easiest choice for the discernin crowd and those looking to channel worldly fortune.

Auspicious 8 collection, Jewelmer, The Peninsula Manila

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ACQUIRED

Table of Contents Issey Miyake and Iittala’s latest collaboration W ORD S ME G MA NZA NO

At first glance, the curious lot is comprised of pastel pieces that design and fashion folks alike would easily stock up on in a matter of minutes out of sheer visual association. But after the figurative dust settles, one finds that unlike sartorial soldiers who simply march to the beat of popular design and stamp their names on an otherwise typical set of décor, Issey Miyake’s collaboration with Finlandbased design studio Iittala holds up. Following his structured Bao Bao collection—which garnered such enviable reception that the pieces, previously sold only in MoMa Design stores and online, now has its own boutique in Singapore—Miyake once again harkens back to the trade he’s most known for: garment pleating. The aesthetic usually seen in his runway collections found new iterations in polyester place mats and table runners that do away with unsightly curled edges, the linens conveniently snapping back into place after use. The table napkins also pay subtle homage to Japan as it follows the shape of Mount Fuji. “The colors and shapes we’ve used are reflections of nature,” comments Iittala’s creative director Jeremiah Tesolin. From its rich greens to cherry blossom pinks, the collection is as much decorative as it is functional. •

Left: Table linens ranging from $30 to $225 in muted pastels and neutrals.

Top: “They work as functional tableware or decorative objects. Keep them where you’ll see them,” says Tesolin.

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DEVOURED

In the Beginning Adaäm & Yves one-ups every other organic restaurant concept by going back further to the basics WORDS LORE N DIM A AN O P H OT OGRAP H Y S AM L IM

Left: XXXXX

Details of the interiors include chained-swing chairs

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The organic movement in the food and beverage industry has been a trend for the past few years, and numerous restaurants did their fair share to attract more diners towards the healthier lifestyle. Hence, opening another organic restaurant in the metro requires more than just the expected all-green menu.

It’s easy to imagine Sean Go, a former fashion stylist, taking a step back rather than leaping forward when conceptualizing Adaäm & Yves, because his first venture into food entrepreneurship is tangible evidence that going back to basics unearths the truest form of appreciation.

The raw and industrial interiors emphasize a minimalist concept, but details of chain swingchairs, wire art, and an installation of twinkling lights beg for a second, closer look. Taking in the design is a mere first step to Go’s whole attempt in reinventing the term organic. “If you say organic or healthy food, your first assumption would be it wouldn’t taste as good, so filling our menu with comfort food or breakfast food would actually draw attention and people in,” he explains.

Aside from compiling a thesaurus of puns, Adaäm & Yves’ playful menu marries comfort food with healthy ingredients. Their Pink Floyd,

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Clockwise from top left: One of the wired mannequins populating Adaäm & Yves; one of their most unique dishes, the Pink Floyd; the Jacques and Gilles Salad.

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for instance, is basically organic pink rice cooked as arroz caldo, with the hard-boiled egg and chicken meat both free-range, while buckwheat waffles smothered with muscovado syrup and free-range chicken is mischievously named Brooklyn Borough. The dishes are as light on the pocket as they are on the conscience. “Just because we’re organic doesn’t mean we’re expensive.”

While all-day breakfast diners often come with a clean palette, Signum House, the Scandinavian wine and whisky lounge on the second floor, offers a different kind of comfort. Here, crisp white couches paired with masculine trunk tables, a bar with a pipe grid background, and brass-copper stool chairs draw conversation. But despite their respective specific elements, there is uniform design that flows from Adaäm & Yves to Signum

House. Peeking over a portion of the second floor is a view of the kitchen, but the center of attraction is the minimalist, monochromatic bar that serves organic whiskey, staying true to the place’s allorganic memo even on a night of drinks.

From the thought-out menu to the canvases and trinkets that further give Adaäm & Yves its character, Go has established a wholly organic experience, from plate to design palette. He challenges the rather common trend in the food and beverage industry and injects a unique twist by ramping up the design and the menu. A visit to Adaäm & Yves must be more than just a dine-in trip; here, one can learn how the organic movement can be a full lifestyle, how it can transcend the dish and become an environment to dwell in. •

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The interiors combine industrial and minimalist deisgns, adding a unique edge to what could have been a typical organic restaurant

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INSPIRED

Maison & Objets of Desire Inquirer RED rounds up the fairest of them all WORDS M E G M AN Z AN O

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BLOOM TOWN

Seletti’s collaboration with Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba sees a rather noir aesthetic, with horror film favorites such as chainsaws, hatchets, guns, and truncheons rendered in crisp porcelain and given floral finishes. The pieces follow Seletti’s penchant for fusing classic details with the most unexpected forms and their ability to transform historical figures into something playful and sarcastic.

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2/12/16 11:09 AM

FIRST EDIZIONI

h JPG FILES

TOP TAPE

Beyond Object unveils the Cantili, a tape dispenser disguised as a metal sculpture.

Featuring concave circles, a metallic finish, and a cantilever (from which it derives its name), the tape dispenser signifies the end to all unsightly tape dispensers the world over.

Channeling similar spirits, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lelièvre, and Tabisso partnered up for the collection entitled “Typographia” that features “oxydized” fabric. In its lounge chairs and floor lamps, the roughness that usually characterizes rust has been replaced by the impossible softness of faux suede.

From Galvanic brushed brass to black stone and gorgeous aluminum, EDIZIONI Design’s acquaintance with Maison & Objet in Paris resulted to pieces that are nothing if not minimalist. Though the group aspires to rid their creations of anything remotely conceived as ornamental, the collection suffers from neither being too bare nor, god forbid, boring.

i RETAIL THERAPY Ai Weiwei’s “Er Xi” at Le Bon Marché marks the artist’s first work created specifically for a retail space

LIGHT MATERIAL

“Fabrics, shapes, and materials made me radically change my traditional idea of the lamp,” intimates designer David Oppizzi of his piece, the Eau de lumière. Marrying motion with fixtures, the pieces borrow from the shape of luxury perfume bottles to achieve a certain elegance. Whether one opts for the versions made with real wood oak or white Carrera marble, the lamps aspire to be a poetic installations, illuminated with LED lights.

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ADMIRED

THE BAUBLE GANG

It isn't just jewelry that gets passed from generation to generation as the business of designing them is also a family affair

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WORDS S E P T E M BE R G R A C E M A H I N O P H OT OGRAP H Y PAT R I C K S EG O V I A

In an enterprise that handles precious merchandise, it’s but natural to trust no one else except family. Beyond the monetary and management concerns, there is the task of preserving the company name along with the artistry and the quality of work upon which it was built, which are what keeps a heritage brand from remaining a thing of the past.

For these second- and third-generation jewelers, the stories of how their elders built and established their family businesses were well-known to them since childhood. They might have taken career detours first before coming back to the fold, but regardless of how far they had wandered, the pull of their creative inheritance proved too important to resist. Besides, being their own boss proved to be much more fun and making decisions is a constant but welcome challenge.

As they run decades-old brands, each having its own set of generational clients, they continue to uphold the principles they’ve learned by example from older generations, all the while keeping an eye on the future.

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JACQUES BRANELLEC Jewelmer Joaillerie

“Had the founders of the company not been resilient, there’d be no Jewelmer today. But they fought on, and we always remember the heritage.

We know it wasn’t an easy road to get here and that it’s still not an easy road to continue on, so we keep looking for ways to do things better.”.

Two-strand necklace with 27 and 29 white South Sea pearls, Jewelmer, The Peninsula Manila

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CANDY DIZON

Jul B. Dizon Jewelry

“Honestly, I don’t think my siblings and I added anything to the core values of our business since our mom got them on point already. She taught us that our name is everything, and we should take care of clients as if they were family. Being reliable and honest, creating products of quality—all of those we still do now.”

Snowflake diamond earrings in white gold with detachable carnelian tassel; Ribbon necklace in yellow gold wires and fresh water pearl; carved ivory flower ring with yellow gold cut out details; cabochon and faceted aquamarines with blue sapphire; Diamonds in white gold bracelet, all from Jul B. Dizon Jewellery

MIA FLOIRENDO

T. Florencio Jewelry

“It was a foregone conclusion that my brothers and I would take over the business, but I’ve always liked wearing jewelry; I can talk 24/7 about it. My lola and my mom weren’t formally educated in jewelry-making, but my lola could tell a diamond’s quality— maybe L.C. not as elaborately as the 4Cs we use now, but she knew her diamonds.

A client has to trust their jeweler before making such a personal purchase.”

Creole pave earrings with detachable dangling kite motif, T. Florencio Jewelry, Shangri-La Mall

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M AKE UP JIL L F E L IX H AIR ROCH E L L E L ACUN A

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PAUL SYJUCO Aum Jewels

“The first two generations weren’t really doing retail, as they had their own selection of clients. Our business was never about volume anyway.

We’re a small operation; when people come in, they talk to me personally.”

Necklace of mother of pearl carvings, amethyst drops, peridot beads in gold; earrings of tanzanite with mother of pearl collar, diamonds, and akoya pearls; pendant of red tree coral, peridot, akoya pearls, and diamonds in gold; earrings of rhodochrosite, diamonds, and akoya pearls in rose gold, all available at Aum Jewels, The Peninsula Manila

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Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts, Dr. Teal’s, drteals.pdcbrandsusa.com≠ Deep Cleansing Bar, Erno Laszlo, ernolaszlo.com

No bubble bombs allowed, please WORDS CAI S UBIJAN O

There is an art to taking a proper bath, and it’s far different from the foam and bubbles you were used to as a child.

The grown woman’s approach is luxurious, languid, and purposeful. A rookie dumps in a bath bomb, while a pro mixes a proper ratio of bath salts to essential oils before stepping in.

Here’s how to break it down:

BATH OILS If you decided on the Epsom salt route, a cup of coconut oil and your favorite essential oil will do the trick. Take out the guesswork with Susanne Kaufmann’s Oil Bath For the Senses, which contains ylang-ylang tree, patchouli plant, and lavender to moisturize skin. Pour 30 ml. in a tub

BATH BUBBLES You’re never too old for bubbles.

Fresh Sugar Lychee Sugarbath Cubes are aromatic cubes enriched with real brown sugar, which releases nourishing oils for moisture, while a bicarbonate of soda creates bubbles to lift away dry skin.

BATH SOAKS Bath soaks are meant to cleanse dry skin while providing moisture to the surface. Laura Mercier Crème Brûlée Honey Bath is a well-loved bathtub companion with its combination of caramel, spun sugar, and French vanilla bean. Similarly, Santa Maria Novella Olio Da Bagno Sandalo is meant to cleanse without depleting the skin’s natural oils.

BATH BARS AND GELS There is no better indulgence than the Rodin Bath Bar, which contains essential oils and Jasmine and Neroli fragrance.

Want something more deep-cleansing? Try Erno Lazlo Sea Mud Exfoliating Cleansing Bar, which contains therapeutic Dead Sea Mud, while the heady Tom Ford Oud Wood Shower Gel mixes an exotic blend of rare oudwood, sandalwood, patchouli, and Turkish rose. •

Bath Oil, Santa Maria Novella, smnovella.it

BATH SALTS First things first: bath salts are not for exfoliating. They are for detoxifying. I once read that Liv Tyler dumps an entire box of Epsom salts in the bath with equal parts hydrogen peroxide to sweat all the toxins out. Harnn bath salts, on the other hand, are made with natural sea salt to detox, plus natural minerals like sodium, potassium, and calcium. Sandalwood and orange blossom essential oils complete the relaxing experience.

of 37° C bathwater and soak in it for 20 minutes.

Bath Oil, Susanne Kaufmann, susannekaufmann.com

Sugar Lychee Sugarbath, Fresh, fresh.com

Bath Habits

Bath Soap, Rodin, net-a-porter.com

Oud Wood Shower Gel, Tom Ford, tomford.com

Bath Salt, Harnn, harnn.com

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BARED

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Petals of love, Pandora, Greenbelt 5; Ime Ring, Joanique, Cura V, Powerplant Mall; Amour Pendant, Jewelmer, The Peninsula Manila; Gold arrow bracelet, Mawi, Cura V, Powerplant Mall; Moments silver bracelet, Pandora, Greenbelt 5

ATTIRED

Guilty Pleasures The season's baubles are quite the enchanting and curious lot S T Y L I N G M EG MA N Z A N O PH O T O G R A PH Y PAT R I C K S EG O V I A

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Illusion Necklace, Jewelmer, The Peninsula Manila; Ring, Erika Concepcion, Cura V, Powerplant Mall; Moments silver bracelet, eternal hearts chain, red pave ball, red pave hanging heart, wild hearts, pave heart, all from Pandora, Greenbelt 5

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Ring, Nicole Whisenhunt, Cura V, Powerplant Mall; Illusion Ring, Jewelmer, The Peninsula Manila

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ART

A Window of Opportunities Art Fair Philippines raised the bar with a wider range of artworks WORDS LORE N DIM A AN O

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Every year, the parking lot of The Link gets transformed into an art haven. This year’s Art Fair Philippines, held from Feb. 18 to 21 in celebration of National Arts Month, featured a variety of artworks from local artists in reflection of the theme “World’s Window to Philippine Art.” Sponsored by Make It Makati, Volkswagen, and AyalaLand Premier, Art Fair Philippines aims to promote contemporary Philippine art especially to the greater public, pricing its event tickets affordably: P150 for local residents, P50 for students, and free passes for Makati students.

For 2016, Art Fair Philippines reserved three levels of The Link to house the works of both up-and-coming and well-renowned artists. With the annually increasing visitor headcount, jumping from what used to be 6000 visitors on its first year to 16,000 last year, the event carried a wider range of art galleries and artists for its latest installment in anticipation of an even bigger attendance. The fifth level was dedicated as the space where art talks were held, facilitated by official educational partner Ateneo Art Gallery, and a lounge bar with Kai, The Straits Wine Company, and Don Papa Rum as official food and beverage partners. The sixth and seventh levels, meanwhile, were divided among the 40 participating art galleries, which included 1335 Mabini, Art Verite Gallery, Blanc, CANVAS, Galeria Cayon, MO_ Space, PABLO, Pinto Art Gallery, The Drawing Room, Vinyl on Vinyl, and YOD Gallery.

There were also special exhibits by Bench that featured artists Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, Mark Justiniani, Martha Atienza, Nona Garcia, At Maculangan, Raffy Napay, and Pamela Yan Santos.

From its humble beginnings in 2013 of simply showcasing local talent, the event has since grown into a window of opportunity for international art scenes to take notice of Philippine talent. Art Fair Philippines takes pride in becoming the local reference for those seeking the best of Philippine contemporary art. “It allows for art to be accessible to the public—families, office workers, even the younger millennial generation are exposed to the global competitive art scene. Art Fair Philippines puts the country on the map alongside international counterparts,” remarked Meean Dy, Senior Vice President of Ayala Land and Group Head of Strategic Landbank Management, during the Art Fair Philippines 2016 press launch. • Clockwise from left: Pam Yan Santos; At Maculangan; Nona Garcia; Raffy Napay; Mac Valdezco; Martha Atienza; Mark Justiniani; Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan

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TECH

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Flight Status Convenience and connectivity from Brietling’s most advanced pilot’s watch WORDS AN GE L A M AN UE L GO

Breitling first announced its entry into the field of wearable technology in 2015 with the Breitling B55. Since then, the watchmaker has redeveloped and redesigned the concept to create a more advanced and specialized model, now known as the B55 Exospace. The watch is designed as a cross between a traditional pilot’s watch and a modern day smart watch, enhancing its functionality with Bluetooth features and smartphone-synchronized capabilities.

The B55 Exospace marries the elegance of Swiss-made creations with the convenience of a

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• 46mm titanium case • Water resistant to 100m/330ft • Uni-directional bezel and a front sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment • Sporty rubber strap • SmartQuartz movement

digital device and the suave appeal of a luxury timepiece, providing users convenient features such as additional time zones, SMS and call notifications, and alarms and reminders. First tested on NASA pilots, its technical aviation necessities include flight time logs, countdowns to “mission start,” and a quick-activated backlight to minimize mid-flight movement for pilots, all included in the digital tracking by the dedicated app designed by the company. The unit is powered by a rechargeable battery with the capacity of a month and a half of regular use. •

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BUSINESS W ORDS D ORI S DUM L AO - ABADIL L A

Demystifying Stock Investing

A

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s soon as we were old enough to handle cash, we’ve all been told by our elders to save up.

The cash ninong gave last Christmas? Put it in the bank. The savings you generate because you’ve begun to work and yet still live with your parents? Keep it in the bank.

It’s not a bad thing, really, when the only alternative is to splurge on new clothes, gadgets, and frequent clubbing with friends. But neither is it good if all we do is save up and be content with the low interest rates offered by the bank.

At some point in our lives, we graduate from being savers to investors. It’s a natural progression in our FQ or financial quotient to learn how we could make money work for us instead of the other way around. Experts agree that putting all your money in a savings account isn’t going to do the trick. A long time ago, living on interest was fine, but with interest rates now at record lows, it’s almost a sin to just rely on deposits alone because the interest could only be eroded by inflation rate.

Diversification is the new mantra. Especially for young people looking to build wealth and who have five or 10 years—even longer—to maybe buy a car or a house in the future and plan their retirement, conventional wisdom dictates that stocks should be part of the portfolio.

Fund manager Marvin Fausto and his wife Mary Rose, also financial literacy advocate, have raised their three boys Martin, Enrique, and Anton to be high-FQ kids who regularly save and invest. It all started with stocks given to the kids as gifts 15 to 20 years ago. These stocks

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have since appreciated in value and earned cash dividends, which were then likewise reinvested.

The kids made it a habit to invest all cash gifts they get from their ninongs, ninangs, aunties, and uncles, as well as the savings they get out of their allowance. As young adults now, the Fausto kids have enough seed money to set up a business or start their own family.

Buying stocks is simply buying into a company for a chance to participate in its future growth. Think of a property company like Ayala Land Inc., developer of the Makati central business district and Bonifacio Global City, or SM Prime Holdings Inc., the company behind the household brand SM Malls. Then there’s Jollibee Foods Corp., a familiar brand to every Filipino child and now one of the world’s largest fastfood chains. There are utility stocks the likes of Manila Electric Co., the company that provides electricity to the metropolis. Look at ABS-CBN or GMA7, which are thriving on political advertisements during the run-up to the May presidential elections.

There are over 300 companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange but the 30 largest in market capitalization, the most liquid, and the most closely watched—ergo the best representatives of this market—are part of the local stock barometer called PSE index or PSEi. Buying shares in these companies is like being business partners with the tycoons who built them, even if they do not know you personally. Even if you just have a few shares in these companies, you have the right to scrutinize

them and voice any concern during the annual stockholders meetings. The shares of these publicly listed companies are traded in a stock exchange where investors can buy or sell shares through their brokers at any time during trading hours (9:30 am to 3:30 pm, with market recess from 12 pm to 1:30 pm).

But as risk is inherent in any business, the investor also participates in the risk-taking. He must thus know more about the company he is investing in. Many investors pick stocks based on underlying fundamentals, but to determine the best timing for trades, they study the charts or technical analysis.

The more risk an investor is willing to take, the higher the prospective returns. This means the more aggressive investor will have more stocks than cash in his portfolio. But prudence dictates that one should invest in stocks only the money he won’t need for quite sometime, that money meant for your car loan amortization or for your child’s tuition fee next semester is better kept in cash or in a savings account. Investing in stocks works best for those who are willing to take a long-term view.

To date, less than one percent of Filipinos invest in stocks, which means a small portion of the domestic population had reaped the rewards of the bull run seen since 2009.

For newbies trying out stock investing, the common strategy recommended by experts is peso cost averaging. This means choosing one solid stock that you like best—PLDT or Ayala Land, for example—then buying the same stocks

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Blood Diamond regularly over a period of time. The logic is, since it’s difficult to catch market peaks and bottoms, one can even out risks and generate good returns over time.

For investors with neither time nor confidence to pick their own stocks, a good alternative is to invest in funds that invest in a basket of stocks, then let the professionals manage them. Mutual funds were invented by financial wizards to pool investment and allow investors to generate the same return in proportion to their investment. It can be as simple as a fund tracking the PSEi or a fund that invests in a mix of equities and bonds.

Recently, the local stock market took a heavy beating due to a number of global uncertainties like the economic slowdown in China and the start of interest rate hikes in the United States. As the country has done extremely well in the last six years, achieving a sovereign investment grade rating for the first time in history, the upcoming presidential election is making investors jittery.

From a record high closing of 8,127 in April last year, the PSEi is now trading at the 6,600 levels, marking a retreat by nearly 19 percent. The country’s leading online stock brokerage COL Financial calls this the “buyer’s market,” a chance for investors to pick up quality stocks at cheaper valuations. As legendary American investor Warren Buffet has said, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.” •

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hen I lived in South Africa, I fancied the idea of buying myself a rough diamond: unpolished, uncut, and straight from the mines. I was told, however, that while it was not impossible to do so, it was not advisable.

There would be a ton of paperwork involved, special permits and licenses to be issued, or else I would never be able to take the stone out of the country lest I be accused of smuggling.

For the insistent and desperate, there was also the black market. Zimbabwean peddlers on the street had rough stones that they carried around in plastic shopping bags. They were cheaper, the quality was quite good, I was assured, but the provenance was morally dubious, coming most likely from the blood-soaked mines of Marange where government security forces were implicated in widespread human rights abuses.

Did I really want a diamond, rough or not, that was tainted not by doomed love but by conflict?

Emotion has always been used to sell jewelry. Auction catalogues wax rhapsodic about magnificent stones that had once been part of the royal jewels of the Maharajah of Patiala, the collection of the Duchess of Windsor, or lavish tokens of love from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor, framing them as evoking romance, fidelity, majesty, wisdom, longing, and nostalgia for eras long gone.

But what if the history embedded in a piece of jewelry is symbolic of a dictatorship’s excesses, acquired while trampling on its citizens’ human rights, paid with money brazenly appropriated from the treasury? What emotions would that evoke?

How do you spin that tale of blood into a romance?

The Marcos jewels, it has been reported, may be sold at an auction by the Philippine government to raise money. In 1991, when they were last appraised, they were valued from $5 million to $7 million; They are undoubtedly worth much more today. A Cartier diamond tiara is estimated to be worth more than $100,000, while an exceedingly rare 25-carat Indian pink diamond is said to be worth at least $5million.

The pink diamond is said to be from India’s famous Golconda region, home of another legendary find: the Hope Diamond, a stunning blue diamond originally weighing over 112 carats that once belonged to King Louis XIV of France and now resides in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, sized down to 45.52 carats, thanks to several re-cuttings and resettings over the centuries.

If placed at auction, it’s almost certain there will be fierce bidding for the Hope Diamond. I’m not so sure, though, about the jewelry collection Imelda Marcos had amassed within two decades of power, even if David Warren, part of the team from Christie’s that inspected the jewelry, had remarked, “If I didn’t know where the collection came from, I would probably say it could have come from a royal person.”

I suppose he’s not far off the mark. Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos did fancy themselves royals, and they stockpiled enough jewelry to prove it. No doubt they paid a king’s ransom— and more—for it.

The question is, will anyone else? •

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Bambina Olivares Wise is a correspondent for WWD.

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Marker 2016 pays tribute to the legacy of Roberto Chabet, a pioneering Filipino conceptual artist, curator, and teacher who led and supported several alternative spaces throughout his lifetime. Alongside his work, the exhibition will feature a new generation of artist-run spaces that are currently active in Manila: 98B Collaboratory in Escolta, Project 20 in UP Village, Post Gallery in Cubao, and Thousandfold in Taguig. It will bring together a wide range of works, including installations, photographs, videos, soft sculptures, textiles, and works on paper by artists from different generations, including Jayson Oliveria, Jed Escueta, Issay Rodriguez, Katherine Nunez, Mark Barretto, Julius Redillas, J Pacena, Miguel Lope Inumerable, Wawi Navarroza, Tammy David, Gino Javier, IC Jaucian, Czar Kristoff, Gail Vicente, and Tanya Villanueva. Apart

from artworks, the exhibition will also include a selection of books, catalogs, and other reference on Philippine art. Rather than focusing on a particular form or theme, Marker 2016 seeks to show the diversity of art practices that are giving shape and viability to contemporary Philippine art.

Many issues raised by artist-run spaces remain relevant today as Filipino artists continue to negotiate and claim their place in the global contemporary art scene. The resilience of artistrun spaces and independent art initiatives, alongside the phenomenal growth of new art markets and cultural industries in the region, became instrumental in the nurturing of contemporary art in the last decade, enabling artists to forge alternative ways to navigate the complexities of the past and the present, and chart potential trajectories for the future. •

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ow on its tenth year, Art Dubai selected the Philippines as the focus country of Marker 2016, a special curated exhibition within the fair that aims to introduce contemporary art practices from various parts of the globe and encourage cross-cultural exchange. Previous editions spotlighted Indonesia, West Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America.

This year’s Marker exhibition will be the first time for the Philippines to be highlighted in a major international art fair. It is also the first presentation of contemporary art from the Philippines in the Middle East region.

Dubai is home to one of the biggest Filipino migrant communities in the Middle East, and Filipinos have long contributed to the economic development in the region. By selecting the Philippines as the focus of Marker 2016, Art Dubai also recognizes Filipinos for their part in the global contemporary art scene.

For Marker 2016, I was invited to assemble an exhibition that draws attention to the long history of artist-run spaces in the Philippines.

Given the weak cultural infrastructure in the country, artist-run spaces have long played a vital role in the development of contemporary art by providing artists the much needed space to create and present works outside the conventions of most museums and commercial galleries.

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