Inquirer RED: 2017 May

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A Creative Force

Mai Mai Cojuangco

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CONTENTS

ACQUIRED 4 Designer bags opt for the casual drawstring closure

ART 6 The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design brings global art closer to home

EDITOR’S NOTE

I have been using facial masks so much that I even convinced my friends to use them, too. We now send each other photos of ourselves wearing them. Yes, we use them to keep our skin tight and moisturized and to slow down aging. I want to tackle aging straight in the face, so to speak, and slow it down as much as possible without having to do anything major. Though no one can stop time, we can make it our ally in doing everything we can right now to take care of our skin.

In this issue, I write about snail creams—nothing new, I know, but a lot of people still haven’t tried them, and I want to help them be more aware of what these products can do. Speaking of old and new, we also feature men’s leather watches from the most prestigious brands. I am crazy about leather-strapped watches. They are so luxurious yet also subdued that I begged my husband to buy one, trying to convince him that he could easily hand it down to one of our three sons. But he knew that that wasn’t really my main intention.

Mai Mai Cojuangco is our cover girl. I’m excited that RED finally got to catch her in the country and shoot her. A surprisingly childlike and elegant beauty, she was so refreshing to meet.

I’m already rambling about the stories I’m happy to share with you, but I do hope you enjoy this issue.

ADMIRED 8 Mai Mai Cojuangco is no longer the It Girl you once knew

ATTIRED 14

Time is money, as these heritage pieces show

EXPLORED 20

Pick your own adventure around Palawan

DEVOURED 24

A new cookbook tells of a family legacy and the intersection of cultures

THINKPIECE 26

A daughter reflects on her imperfect but loving relationship with her mother On the cover:

Top and pants, both Ivar Aseron;

shoes, Robert Clergerie, Univers, One Rockwell.

Photography Regine David

This page: Sable Outdoor Fabric

Collection, Hermès,

Greenbelt 3

@riarecommends

Group Publisher Bea J. Ledesma Editor in Chief Ria Prieto Creative Director Nimu Muallam Copy Editor September Grace Mahino Editorial Assistant Tisha Ramirez Staff Photographer Patrick Segovia Account Executive Liza Jison

Contributing Writers Bambina Olivares-Wise and Olivia

Sylvia Estrada

Contributing Photographers Regine David and

Patrick Diokno

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

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Want to see the other issues of Inquirer RED Magazine? Check out inquirer.net/red Inquirer RED Magazine is a monthly luxury magazine published by Hinge Inquirer Publications.

RED is available at Fully Booked for free. For subscription inquiries, please contact 0917-5854870 or visit go.hip.ph/subscribe.

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Lounge and Luxe Designs for life between the sea and the sky WORDS TISHA RAMIREZ

Hermès makes home designs that fit in with the universe of external houseware. The coordinated printed and jacquard fabrics can be used to dress up terrace furniture, poolside pieces, even boats. Keeping to the tradition of using the best textiles, Hermès fabrics are a mix of technical practice and appealing design.

Four color harmonies bring its current designs to life: Atlantique is where the blue of the sea is combined with shades of gray and navy blue. Illuminated coral with naturally hot and sunny notes mark Terracotta, while the contrasts of yellow, bright blue, and brown can be seen in Émeraude. Lastly, Sable presents a more natural range of colors that express the soft and neutral tones of both dry and wet sand and driftwood.

These color stories are thoughtfully used among five different designs. Primary of them is the Perspective cavalière bayadére, done through canvas printing. Here, design duo Anamorphée developed a design of the word “Hermès” based on cavalier projection, which is the technique used to produce two-dimensional images of three-dimensional objects. The Pavage prints, meanwhile, designed by Philippe Mouquet, are also done through canvas printing, inspired by an Hermès tie design and featuring a geometric pattern that echoes the Parisian pavement. A jacquard technique is used for both the Terre d’H and Mini circuit 24 patterns. Also designed by Mouquet, Terre d’H features one of his timeless drawings: a graphic letter H, integrated into a contemporary design.

Designed by Benoit Perry Emery, the Mini circuit 24 pattern mimics the well-known design of Hermès’ Chaîne d’Ancre or Anchor chain bracelet, with the patterns linked together just like in the jewelry piece. With the last pattern Horizon, the twill fabric of the brand’s iconic silk scarf inspires its diagonal weaving. A solid color provides a base for all the other patterns in the collection.

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Clockwise from left: The Atlantique, Émeraude, and Terracotta color stories of the first Outdoor Fabric Collection by Hermès.

The textiles are made of technical fibers and are fitted with different finishes.

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SI

Tan ring bag, Loewe, Adora, Greenbelt 5

Shopper backpack, Emporio Armani, Greenbelt 4

ACQUIRED

Luck of the Drawstring

6

Even luxe brands appreciate the practicality of a fuss-free closure ILLUSTRATION ROI DE CASTRO

ECNEREFFID ELBAKRAMER

SEGNAHC DENIFED

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Rainbow dot cinch bag, Givenchy, Greenbelt 4

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Brown cinch bag, Derek Lam, Farfetch.com

Cinch bag, Altuzarra, Farfetch.com

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Untit

IS

DEFINED CHANGES

REMARKABLE DIFFERENCE Every well-crafted detail in the new Lexus IS was carefully thought of to give you an enhanced driving experience. It has sharply-designed headlights for a sporty edge, a bigger front grille for improved aerodynamics, revamped alloy wheels for a stylish spin, and upgraded LED taillamps for a sleeker look. Because we believe in always giving you an amazing drive.

The New Lexus IS. Amazingly crafted.

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“I never thought of myself as an It Girl. It was flattering but [that title] doesn’t make one great.

You don’t necessarily feel empowered just because people think you dress well. In the end, everything really has to come from how you feel.”

8

ADMIRED

Mai Mai Cojuangco comes to the RED cover shoot with a simple grace that’s particularly hers: confident but not overbearing, warm without being too familiar. The charm she displayed when everyone first fell in love with her and her sisters in a clothing campaign back in the ’90s is still there. But seeing her doesn’t feel like a throwback or like an old memory coming to life; who Cojuangco is now tells of a different story, a different version of her.

She recalls how back then, it wasn’t always like this. Despite being given the enviable title of It Girl, Cojuangco had reservations about the recognition.

“I never thought of myself as an It Girl. It was flattering but [that title] doesn’t make one great.

You don’t necessarily feel empowered just because people think you dress well. In the end, everything really has to come from how you feel.”

Life is definitely much different now. A mom of a seven-year-old and a graphic designer with an app and a startup company under her belt, Cojuangco speaks with a certain wisdom that belies her still youthful glow. “For women, the older we become, the clearer it is that we need to fight [for ourselves] more than ever. We regret not having spoken up about ourselves or what we wanted more of before. We just become more established as women with age.”

Some things have remained the same, though, like her effortless style. In her white shirt, trousers, and lived-in sneakers, yet with

fine details such as a Jul B. Dizon necklace and a Chanel Classic handbag (which contains an agenda full of scribbles and designs and “a lot of lipstick, because I change my mind about my lipstick throughout the day”), Cojuangco looks relaxed. Her style advice, given the flood of images on social media, isn’t about copying a person look per look. “There isn’t any specific person that [makes me] really say, ‘I want to wear that,’ or ‘I’m gonna buy that because I like the way it looks on her, so now I want it too.’ I like the ease of how a person wears an outfit.”

It’s all about attitude for her, apparent in how she speaks of her work and the anecdotes she shares to prove her point. Her newest venture, a handbag collection launched in collaboration with Idée, gets her the most excited these days.

She relates how she would go back and forth between Italian warehouses, the studies she did, the years it took for her to finally say she’s a handbag designer. “I’m proud to say that when I went to the artisans of this handbag line, we understood that we had the same lingo. We had the same language because I also worked [on learning] it.”

In school, Cojuangco worked her way up under close supervision. “It’s worth noting that the fashion school [I went to] was really more for a general course. It wasn’t the factor that led me to this knowledge that I have today. One of the best, if not the best, education I had was at the

This Woman’s Work

For Mai Mai Cojuangco, change came to her for the better WORDS OLIVIA SYLVIA ESTRADA PHOTOGRAPHY REGINE DAVID

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Top, Sacai, Univers, One Rockwell

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“I’m not this luxury girl.

I’m completely the opposite of that.”

state-sponsored school that I went to for modelleria, which is the study of artisanal handbag-making. We were only 14 students, with three teachers. We learned how to cut leather. That was the best formal schooling I had, more than the usual fashion school that’s like two hours of cutting and sewing.”

Cojuangco considers this experience important because it taught her the value of giving work her highest consideration and a personal touch; she shudders at the thought of not earning her keep. One of the struggles she faced in the process of developing her bag line was figuring out the right thickness for the handle for one of her designs, and this led to discussions with the warehouse staff on certain techniques that might tear the leather. “As opposed to just drawing a bag and saying, ‘I drew it,’ I respected the process and totally recognized that it takes decades and decades of experience. You don’t just say, ‘Oh, I’m a handbag-maker.’”

The product of all of this work is Demetria, which also happens to be Cojuangco’s second name that she had gotten from her grandmother and now passed on to her daughter. “In a way, I wanted to use my name in the beginning, but it’s complicated. I also want my daughter there, hence Demetria.” Even the process of naming her newest venture connotes how Cojuangco has evolved.

Demetria, both as a label and a design collection, is part of how she identifies

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herself, at least in her comeback to Manila’s scene.

As for why she left in the first place, she says it was about going out of a predictable cycle. “I just wanted to get away from what felt like a box. I just wanted to see the world. I decided to leave, which not many people would do because they are scared to leave.”

What she has learned during her time away is more than what a write-up or a bag could encompass, but for Cojuangco, the turnaround was also a surprise.

“My younger self would probably say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know I could be like this,’” she says, referring to her current life.

It took 20 years for her to acknowledge with confidence that she’s a designer.

Is there another change in the works? “I’ll never stop being creative,” Cojuangco confirms without giving much away. A workaholic who claims that she doesn’t stop even on weekends, she adds, “I’m not this luxury girl. I’m completely the opposite of that.”

She also admits to constant worrying because it gives her more reason not to stop, for her to grow. “This handbag thing, you never know how it’s going to turn out. To be honest, I’m just grateful. But I’m already thinking of what I want to do next, how to do it next. There’s never a time when I just think, ‘Good job, Mai. Good job.’ No. The bags sold out, so I was in church today to say, ‘Thank you,’ but I’m already thinking how to make the next one better.”

•

STYLING RIA PRIETO MAKEUP CATS DEL ROSARIO OF AT EAST HAIR KIN AND VALENTINA FOR LOURD HIGHCHAIR CREATIVE DIRECTION NIMU MUALLAM

Top, Piopio, piopio.ph

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BARED

Mighty Mollusk

Can snail creams win the intense race for youthful beauty?

WORDS RIA PRIETO

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Let’s debunk the myth first: snail bits aren’t lurking in your face creams. Rather, it’s the fluids they secrete that are used in beauty formulas.

Dating back to ancient Greece, the practice of using snail slime has long been a home remedy for skin problems across different pockets of society.

Today, numerous studies prove their effectiveness and their role in treating minor wounds and skin disorders such as warts. Snail secretions contain proteins that have important biological functions, such as the bacterial protein-binding receptor—in everyday words, powerful stuff that is both anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. Some say this protein eases signs of aging on our faces by helping prevent them and even filling in those wrinkles.

Korean skincare and its followers have been some of snail beauty products’ most avid advocates. It’s impossible to look for a Korean brand that does not carry even one nowadays.

Cult favorites include Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream, an incredibly hydrating product formulated with 92 percent snail extract, and the Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. Fans have raved over their safe and effective list of potent ingredients.

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3 1. Peter Thomas Roth Unwrinkle Fast-Acting Serum Promises: Relaxes and smooths wrinkles Key ingredients: Synthetically reproduced snail venom, neuropeptides, and diamond dust Available at Ulta.com

2. Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Cream Promises: The Korean company is so dedicated to snail slime that it has a complete line of products featuring it.

The Intense Cream promises increased hydration and elasticity and helps in repairing skin damage.

Key ingredients: Seventy percent mucin from Chungnam snails in the Korean Green Zone, plant-derived extracts to increase elasticity, and centella asiatica to improve damaged skin Available at Tony Moly

3. Immunocologie Super 7 Elixir Promises: Natural tightening, increased radiance, and diminished fine lines Key ingredients: Proteins from hibiscus esculentus and peptides from mammea

4

5

americana also contribute to the skin’s tightening.

Available at Amazon.com

4. Dr. Jart Time Returning Cream Promises: Restores damaged tissue and replenishes moisture, maximizes elasticity, and minimizes wrinkles Key ingredients: Seventy-seven percent snail mucin, allantoin, collagen, elastin, glycolic acid, and ceramides Available at Sephora.ph

5. RéVive Intensite Line Erasing Serum Promises: Instant firming and tightening, improvement of density, more defined facial contours, increased elastin and collagen production, and radiance and wrinkle correction. RéVive founder and plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory Bays Brown says, “Within the dermis, there are wisps of muscle fiber that will relax wrinkles; that was what excited me.’’

Key ingredients: Lab-synthesized freshwater cone-snail venom, a blend of line-smoothing peptides, and the company’s proprietary plant growth-factor formula Available at Barneys.com

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ART

Contemporary Mold

The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design engages a local audience in a more global dialogue WORDS TISHA RAMIREZ

12

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Contemporary art’s function is to start discourse among its audience, with topics ranging from the personal to the political. Necessary to this are venues that allow these works to be presented within the proper context. The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design’s (MCAD) aim is to do that and more, with programs planned three years in advance. With museum director and curator Joselina “Yeyey” Cruz and deputy director Chris Green, MCAD pushes the standards of exhibitions in the country to be at par with what art audiences see internationally.

Located at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, MCAD’s programs also lean towards education-not just educating the students but the people who visit the museum as well.

“When I came in, the way I structured the programming for the museum was that it would speak to several tiers,” says Cruz. “Not necessarily layers, but tiers around the local public, the regional public, and the international public.”

With this multi-tiered public comes concerns such as how institutions affect art, how artists affect institutions, and how they relate to multidisciplinary practices. By pushing the boundaries of what art is and what it can be, MCAD does not simply look at paintings and installations; they examine how a painting or an installation is engaged with as a medium.

Green stresses the importance of planning their programs correctly: “The museum [would have been] here for 10 years [by 2018] but most people have only been aware of it since Yeyey took over about four years ago. That shows how important the programming is.

Previously, it was perhaps a little bit more sporadic, whereas now, we’ve really kind of refined it to have a really clear conceptual vision, both in its educational and exhibition sides.”

As seen in their shows, MCAD focuses on how local art speaks to global art and vice versa.

Coming in to the museum, Cruz’s network was more international. She then got Green, whose network is also quite international, to join in. “My entire team, we travel because we can’t have eyes that are only familiar with what we have here. We have to be able to have eyes that see beyond what we have, to have this ability to compare what’s there and what’s here, what meets and what doesn’t.”

Green agrees, pointing out that every single element of what they do is meticulously thought out with a broader context in mind. They do not plan something simply because another institution is doing it; they make sure that they believe in its direction and delivery, how it will be perceived, and its importance to the region. MCAD spreads its exhibitions by having a solo show per year, a group show, and collaborations with institutions. This ensures a development in their delivery as well as the audience’s thinking about art in a way that could be considered global. “For us, boundaries and borders, countries, regions—they’re all irrelevant. What we’re trying to do is [find] a voice of multiple practices,” stresses Green.

• Left: Prints from Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s exhibition “The Serenity of Madness.”

Above: “Vitruvian Figure” by Paul Pfeiffer, presented at MCAD in February 2015 as part of Pfeiffer’s first major solo museum show in Asia.

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Above and below: In November 2015, MCAD presented “The Vexed Contemporary,” an exhibition that included works of 16 Filipino artists, including Pio Abad, Gary-Ross Pastrana, and Maria Taniguchi.

Right: “The Surface of The World: Architecture and The Moving Image” was curated by Clare Carolin and featured videos as well as installations.

The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design,

G/F DLS-CSB, School of Design and Arts Building, Dominga Street, Manila. 230-5100 local 3897

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14 ATTIRED

Financial

Times

A handsome watch is worth its weight in gold STYLING BY NIMU MUALLAM PHOTOGRAPHY REGINE DAVID

L.U.C. Limited Edition Rose Gold Perpetual Calendar, Chopard, Greenbelt 5

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Slim d’Hermès, Hermès, Greenbelt 3; Pink Gold Calibre de Cartier, Cartier, Greenbelt 4.

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICCO SANTOS

Yellow Gold Perpetual Calendar, Patek Philippe, Greenbelt 5; White Gold Portugieser Perpetual, IWC, Greenbelt 5.

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICCO SANTOS

Bvlgari Octo Ultranero, BVLGARI, Greenbelt 4

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18 ACQUIRED

Market Watch Swiss watch exports tumble ahead of Basel trade fair WORDS NATHALIE OLOF-ORS/AFP PHOTOGRAPHY FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP

The world’s biggest watch fair opened in Switzerland last March 23, even as slumping exports of luxury Swiss timepieces appear to dash hopes of a market rebound.

Global exports of Swiss watches slid 10 percent in February to 1.5 billion Swiss Francs ($1.5 billion, 1.4 billion euros), the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS) said.

The news cast a shadow over the looming Baselworld trade fair, which opened its doors to the media on March 22 and to the public a day later.

The giant gathering in the northern Swiss city of Basel is the highlight of the year for watch

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and jewellery makers, with hoards of retailers looking to fill their showcases with pricey bling.

Investors had been hoping this year’s 45th edition would open on a more positive note amid signs that the market was stabilizing and even on the verge of a rebound after two years of deep crisis.

Citigroup analyst Thomas Chauvet described the export numbers as a “reality check.”

He said the figures showed there was “no underlying improvement” in the industry, despite a more “upbeat mood” from senior watch executives, and a more optimistic tone from the FHS in its January release.

Exports to Hong Kong, the biggest market for Swiss watches, slumped 12.1 percent last February.

And exports to the United States, the second biggest market, plunged 26.2 percent. Most European markets also fell, and sales to Japan tumbled 17.3 percent. Exports to China, however, rose 6.7 percent year-on-year in February.

That represents some much-needed good news for the industry—China was the main driver of several years of euphoric growth for Swiss watches, with Chinese consumers’ thirst for luxury goods sparking a production boom.

But the market suffered a severe hit after Beijing in 2013 began cracking down on

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Opposite page: A man is seen at the stand of French watchmaker Dior during the press day of Baselworld watch and jewelry show on March 22, 2017 in Basel. Right: A watch is displayed at the stand of American luxury jeweler and producer of Swiss timepieces Harry Winston during press day on the eve of the Baselworld opening.

Above: Visitors enter during the press day of Baselworld watch and jewelry show. The world’s biggest watch fair took place in Switzerland last March, even as slumping exports of luxury Swiss timepieces appear to dash hopes of a market rebound.

Right: A model of luxury Swiss watchmaker Jaquet.

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The giant gathering in the northern Swiss city of Basel is the highlight of the year for watch and jewellery makers, with hoards of retailers looking to fill their showcases with pricey bling. corruption by banning extravagant gifts like expensive watches to public officials.

And since then the storm clouds have multiplied, with the prodemocracy Umbrella protests in Hong Kong also chipping away at sales, followed by a range of deadly terrorist attacks in European cities frightening off luxury-seeking Asian tourists.

In 2016, Swiss watch exports shrank 9.9 percent, after contracting 3.3 percent a year earlier. But in recent months, there were some indications the market was stabilizing.

Exports to China gradually inched back into positive terrain during the second half of 2016, and a number of markets around the world put on a healthy glow during the holiday season at the end of the year.

Watchmakers themselves have also been making increasingly soothing sounds about the health of the market and justifying production hikes.

Swatch Group chief Nick Hayek told reporters that he was now aiming for “healthy growth,” driven particularly by China’s growing middle class, which he said once again appeared hungry for consumption.

With uncertainty abound, Baselworld, which each year draws around 1,500 exhibitors and some 150,000 visitors, should help gauge the actual state of the luxury watch market.

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EXPLORED

Paradise Found Where to stay and enjoy Palawan’s best attractions, from sea to shining sea WORDS TISHA RAMIREZ

Two Seasons

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A boat ride from Coron Town can take you to this eco-friendly resort on the Malaroyroy Peninsula in Bulalacao Island, where there are plenty of sites and activities to enthrall you, from the sandbar and the rich tropical gardens to the various water adventures they offer. As Two Seasons is also a sanctuary for turtles and giant clams, snorkeling and diving are two of the most popular activities that visitors sign up for.

When the sea is calm, take a paddling trip aboard the Molokini transparent kayak, a twopassenger kayak that allows you to see depths of up to 75 ft. If you aren’t an experienced diver, the resort offers HydroBob submersible scooters, which give you the opportunity to bask in the grandeur of the underwater scenery.

What makes this resort eco-friendly? It is a 100 percent self-sustaining island, with the management building certain facilities early on due to the place’s seclusion. One is the desalination plant that converts seawater into potable water, and another is the sewage treatment plant that cleans wastewater enough so that it can be redirected to bathrooms for non-drinking use. Bungalows also come equipped with water heaters that are powered by solar panels. Two Seasons runs on four generators, which are used in intervals, depending on the number of guests present.

Huma Island Resort and Spa Located on Diciligan Island in Busuanga, the Huma Island Resort and Spa is comprised of 81 luxury villas—64 of them on stilts—that all offer views of the beach.

If you need help planning activities during your stay, guests are provided a Villa Host who can assist in creating an agenda for the day, from picking a dive location to scheduling a sunset fishing session.

The resort is found in a region that is considered one of the best diving spots in the world.

Aside from the diverse marine life, Huma Island’s dive sites will have you viewing historical WWII wreck sites underwater. One of them is Irako, a Japanese refrigeration ship situated at the mouth of Coron Bay. Meant for advanced divers, the depth of this site is at a maximum of 43 meters.

Getting to the island is a breeze as there are daily flights to Busuanga from Manila and Cebu. Huma also offers exclusive transfers via private seaplanes from Manila, a 90-minute flight that takes you from the city straight to a pristine beach.

Humaisland.com

Twoseasonsresorts.com

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Amanpulo, Pamalican Island Amanpulo is the dream destination for people looking for luxurious privacy and with the money to pay for it. As it has its own airstrip, guests can take a private plane from Manila and land directly on Pamalican Island, where powdery white sand and clear waters await them.

The casitas at Amanpulo are inspired by the bahaykubo, with wooden decks and a twin-roof design, and are located at the hillside, among treetops, and by the beach. Along the shore, meanwhile, are villas that let guests enjoy a seamless transition from their indoor spaces to the beach.

Among the many recreational activities offered at the resort, windsurfing and sailing can be enjoyed all year-round because of the perennial breeze that cools the island.

Another must-try is snorkeling, as there are several square kilometers of coral reef formations found just 300 meters away from the beach.

Aman.com

El Nido Resort, Apulit Island Matinloc Resort Matinloc Resort prides itself on being the best spot in Palawan for family holidays, as their multi-story villas provide enough room for everyone, with generous views of the sea, the garden, and the forest.

But getting to these mountain villas is no easy task, as guests have to hike first through the forest. A view of Palio Sea and the islands of El Nido are sufficient compensation for the physical exertion, however.

The best way to experience all that El Nido has to offer is by going island-hopping. Matinloc has five tours to choose from, each highlighting local areas, from lagoons to caves. If you are curious about El Nido’s beautiful caves, take the Cave Tour, which will bring you to the Cudugnon and Cathedral caves. If you’d rather spend the day at sea, the Snorkeling Tour takes you to different reef sites in the area.

Matinloc.com

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Adrenaline junkies will find El Nido Resort’s Apulit Island right up their alley.

Aside from the thrill of staying in their water cottages, this ecoadventure island resort also offers actionpacked attractions that are not for the faint of heart.

To get a birds’ eye view of the entire island, guests can climb a 60-meter limestone cliff then rappel down. They can then go spelunking through the North and St. Joseph’s caves.

If underwater activities are more your speed, sign up for the Isla Blanca adventure, which involves island-hopping and snorkeling. As you travel from one island to another, a marine guide will identify and explain the different sea creatures that you will encounter.

Elnidoresorts.com

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Indiana series

ACQUIRED

Full House

A furniture fair pushes new ideas for items for the home WORDS TISHA RAMIREZ PHOTOGRAPHY MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP

Whether it is the debut of a collection or the fourth time a design is presented, Salone del Mobile makes sure that its furniture fair is all about the products. From newer to classic items, what they all have in common are innovation, research, and quality.

The 56th edition of the furniture fair, held last April 4 to 9 in Milan, saw an influx of bespoke pieces, signaling an industry that is reactive to the needs of its clients whose choices are driven by the option of personalization.

With Contemporary Elegance as the guiding theme for this year’s fair, there was a blend of minimalism and functionality coming from both the craftsmen and the technology.

This edition encapsulates luxury with structural details, soft materials, and distinct finishes.

Pieces designed by Emmanuel Gallina for Below: The Sign Filo chair designed by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga for MDF Italia.

Right: Shimmer Liquefy tables

by Patricia Urquiola for Glas Italia

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Poliform’s Jane collection were about leisure and the idea of comfort and intimacy, with fine lines complemented by metal and wood finishes.

Andrea Bonini’s Madison Collection for Turrl is inspired by Hollywood in the ’60s, with chairs outfitted in a deep purple material, while the unique house patterns presented by Roberto Cavalli Home sum up timeless luxury.

Salone del Mobile 2017 also highlighted craftsmanship, especially among Italian companies that recognized their artisans’ skills that have been passed down through generations. The Flabello table mirrors by Lanzavecchia+Wai for Gallotti & Radice, in particular, are inspired by the ancient Egyptian Flabellum fan and also acts as a divider.

The mirrors are made of silver-plated glass and ash wood with brass details.

Some designers also made some references to the past with their collections. Jaimé Hayón constructed the Aleta chair for Spanish company Viccarbe Hábitat, and it looks like something that came straight out of the ’50s. The stool and the small armchair can be upholstered in leather and both have slim metal frames that come in white, black, altea blue, and sand. For a more rustic look, wood bases are also available in oak, wenge, cognac, and ash.

Other themes seen at this year’s Salone del Mobile were Container, Re-editions, and

A Quest for the True Essence, to name a few.

Presenting the furniture fair during the opening, Salone del Mobile Milano president Claudio Luti remarked, “The Salone del Mobile is the pole attraction for innovation and also has to set an example by being able to constantly innovate its content and the way it communicates with Creed Large Armchair the world, keeping the brand’s reputation secure.

Only in Milan can designers and planners find a mixture of creativity and the industrial capacity to interpret and represent it. This is why the annual appointment with the Salone is paramount for all those seeking inspiration while also showcasing their creativity.”

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Light Show Last April, Spektacularis partnered with Stanley Ruiz and glass artist Jiri Pacinek in experimenting with hand-blown glass for Growth II, but each artist approached the process differently to create different designs. Presented at Milan Design Week, Ruiz also worked with wood craftsman Milan Petovsky to combine these glass works with wood.

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DEVOURED

Word of Mouth WORDS OLIVIA SYLVIA ESTRADA PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK DIOKNO

Chef Xavier Btesh doesn’t believe that food is a form of art. It’s a bold statement to make amid the local culinary scene’s fusion cuisines and plating techniques that seem to borrow from architectural formulas, and especially with food posts crowding social media.

He says, “Food is something that comes from you and that you can change totally. Art is owned by people, museums, and collectors. Food—nobody owns food.”

Unlike a finished artwork, food is also something more interactive, according to him. It’s dynamic as it leaps from recipes to personal stories and cultural backgrounds easily. To Btesh, food is personal and can be manipulated to the liking of both chef and audience. “Nobody owns a recipe. It’s important for cookbooks to share that because it’s knowledge, and knowledge is meant to be shared for people to adopt it the way they like.”

Testament to what he’s talking about is his new book French Kusina, where he presents French and Mediterranean dishes within the Philippine setting. It’s Btesh doing what he does best: playing in the kitchen and showing off (in a good way) the possibilities that can be done with a simple recipe. It’s apparent that deep inside, the chef is still the young boy who would cook for his father.

“Cookbooks were my adventure books,” he says, adding that he used to sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to whip something up. The first dish he made that his dad liked was fairly simple, but still a feat considering he was a child then. “It

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was eggs with cream and salmon.”

Btesh also emphasizes that food is an experience heightened by the company. “When I [used to] travel a lot and [was alone], what I missed was being around the table with my family, and sometimes with friends whenever I had time to entertain. It’s not any particular dinner or lunch that made me realize that [aspect]. It was all the ones that I had missed.”

In French Kusina, most of the recipes are about sharing. It’s very Filipino to share your food, and Btesh points out that it’s a French trait as well.

“The Filipino family and my family, most families in Europe, we have this common thing where we’re always sharing. [Meals are] the only moments in our lives where we can gather. I always think about that. I think that when you do a dish, you also think about the other people you’re doing it for.”

In narrowing down the recipes for this book, from the Parisian Lentil Salad to the Saint Tropez Chicken, Btesh also thought about the everyday Filipino setting. “I wanted recipes that people can do here in the Philippines without having to go to fancy places to buy the ingredients. Whether you live in a small town or in the city, I want people to be able to find all the ingredients. And I wanted recipes where people can bring something personal,

where they can add their own little touch.”

Such experimentation and the need to express one’s story through food are why Btesh’s cookbook doesn’t read like a stiff guide. Peppered with anecdotes about his favorite experiences, the destinations he’s been to, and the people who have inspired him, French Kusina is a reflection of a life celebrated through food. Writing the book wasn’t a challenge even though he had written his previous cookbook 10 years ago. “It just came out easily. I [showed them that I have] French, Italian, Moroccan, and Syrian recipes. I truly believe that recipes in a family serve as a kind of family book. It’s a family history. It tells where you’re coming from.”

Btesh didn’t compromise his beliefs. “First, [the publishers] wanted it totally French, and I said no because I have Syrian blood and that’s my history. This cookbook is my biography. This says where I’m coming from.” He invites everyone to do the same: to tell their story through food. “We all have the recipes of our grandmothers.”

He recounts one he got from his Syrian grandmother, who had perfected the dish when she had lived in Aleppo.

Above all else, food is transcendent and summative of human experience. “To me, food is a legacy,” Btesh concludes.

“It’s the only legacy you’re sure • to keep.”

GROOMING LEO PONCE FOR MAKE UP FOR EVER

Xavier Btesh’s latest endeavor is a testament to the storytelling power of food

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Easy French and Mediterranean cooking for the Filipino kitchen

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GROOMING LEO PONCE FOR MAKE UP FOR EVER

Chef Xavier Btesh’s latest cookbook also serves as his biography, as told through food.

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THINKPIECE

Mothers and Other Strangers A daughter’s relationship with her mother comes full circle

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MAKEUP LEO PONCE FOR MAKE UP FOR EVER

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I’m not always a good daughter to my mother. To my father, yes, I was close to damn perfect as a daughter, despite living far away for the most part of 30 years, and that unconditional, unquestioning love shaped me as much as my mother’s more critical, seemingly impossibleto-live-up-to love.

But then again, the mother-daughter relationship is complex and layered. My mother was devastatingly beautiful in her prime, and remains a striking woman in her 70s. But she married, as was customary among her generation, quite young and had four children in the space of eight years. In many ways she hadn’t quite lived a life yet, at least not in the way I myself decided to embrace a universe of possibility, heading for Paris a month shy of 21 to be on my own, with my parents’ blessings (and funds), of course. At 21, my mother was already a mother, with a second child on the way; I was navigating the Metro, studying French and art history, partying without a curfew, going away for weekends without having to ask for permission, fending off unwanted advances from men I wasn’t interested in, and French-kissing boys I liked but knew I’d never marry. How much of that had she done in her life?

I sometimes sensed in her a pang, not exactly of regret but of yearning, with the slightest tinge of envy, a desire for adventure, a desire for freedom, a desire to be desired. Yet in many ways, she was as unconventional as they come.

She was not a come-home-to-milk-and-cookies kind of mother because she was a working mom, too, who happened to present the evening news from Monday to Friday. And she was a formidable critic of the Marcos regime with her own op-ed column in a major daily. From her, I definitely learned independence and self-sufficiency.

Independent I may have tried to be when I was younger, but I was unfortunately as strongwilled as they come, hanging out with my girlfriends, reveling in the attention of boys, partying way past my curfew (and getting grounded on a regular basis), insisting on studying in Paris, and eventually living away from home for three decades.

Years later, it would seem that our roles had reversed little; during what became our annual New York shopping trip in the springtime, I was still the daughter out all night, and she was still the mother waiting up. To be fair, I was Ninez Cacho-Olivares and author. divorced and unattached, and Necklace, ring, and brooch, hey, this was New York! But all Jewelmer, Makati Shangri-La come the morning, I rose early to make her breakfast.

As I raise two daughters of my own on my own, I understand more deeply the complexity of the bond between mother and daughter. It’s comforting and infuriating at the same time. While they delight me and bring me immense joy and pride, there equally are days when my daughters frustrate and exasperate me. Yet even during the moments when I’m most furious, the fierceness of my love for them astounds me. I sometimes wonder if my mother felt the same about us, her children, with such intensity that my heart would break free of my chest if it could.

One of the things I’m quite chuffed about as a mother is how all throughout a difficult divorce and custody battle, I never indulged myself with the luxury of self-pity or depression, especially when my children were around, getting on with the demands of daily life, waking them up every morning, getting them ready for school, preparing the lunch boxes, doing the school runs…

And yet late one night after a long day in court that yielded another disappointingly delayed divorce trial, and as the moon grew fainter and fainter in the sky, I crept silently into bed beside my mother and reached for her, • sobbing. She put her arms around me. Eventually, sleep took over.

HAIR JAN EDROSOLAN

WORDS BAMBINA OLIVARES WISE PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK DIOKNO

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MAKEUP LEO PONCE FOR MAKE UP FOR EVER

HAIR JAN EDROSOLAN

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