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CONTENTS ISSUE 77

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COVER STORY

126

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH Model and TV host Valerie Weigmann takes us on a stunning trip to the sun-kissed shores of Coron, Palawan for her second turn on the cover of Rogue. Michelle V. Ayuyao catches up with her and talks about her rise in the modeling scene and her no-frills approach on her career in localÂ television.

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PHOTO BY MARK NICDAO; BURBERRY PRORSUM LACE DRESS

CONTENTS ISSUE 77

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FEATURES 96

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS Space, mankind’s final frontier, has only been the stuff of science fiction, with mostly machines navigating our reach into its mystic depths. But now, forwardthinking men are looking up to the skies, hoping to put man further into the celestial embrace. Rogue presents a portfolio of these men who dream far into the wild yonder: Paul Allen, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and Elon Musk.

126 The powerful Manila Bulletin publisher Hans Menzi (page 134)—one of Marcos's most trusted advisers—in Malacañang Palace, late 1970s.

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CONFESSIONS OF A STOCK BROKER Investment strategist, retired stockbroker, and Deutsche Regis founder Anton Periquet—who peddled stocks in London, Hong Kong, and Manila for over 20 years—shares 10 invaluable lessons on investing that you can bet your money on. Photographs by Jeff Hutchens.

CONTENTS ISSUE 77

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Michael Douglas, with Charlie Sheen (right), as the ruthless ﬁctional trader Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's Wall Street.

FEATURES 132

134

IN FOCUS: LUIS VON AHN In an exclusive interview with Rogue, crowdsourcing capitalist and tech visionary Luis von Ahn—who sold his company reCAPTCHA to Google for 25$ million—details the rise of Duolingo, the award-winning app that lets the world learn new languages for free.

MARCOS, GENERAL MENZI, AND ME Until he lost his battle with cancer on June 27, 1984, Gen.Hans Menzi— Manila Bulletin publisher, agro-industrialist, and Marcos’s aide de camp— was a man of immense power, wealth, and renown. On his 30th death anniversary, Teddy Locsin Jr. revives the man lost to time.

THE SLANT Bambina Olivares Wise discusses the implications of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius trial in his homeland, South Africa. Bianca Locsin tells us about the double life that she leads, one of a writer—the life her lineage destines her to be—and one of a lawyer. Andrew Masigan looks at the possible tourism strategies of the Philippines after the wake of Yolanda.

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CONTENTS ISSUE 77

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Morphings Amber, a dish once served at Ferran Adria's now-defunct elBulli (page 36).

AGENDA 25 THE STARTING LINE Take Rogue’s quiz on startups and see if you have what it takes to create the next big thing in the digital world. 28 GOOD LIBATIONS Lanai Lounge by Antonio’s feature a wellstocked bar from champagnes, single-malts, to blended whiskies.

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32 THE LAND OF SILICON AND HONEY HBO’s Silicon Valley take on the ridiculous world of startups in the promised land of digital innovation. 34 IN HIGH SPIRITS We sample a selection of Bar M’s finest and rarest single malt whiskies. 36 THE LAST SEVEN YEARS ElBulli 2005-2011 details the acclaimed restaurant’s run throughout its decade-long reign as the world’s best place to dine.

38 SIDEWAYS SEDUCTION Science fiction takes a strange and sensual turn in Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, headlined by Scarlett Johansson. 40 LOCALS ONLY A spotlight on the craft beer revolution burgeoning at our local breweries.

CONTENTS ISSUE 77

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San Juan taxidermy shop and furniture store Xbesitzer (page 60).

SPACE 49 THE STORIES WE TELL A look at the Filipino Design showcase at the recent Salone del Mobile 2014. 54 ROCK OF AGES Peugot Design Lab’s Onyx Sofa melds nature’s inherent design with technological workmanship. 56 THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Remoteless remotes, food ATMs, and supercomputers—a glimpse into the gadgets of the future. 58 EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED Lytro’s game-changing new camera, Illum, carries a powerhouse of features. 60 MYSTERIOUS SKIN We open up Xbesitzer’s cabinet of curiosities, from taxidermied animals and antique lamps, to Ostrich eggs. 64 HATCHBACK HUBRIS The new Audi S1 lives up to its heritage of powerful performance and elegance. 66 SHELTERING LIGHT Brighten up a dreary home with these designer overhead lamps. 68 THE NATURE OF THE EXPERIMENT Rachelle Dagñalan’s Musketeer Stools have collected acclaim from the world’s most prestigious design fairs.

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porsche design

CONTENTS ISSUE 77

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THE EYE 71 THE BARBER'S TALE Back Alley Barber Shop positions itself as the go-to place for men’s grooming. 76 THE CLOCK TURNS BOTH WAYS Hermès unveils a line of timepieces that reflect the brand’s heritage of skilled craftsmanship and meticulousness. 80 A WOMAN CALLED STELLA A Rogue exclusive: Designer Stella McCartney details how she’s established a name for herself outside the influence of her storied last name. 84 INTO THE WYLDE Paula Thomas of Thomas Wylde lets us in on a few of the luxury brand’s secrets. 86 KINGS OF THE ROAD BMW and Louis Vuitton team up to create a line of luggage that perfectly matches your car’s slick interiors. 142 WONDERLAND Plunge into a world of playful excess in this month’s style editorial. 16 J U N E 2014

PHOTO BY EDRIC CHEN / THOMAS WYLDE DRESS, OMEGA WATCH, CARLA AMORIM RING AND EARRINGS

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ER R AT UM

In our May 2014 furniture feature "A Will for the Woods" (page 60), the four Ligne Roset chairs should be credited as Carl Hansen and Søn. We apologize for this oversight.

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THE EDITOR’S NOTE ISSUE 77

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Larger Than Life

20 J U N E 2014

It was the one and only time I’ve ever crossed paths with Ballmer, who has been making headlines again for his record-breaking $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers last month. When he stepped down from Microsoft’s troubled throne in February, there was much talk in the media about the mixed legacy he left behind. They lionized him for his successes (Xbox, Windows XP, Office) and crucified him for his failures (Vista, Zune, Kin). Despite having grown Microsoft’s revenues from $7.5 million to nearly $78 billion during his 13-year tenure at the top, he was labeled everything from “a salesman without a product vision” to “a lackluster leader who wasn’t an innovator.” True, Steve Ballmer was not a visionary technologist in the same vein as Gates or Jobs. But he was always, at heart, a golden salesman— one who helped build, with his own share of blood and sweat, one of the greatest companies of the 20th century. The man I met in Las Vegas was just that: intense, brash, bombastic, and larger than life.

“In the last five years, Apple has probably made more money than we have,” Ballmer said in a post-retirement interview. “But in the last 13 years, I bet we’ve made more money than almost anybody on the planet. And that, frankly, is a great source of pride to me. “‘How do we make money?’ was what I got hired to do—I’ve always thought that way,” he added. “I’ve always had the unique, valuable perspective of being on the front line selling, because in some senses your ability to understand how to make money is heavily shaped by what you think people will pay for.” We wish Mr. Ballmer well in his retirement.

Paolo R. Reyes Editor in Chief

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK NICDAO

“G

o! Hit the face of Bill Gates!” Ryan Seacrest motioned to the bald, heavyset man seated beside him: tech billionaire Steve Ballmer, better known as the recently retired CEO of Microsoft. Clasped in Ballmer’s left hand was a yet-tobe-unveiled Windows 8 smartphone, where an uninspired profile photo of Mr. Gates was boxed within the homescreen. “It says I missed a call from Bill!” Ballmer told the American Idol host animatedly as his right finger rested on the face of his former boss and Harvard classmate. “What time did [Bill] call me? 6:07 P.M.?” It was the 9th of January 2012 at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Together with a handful of editors from Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fast Company, and Fortune, I found myself within spitting distance of the famously silvertongued Ballmer—currently the 34th richest man in the world—who was peddling, quite persuasively, his company’s latest gadget to the rather jaded group of journalists gathered around him.

THE GUEST LIST ISSUE 77

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Teddy Y. Montelibano did documentaries for Asian TV, including one on the Marcos diaries and on Ilocos after the fall of the dictator for RadioTV Malacañang. He was also a political journalist in Raul Locsin’s Businessday, organized media conferences in the ASEAN for a German foundation, got involved with numerous publications and today, does editorial work for a national daily.

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Bambina Olivares Wise has been called mother of all slashers: journalist/ PR strategist/media consultant/bookworm/ traveler, in addition to actually being a mother to two daughters. Based primarily in Johannesburg, she covers the southern African region, and occasionally Asia for the fashion industry’s newspaper of record, Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). The Philippines still remains home, however, and she stubbornly keeps watch on Manila time.

Teddy Locsin Jr. served as a congressman for the 1st District of Makati from 2001 to 2010. He was also the publisher and editor-in-chief of Today Newspaper and a presidential speechwriter of former president Corazon Aquino. He currently does the segment “Teditorial” of the ANC nightly newscast, The World Tonight.

Andrew Masigan is an economist, political analyst, and businessman. He writes a weekly business and political column in The Manila Bulletin, published every Monday. He is also the host of a show called “The Business Examiner” which airs every Thursday, 7.30 p.m. on PTV. Business-wise, he is a restaurant chain owner with multiple brands in multiple locations.

Anton Periquet is the co-founder and former Research Director of Deutsche Regis Partners, a leading stockbroker. He retired after 20 years of peddling stocks in London, Hong Kong, and Manila, where he won his fair share of friends and enemies. He now runs Campden Hill Advisors and counsels companies, schools, and the Jesuits on how not to lose money. He is the lead guitarist of the rock band Overdrive.

Edric Chen photographs a wide range of subjects including portraits, women, and travel. When not on assignment, he spends his time wandering the streets of Manila and contemplating his next trip. After graduating with a degree in economics, he became an avid observer of how ideas are created and disseminated. He runs a visual diary online at theedricchen.com.

Adrienne Ponce is a Manila-based designer who has always dreamed of illustrating for kids but finds herself illustrating for adults instead. She has earned her BFA studying Advertising in UST but currently still wants to get a scholarship so she can study print and earn her MFA. You can check more of her works in her Behance portfolio behance.net/ nicelittlerobot.

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E DI T E D BY

M I CH ELLE V. AYUYAO

AGENDA

F O O D + E N T E R TA I N M E N T + C U L T U R E + T R AV E L

THE STARTING LINE

A start-up’s success relies on life choices—here’s a quiz to gauge your potential to create the Internet’s next big boom WORDS BY DON JAUCIAN / ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIENNE PONCE

ISSUE NO.

START HERE

A “listicle” is

In high school, you were a:

BE ABOUT FUNNY ANIMALS AND VIRAL CONTENT

CLASS CLOWN

DROP OUT

An online community should:

FOSTER THE CREATIVE SPIRIT

MATH GENIUS

SECRET KEEPER

A FUN TIME-WASTER

SNAPCHAT Snapchat was initially laughed at by Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy’s classmates at their Stanford design class in 2011. The app eventually became a hit—allegedly even to Wall Street traders who use it to ructing exchange tips—for its “self-destructing” messaging. Spiegel and Murphy can laugh at their classmates now since Google offered a $4 billion buyout, which ch Spiegel declined.

A SEX POSITION

For a project, which company would you like to partner with?

You see your top associates coming from what type of companies?

THE NEW YORK TIMES

A great app should:

SMALL BUT FORWARDTHINKING STARTUPS

TRUSTED MEDIA COMPANIES

BE FUN AND USEFUL

AI RBNB Projected at a $10 billion net worth, this service that lets homeowners rent their rooms and spaces (or even castles, igloos, and private islands) to travelers has been passed on by venture capitalists (such as Fred Wilson) until it hit its stride around 2011. It’s set to become bigger than big hotel chains that even eBay C.E.O. John Donahoe wanted to buy it out.

MODERN AND MINIMALIST

CHANGE HOW YOU COMMUNICATE BE INFORMATIVE AND ENTERTAINING

LOGO!

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CUTE AND QUIRKY

BUZ Z FE E D Now publishing important leaks aks and breaking news, this seemingly innocuous nnocuous news and viral content site has overtaken even the biggest news institutions such as The New York Times in digital reach. The trick, perhaps, is hiring established media people into its fold. It has also attracted advertisers for its inventive “native” ads, prompting Disney to throw in a $1 billion acquisition attempt.

AGENDA CULTURE

WELL, I CAN BE CREATIVE AND CLASSY

This isn’t another dating app, yes?

DROPBOX Dropbox has proved that people are willing to pay for premium storage, counting over 200 million users who shell out an average of $10 a month for space. The company is said to have been valued at $10 billion, making it the biggest thing to come out of Paul Graham’s Y Combinator startup, which counts Reddit, Disqus, and nd Airbnb among its alumn alumni.

Do you like to travel?

YEAH, I GIVE UP.

SOUNDS SLEAZY QUITTER! ABSOLUTELY SOUNDS INNOVATIVE AND PROFITABLE P

THE INTERNET IS ALL I NEED How strong is your pickup game?

NO, I AM A WELL-LOVED PERSON YES, THEY SAY I’M TOO FAR OUT

What do you think of renting stuff out to strangers?

NO, A GROUP OF FRIENDS ARE HELPING ME OUT Would you like to pursue your idea alone?

I COULD DO BETTER

PRETTY STRONG AND STRATEGIC

YEAH, BUT AN INCUBATOR SOUNDS NICE

TINDE R

Your product should be:

FREE AND VIRAL

Have you ever been ridiculed for your ideas?

PAID

This dating app proves to be classier and less sleazy than some of its counterparts, using Facebook proﬁles and your social graph to snag you ou some potential dates. Like e Facebook, it initially started d in college campuses in 2012 until ntil it became huge and was even ven named as TechCrunch’s “Best est New Startup of 2013.”

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AGENDA DRINKS

GOOD LIBATIONS Amply stocked with well-curated refreshments, Tonyboy Escalante’s Lanai Lounge is just where this season’s out of town trips should be headed WORDS BY TEODORO Y. MONTELIBANO / PHOTOS BY AT MACULANGAN

A FEW YEARS AGO, we were having coffee at midday in some café in Tagaytay, and the owner ambled along by our table to say hello. Without any prompting whatsoever from our side, he proudly reported that he had members of a wellknown clan from Manila over for breakfast earlier that day. They told him they were spending the day in Tagaytay, where they have a villa, and that they were to dinner later in the evening at Antonio’s. In a derisive tone, which only managed to betray apparent envy, the restaurant owner said he had asked them, “Antonio’s? Why Antonio’s? It’s nothing but a garden.” Well, truth be told, Tonyboy Escalante’s Antonio’s does, indeed, have a garden. And what a knockout of a garden it is. If that restaurant owner would behold, today, what the TAFE SA Regency-trained Ilonggo chef had created in the middle of

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THEY COME IN PAIRS

Left : The entrance to the Lanai Lounge’s bar stores a comprehensive library of drinks, from single-malt scotch varieties to Japanese whiskies. Right: Apart from their drinks, the lounge also offers a charcuterie selection, with salchichon, jamon serrano, and salami Milano on the slab.

that garden, the complexion of his skin would turn a deep emerald, blending perfectly with the over 70 species of plants that gate the sprawling, manicured lawn. Such is the setting for the impossibly gorgeous Lanai Lounge at Antonio’s, opened last April, without much fuss or ceremony in typical Escalante fashion. But there it is, today, a palpably stunning vision of opulent chill, on grounds alongside his renowned restaurant. Over 2,000 square meters of the three hectare property was carved out for the Lanai Lounge

where a full bar was built, separate from the restaurant. Apart from the extensive list of wines and whiskeys, there is, too, a menu of signature cocktails concocted by beverage consultant, Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Lee Watson. There’s the refreshing Arugula Lemon Drop well spiked with Ketel One vodka, and Antonio’s Martini using Escalante’s own homemade limoncello. Nonpareil musts under the “Forgotten Selections” are the Lanai Lounge’s Bees Knees of Tanqueray gin, honey, fresh lemon juice served up with a honeycomb garnish; and the “non-negotiable” Negroni, with Tanqueray gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, on the rocks, with an orange twist. One may come here for cocktails before having dinner at the main restaurant, Antonio’s, or lounge around for more drinks and conviviality after dinner, prior to driving back home. Or one

AGENDA DRINKS

The place bears Escalante’s natural flair for old-world elegance mixed with homey comfort, with daybeds in a genteel antique design under a balete tree from which bronze-hued chandeliers hang. can just come around for drinks and order bites on small plates such as pate de foie gras, crudités, cheeses, or charcuterie. The whole place bears indications of Escalante’s natural flair for luxuriant old-world elegance albeit mixed with homey comfort, to wit, raised cushioned large daybeds in a genteel Filipino antique design installed under a balete tree from which bronze-hued chandeliers hang—in the middle of the lawn. Escalante, along with his consultants, had agreed that a cocktail lounge, something which the restaurant never formally had since it opened in late 2002, was an idea whose time had come. “The desire was for a lounge on outdoor space highlighting the natural beauty of the surrounding gardens, while still looking like an extension of the restaurant,” said a member of Escalante’s core group of consultants. “In short, the Lanai Lounge had to reflect an indoor setting that elegantly transitions into an

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outdoor space.” Working together, lead architect Boy Vicente and curator (and design and service consultant) Isabel Lozano realized what Escalante envisioned for a Lanai Lounge, that would have some design elements of the restaurant while still creating a distinct personality. Hence the wooden chandeliers, red bricks used for the bar, and the Loft derived from Antonio’s. But such elements like white wooden lawn chairs, the day beds, and the unexpectedly comfortable concrete seating areas drive home the point that, while still being a part of Antonio’s, the Lanai Lounge is a whole new experience all to itself. Escalante caps the whole idea behind what undoubtedly, from whatever angle you see it, is one smash of a place. “I wanted a simple, but elegant space that invites one to relax, have a drink, and get lost in the moment,” he says. “From the looks of it, I think what we’ve created here far exceeds any of our expectations.”

TAVERN ON THE GREEN

Clockwise, from top left: Cocktails include the Arugula Lemon Drop, Bolera, and an evolved mojito called Life of the Party; the cheese platter options are comprised of six different cheeses such as the Wensleydale and Bleu d’Auvergne; the Green Mango Gimlet uses Tanqueray gin and fresh green mangoes in a pink Himalayan salt-rimmed glass.

LANAI LOUNGE IS LOCATED AT PUROK 138, BRGY. NEOGAN, TAGAY TAY; 0917 899 2866.

AGENDA TELEVISION

The Land of Silicon and Honey Tech startups, egomaniacal billionaires, and venture capitalists get impaled in writerdirector Mike Judge’s new HBO sitcom Silicon Valley WORDS BY IAN ROSALES CASOCOT

THE BEAUTIFUL THING about Silicon Valley is that it is an unexpected, genuinely hilarious piece of comedy about tech-geeks for our times. It earns its laughter—minus the increasingly wonky device of the laugh track—from some

inner source of situational madness, and not because they are the embodiment of nerdy caricatures that feel like jokes written by former jocks. This is an indictment against the similarly themed The Big Bang Theory, which has parlayed its popularity by increasingly reveling in secret condescension for its geeky characters. HBO’s new comedy series feels like a corrective in that regard. Think Douglas Coupland’s Microserfs served up with HBO relish, with creator Mike Judge’s soft spot for bumbling outsiders as the clincher. That it does this with sharp writing and brilliant funny turns feels like a celebration. The show follows four tech-geeks living together in a Silicon Valley incubator. One of them is our hero, the shy and bumbling Richard Hendriks (Thomas Middleditch) who has become the target of a ferocious bidding war between two eccentric Silicon Valley billionaires (who seem to be modeled after Peter Thiel and Steve Jobs) for

his new lossless compression algorithm for both music and video files. Hendriks reluctantly gives up the chance to become an instant millionaire in favor of creating a company with the potential for making billions more—or squat, given the strange, unmapped byways of this tech-world. It helps that much of it seems plucked from the gritty details of life in the techie lane—from the candy-colored “campuses” with strange parties, to the manic desperation to come up with the new “it” app from almost everyone in the community (even doctors and busboys). While it garnered general acclaim (venture capitalist Marc Andreessen loved it), even from the community it is satirizing, the show has definitely ruffled some feathers, the most prominent of which is Tesla and PayPal founder Elon Musk who dismissed the show’s characters as unreal. “Most startups are a soap opera, but not that kind of soap opera,” he told reporters at the show’s California premiere.

The Limits of Control AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire digs deep into the ugly side of the 80s tech revolution While Mad Men is resting its sure-footed swagger before its ﬁnal season, AMC is banking on another period piece stuffed with sleaze, intrigue, and high-ﬂying madness. This time, we’re taken deep into the burgeoning technological revolution of the 1980s in Texas’ Silicon Prairie, the Wild West of personal computing. Halt and Catch Fire follows three programmers who become embroiled in the cutthroat world of tech innovators and pioneers. The relationship between two of the leads, played by Lee Pace (Pushing Dasies) and Scoot McNairy (Argo) may mirror the push and pull between Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Wozniak’s reception of the series pilot, however, which premiered in SXSW earlier this year, is quite telling of the show’s promise. “I give this show a 10, and that’s so rare for me,” he told The Verge. -DON JAUCIAN

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AGENDA DRINKS

Bar M serves up some of the rarest single malt whiskies in Manila. Here’s a few the bartender might pour your way WORDS BY MARA COSON / PHOTO BY PATRICK DIOKNO

OLD PULTENEY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH – 21 YEARS OLD This 21-year-old single malt from the estuary town of Wick in the Scottish Highlands won “World Whisky of the Year 2012” by the revered Jim Murray Whisky Bible. Spicy, woody, and buttery, with vanilla, baked apples, cinnamon, and butter—a pastry shop in a bottle.

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ARDBEG UIEGEADAIL

SHINSHU MARS SINGLE CASK

MICHEL COUVREUR OVERAGED MALT WHISKY

On the south coast of the isle of Islay (pronounced ‘eye-lah’) where expanses of peat abound, stands Ardbeg, one of Scotland’s proudest distillers. Taking its cue from its water source, Loch Uigeadail (‘Oog-ahdal’), meaning “dark and mysterious place,” the phenomenal single malt carries smoky, deep, and heady ﬂavors, with hints of camphor, liquorice, and coffee.

The elusive Shinshu distillery ended its short seven-year run in 1992, when this single cask was aged. It was then bottled in 2004, and lay in hibernation until the distillery was revived in 2011. This rare gem, now back on the market and labeled with Van Gogh’s japonaiserie entitled “Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige),” is ﬂoral, fruity, and delicately balanced.

Before his passing last year, Belgian Michel Couvreur was one of few remaining artisanal producers of Scotch, proving that it doesn’t matter where the scotch is distilled—it matters how it’s aged. Aging young scotch in 25-year-old Pedro Ximenez sherry casks in his Burgundy cellar, the result is a delightfully sweet, bright, and memorable blended malt.

MARS “KOMAGATAKE” SINGLE CASK 1988 Shinshu distillery, run by time-honored shochu maker Hombu Shuzo, is the highest distillery in Japan at an altitude of 2,600 feet above sea level. After a long production hiatus, Shinshu has released its rare full-bodied and fruity winter-made single malt, Komagatake, or “pony mountain,” named after a peak in Kiso mountains where this small-batch single malt drew its water.

BAR M IS LOCATED AT 114 VALERO ST., SALCEDO VILLAGE, MAKATI; CALL 810-3565.

AGENDA BOOKS

THE LAST SEVEN YEARS Lit by the glow of Michelin stars for 14 years, Ferran Adria’s elBulli undoubtedly shook up the global culinary scene. A new seven-volume tome obsessively chronicles the restaurant’s ﬁnal years WORDS BY PAMELA CORTEZ

AFTER CAREME, ESCOFFIER, and Bocuse, EDIBLE ART Left to right: elBulli’s hibiscus ﬂower snack; nori there was Adria. Though there were many empanadilla with seaweed-wrapped pink lemons great chefs before him, Ferran Adria, head and caramelized sesame seeds inside; a parmesan chef of the famed elBulli, has shaped modern “crystal,” one of Adria’s many kitchen inventions. gastronomy more than any other. Though the restaurant 2011, a few films, books, and would only open its doors the occasional TV appearance for half the year, earning the have slowly revealed the secrets cognomen of Best Restaurant in behind Adria and his cuisine, the World for four consecutive but the mystery of what the team years meant there were almost was capable of remained largely two million requests each intact. elBulli 2005-2011, is the season for a seat at his table. most comprehensive anthology on BY THE Adria was a culinary genius, the restaurant so far, with seven NUMBERS often known for molecular volumes on the restaurant’s most gastronomy, but his food was important era, composed of 750 more than that. Yes, it pushed recipes, most of which have been boundaries, but it was a way printed on these pages for the first Reservation to find new flavor profiles that time. It is an in-depth look into requests per year would not only surprise diners elBulli, and a peek into the everand elicit childlike reactions, evolving brain of Ferran Adria. but also perfect or even create Divided in the way they would techniques that were different have been on an elBulli tasting Requests that from what anyone had seen menu, the recipes are precise actually get granted before. In elBulli’s kitchens, down to the last detail. Elusive Ferran, creative director and ingredients come with notes on brother Albert, and their both where they can be found, and creative team, conceived dishes what suffices as a substitute, while Awards garnered by elBulli that were culinary innovations, new techniques and presentations with versions and imitations are written down step-by-step. of them surfacing around the Though difficult to recreate for the globe. After Adria, an olive was home cook, the catalog is essential no longer an olive, and the list Collective number as a reference to what may always of Michelin stars that once made him so famous, be one of the most important earned from now became suffused with restaurants, both past and present. 1987-2011 alumni from his kitchen. This is the closest one may ever Since elBulli’s get to experience the magic of unprecedented closure in elBulli again.

EL BULLI 2M

8,000 41

750

Recipes in the latest elBulli book 36 J U N E 2014

AGENDA FILM

SIDEWAYS SEDUCTION Closing in on his 10-year hiatus from the big screen, ﬁlmmaker Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin proves to be an otherworldly thriller, and his rebirth into motion pictures WORDS BY MIGUEL ORTEGA

THERE ARE ONLY so many roads you can take when the glassy-eyed aliens of sci-fi movies take up that 9 p.m. slot at the nearest cinema. They’re either out on a binge to kill the human race (that means you, War of the Worlds), or up for the challenge (what challenge) of draining our resources. Somewhere in the world of literary extraterrestrial existence, Michel Faber’s titular novel, Under the Skin stepped up as one of this year’s alien movie plot contenders, with its lead character coming off as an alien seductress. Directed by Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast), the science fiction thriller was scripted out by Glazer and Walter Campbell, in their own translation of the Faber fiction. While the duo traded in the more faithful script for a more movie-friendly one, viewers can still expect to see a form of spiritual connection to the book. The film takes place in Scotland where the bombshell of an extraterrestrial succubus,

played by Scarlett Johansson, beckons men with the promise of sex, only to have these unsuspecting victims drowned in a black hole of an otherworldly ink puddle, and stripped of their flesh. An A-list celebrity like Johansson would definitely be considered alien in Glasgow but that only adds to her role—together with the fake hair, the deliberately off-putting British accent, the cheap fur coat, and the detached and insouciant look on her face. Like the bumbling lead character of some odd coming-of-age film however, Johansson’s character, quite literally, attempts to grow into her new skin: interacting with humans, eating, and awkwardly discovering her no-no square. The film delves more on emotion rather than information. In the novel, for instance, it is explicitly stated that these aliens turn humans into food, a delicacy even, however there is no mention of this in the movie. Leaving the audience with plenty of questions simply

adds to the film’s dark and enigmatic tone. Expect no eureka moment here though, just a gradual build up that charts human emotions seen through alien eyes and highlighted even further with stunning landscape cinematography and dazzling Kubrickian visuals. Despite that, Glazer aptly describes his film as unadorned—which it is, with a resounding Amen. Unembellished of the special effects characteristic of other alien movies, Under the Skin dances on the border of experimental film that, let’s be honest, it mentally chafes you. You’ll have to hand it to Glazer for managing to put this together, almost a decade since his last air time on the big screen. With Under the Skin he takes us for a walk amidst a gamut of human emotions through acts of love, lust, and curiosity. It’s an erotic parable about predators and prey and the allure humanity has, even to strangers from a different planet.

AGENDA DRINKS

FAT PAULY’S HAND-CRAFTED ALES & LAGERS

There is a revolution brewing—of the craft beer kind. Here, a selection of fine local breweries that have taken Filipino beer to new heights WORDS BY MICHELLE V. AYUYAO & NICOLA SEBASTIAN / PHOTOS BY JAMES BAUTISTA

CRAFTPOINT BREWING CO. Craftpoint Brewing Company (craftpointbrew.com) is mainly represented through two types of beers, though their strength seems to lie in some very interesting collaborations: coffee-infused twin beers with Curator, a mangosteenflavored one with Hungry Hound, and one with Big Bad Wolf cheekily called Big Bad Beer. With the Craftpoint crew promising new blends and collabs to come, beer lovers are nursing high hopes for this one. Brew code: The Summer Sessions blonde ale is deﬁnitely the crowd favorite: light, yet fragrant, this one is less malty and more herbal, with a strong hint of honey. The best way to enjoy Craftpoint is straight from brewing—fortunately, the twin beers Day and Night are available fresh from the tap at EDSA Beverage Design Studio.

Available at: EDSA Beverage Design Studio, Global Beer Exchange

KATIPUNAN CRAFT ALES Backed by four boys with a friendship that dates back to their high school years, Katipunan Craft (facebook.com/ KatipunanCraftAles) was the first group in Manila to test out the craft beer waters. They began brewing on the stovetop of one of their partners, gradually expanding, and now they take up shelf space in numerous restaurants in the city. Their flagship brew called the Indio Pale Ale, salutes the classic India Pale Ale that began in the 19th century, but more as a play on words rather than as an actual IPA. Brew code: The Indio Pale Ale pours out murky and amber—the warm aroma of malt, the taste of caramel, and the bitter kick at the end are smooth on the palate. At its hoppy best when consumed fresh, because after some time the bottle’s ﬂavors may go a bit ﬂat.

Available at: Global Beer Exchange

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Of locally brewed beers, no other beer brand is as aggressive with their flavors as Fat Pauly’s is (facebook.com/ FatPaulysHandCraftedAlesLagers)—or as prolific with distribution. The tagline of the Iligan-based brand is “Inebriating you with style,” and they’re not kidding. Brewing in small batches allows them to really play around with the blends to create things like a light rose and hibiscus flavored light ale, to a richer café latte stout. However, their main brews are the Iligan Pale Ale and the Sultan Stout, both of which prove their malt as a high-quality craft beer brewery.

Brew code: While some ﬂavors call for an acquired taste (we’re looking at you, smoked mocha), Fat Pauly’s deserves major brownie points for being the most creative amongst the country’s roster of local brewers. Go for the Pigafetta Brown Coconut Porter, a bold, tropical brew sweetened by the comforting aroma of mature coconut meat.

Available at: Global Beer Exchange, Barley Gastropub, Black Pig

PARTNER PROMOTION

AT JOURNEY’S END Forget fall and winter. When it comes down to it, all you really need is Two Seasons WORDS BY ISABEL BINAMIRA

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BY AIR, BY LAND, and by sea. That’s what it takes to get to the Two Seasons Resort and Spa (twoseasonsresorts.com) in Coron, Palawan. If you’re anything like me, and are nervous about one or more of said modes of transportation, I can promise you what lies at the end of your journey will be well worth the (slight) anxiety. The resort speedboat rounds a corner, and the Two Seasons’ sand bar, crystal clear waters, and thatched roofs come into view and melt some of the tension away. As you alight from the boat and kick off your sea legs, you can’t help but stare in wonder as you take in the beauty of this island paradise. Fish dart in and out of the reef below, and coconut trees sway with the warm summer breeze. The island’s main beach is lined with lounge chairs and umbrellas, and dotted with water sporting equipment like kayaks and pedal boats. The sound of drums and of swaying grass skirts greet guests by the resort’s lobby, as members of the staff welcome people in with a quick dance and musical presentation, while others hand you an ice cold beverage to refresh you after your journey to the island. In true Filipino fashion, you are greeted with warm smiles, and a seashell necklace.

PARTNER PROMOTION

ISLAND IN THE SUN

Top: Planted on its own island, the intimacy of Two Seasons in Coron is limited to just 42 bungalows. Below: Transparent kayaks are available for rent, and have views to depths of 75 feet; the Sandbar Bungalow’s veranda comes with an outdoor jacuzzi.

From large, luxurious bungalows to cabanas by the beach, each room is guaranteed to have a spectacular view of the surrounding islands.

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PHOTO BY JACK ALINDAHAO

Two Seasons has a variety of rooms, ranging from large, luxurious bungalows perfect for families and large groups, to smaller more intimate cabanas by the beach. The resort’s crowning jewel is the Sandbar Suite. This villa, which is perfect for a couple’s getaway, overlooks the island’s sandbar, and has views of the main beach, and the back beach’s mangroves. One thing is certain, each room is guaranteed to have a spectacular view of the surrounding islands. The resort caters to many types of travelers. The Dive Shop offers various water sports and activities for the adventurous, active traveler. The gym overlooks the surrounding waters and islands, setting the perfect backdrop for your daily workout. If you prefer to relax, you can lounge out on the beach all day, or head over to the Narra Spa for a massage. After the sun goes down, the pool bar plays upbeat music and serves a wide range of drinks for the night crawlers. Pack a swimsuit or two, hop on that plane, van, and boat, and make your way over to the Two Seasons Resort and Spa. Trust me, it’s worth the trip.

PARTNER PROMOTION

GREEN PASTURES

Clockwise from left: Ayala Land’s Vertis North is a sprawling new development in the metro’s northern expanse, which is set to become a burgoening hub of business and lifestyle; Vertis Park features verdant landscapes integrated in the 30-hectare area of the development; High Park, a residential tower of Vertis North, will have sky gardens on every three ﬂoors.

Natural High Alveo Land’s High Park, upscale residential tower of the new Vertis North development, gives a new meaning to the phrase “the high life”

THE MAJESTIC SPRAWL of Quezon City, with its busy rail lines and road arteries, has been unfolding as a hotbed of accelerating growth within the last few years. Various developments such as mixed-use buildings, and recreational areas—from thriving shopping malls to quaint stretches of streets brimming with restaurants and cafes—have all popped up in the metro’s most populous and largest city. Tapping into this renewed sense of urban vigor, Ayala Land is building the only central business district in Quezon City that will further bolster the city’s progress.

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Designed to bring a lush, natural core to the bustle of urban living, Ayala Land’s Vertis North is set to become the premier gateway to the north. This 30-hectare development strikes the balance between an enterprising complex, a lifestyle enclave, and an eco-friendly community. High Park, Alveo Land’s the two-tower residential address at Vertis North, elevates the greenery of an otherwise usual concrete cityscape. Sky gardens are located on every three ﬂoors, overlooking an expanse that thoughtfully integrates green parks and refreshing scenery with business centers, lifestyle facilities, and even a hotel, Seda Vertis, the largest of the Seda Hotel chains. Business also forms an important core of the development, enhancing the role of innovative entrepreneurs—both big and small, local and global—with support facilities such as one-stop business centers, tax incentives, and training programs. Medical institutions, schools, and business districts are within a short distance to the estate. Vertis North is built as an enclave that is both an engine for growth and a forward-thinking city center with green and responsible living at its heart.

In Vertis Northâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the vibrancy of nature and leisure exudes just steps from your door Blissful. Cultivating the seeds of ingenuityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a community emerges in Vertis North, Quezon Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hub for energized living. High Park, Alveo Landâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residential address here, reshapes the urban landscape by elevating the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s green experience. From Vertis Park to al fresco dining scenes, homes enlivened by imaginative amenities, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ďŹ nd sky gardens every three ďŹ&#x201A;oors. Shooting up into multiple layers of landscape, each moment intensiďŹ es with new heights on living.

Welcome to your place at the center of life.

t XXX BMWFPMBOE DPN QI HLURB Temporary License to Sell Number ENCRFO No. 14-04-010 | RuďŹ no Hermann S. Gutierrez PRC-REBL No. 0004771

Ju n e 2 0 14

E DI T E D BY

DON JAU CI AN

SPACE

DESIGN + INTERIORS + ARCHITECTURE + TECHNOLOGY

the STORIES WE

TELL

Filipino designers brought their A-game to the 2014 Salone del Mobile last April, pushing the ante of local design up a notch WORDS BY DON JAUCIAN

ISSUE NO.

SPACE DESIGN

HISTORY PLAYS A great role in Salone del Mobile’s reputation as the world’s biggest furniture fair, taking 53 years of unsurpassed craftsmanship under its wings. As the world of design converges each year in Milan to celebrate the best in furniture and design, the city transforms into a sprawling playground for designers, manufacturers, and design savants— from lights that take their cues from 19th century Milanese street lamps lining up walkways to Zaha Hadid’s sinewy forms showcasing the IraqiBritish architect’s impressive range. In the midst of the big names that bannered this year’s edition, Milan also saw homegrown Filipino talents as they continued to make their mark in the global playing field, sizing it up with established names after Design Philippines’ successful launch in the fair’s 2013 edition at the Euroluce, a co-located exhibition focusing on lighting concepts. We took a look at five of this year’s remarkable collections that highlight the skill and talent of Filipino craftsmen.

ATELIER’A A mix of geometric forms take precedence in atelier’a’s collection (atelier-a.it), fashioning local materials such as palm, coconut, and shell to draw out unique wood grain patterns that echo nature’s inherent design genius. To reinforce the role of sustainable materials in the global design scene, atelier’a also unveiled an installation of 10 giant bamboo structures by designer Giovanni Polazzi of Studio Archea Florence.

Ç PRIZMIC AND BRILL (PREVIOUS PAGE)

Prized for their meticulous craftsmanship and unique takes on classic designs—from the innocuous lounger to apothecaries and console chairs—pieces from Prizmic and Brill (prizmicbrill.com) evoke the burning ﬁre of the traveler’s spirit, translated to the use of mixed medium, such as hand-forged brass, leather hides, and hardwood.

Å KENNETH COBONPUE Fresh from his Maison et Objet Asia “Designer of the Year” win, Kenneth Cobonpue (kennethcobonpue. com) and Hive presented new collections such as Federica Capitani’s Adesso, which wove organic elements to echo the night sky’s stellar view; Stanley Ruiz’s Whisk Lamp, a marvel of undulating shapes and elegance; and Luisa Robinson’s Nautilus Lamp, a synthesis of two unlikely concepts: the mystique of the sea and old Hollywood glamour.

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SPACE DESIGN

INDUSTRIA HOME The steel and hand-forged metal creations of Industria Home (industriahome.com) are structured with striking lines and sensual curves that lend a certain grace and whimsy. Collaborators Joel Tiotuico and Eric Paras choose to romanticize their designs, bringing forth works that showcase their creative manipulation of local materials, from tempered colored glass and round bars to ceramics.

In the midst of the big names that bannered this year’s Salon del Mobile, Milan also saw homegrown Filipino talents as they continued to make their mark in the global playing field. È PADUA Originally a trader of antique Philippine furniture, Padua (Unit-B YMC Compound 2320 Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati; 236-4066)eventually expanded into production of home furnishings and accessories—all made from recycled wood. Padua’s sculptural furniture highlight a sustainable approach on local design, one that eschews the antiquated elaborate carvings usually found on wooden furniture, transforming them into pieces that are both stylish and functional.

Æ BON ACE The cross of Filipino and Italian ingenuity in Bon Ace (bon-ace. com) make for painstaking works of art. Materials like shell, mother-ofpearl, and exotic hides fuse with industrial resources to reimagine home décor objects—a new design language that yields strange but fascinating imagery. For example, the “Inﬁnity Chair” is a mélange of natural and industrial materials that push an otherwise ordinary object into a thing of beauty, in this case, the pattern of concentric circles gives the chair an echo of forwardthinking elegance.

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SPACE DESIGN

ROCK OF AGES

What’s so hot about this $185,585 sofa? It’s sculpted out of 11,000-year-old lava stone WORDS BY DON JAUCIAN

MOBILE DESIGN Peugot Design Lab’s vehicles look to the future Unveiled in 2012, the Onyx trio of superbike, supertrike, and supercar perfectly complements the Onyx sofa. Each vehicle is made of innovative materials, such as newspaper, wood, and carbon ﬁber, translated into ergonomic design and elegance.

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long lasting,” so goes one of Dieter Rams’s “Principles of Good Design.” In this age of disposable objects, when the hot new thing becomes old in a span of a few months, the German industrial designer’s tenet seems to have been forgotten. This is what Peugeot Design Lab (peugeotdesignlab.com) aims to resurrect with their concept of creating unique designs that seamlessly unify hyper-technological materials and raw and natural resources, such as the Onyx Sofa. Made of carbon fiber and a block of an 11,000-year-old volcanic stone from France, it was showcased at this year’s Milan Design Week. Measuring three meters long, the sofa took 70 days to make and carries a price tag of $185,585. It is made to adjust to the rock’s details—its textures, fault lines, and proportions—while allowing the sharp line of the carbon fiber to connect with it and create a contrasting but sculptural design object. The piece comes from a series of unique, made to measure furniture that is tailor-fit to the personality of the customer. More than just being an impressive and forward-thinking concept, the Onyx Sofa is a lasting work of art that exemplifies the harmonious fusion of technology and nature.

“GOOD DESIGN IS

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Remoteless remotes, super computers that solve mankind’s problems, and a new currency—the future looks bright with these new innovations straight out of science fiction WORDS BY JESS SANTIAGO / ILLUSTRATED BY TERENCE EDUARTE

LIKE IMAGERY STRAIGHT out of a geek’s science fiction dreams, these innovations plot a new course on how technology can change the way we live: new depths in virtual reality, remote-less remote controls, computers running on the principles of quantum mechanics, human free snacking—we’ve reached an age where solutions to once complex problems may come before we even blink. That, and we have the power to digitally choose whom and what we want to see.

1 MYO GESTURE CONTROL The guys at Thalmic Labs (thalmic.com) made the almost impossible happen: controlling devices and commands at the snap of your fingers. Their one-size-fits-all armband senses the electric signals from the wearers’ muscles to their fingers along with the movements of the wearer’s hands. It’s like having a remote control without a remote control. They’re also joining forces with the Oculus Rift (see below) for a totally immersive VR experience.

2 OCULUS RIFT VR HEADSET This virtual reality headset allows users to see the game in front of them, on their right and left, and even behind them. Mark Zuckerberg liked it so much he added Oculus VR (oculusvr.com) to his social network for $2 billion last March. But Zuckerberg’s got more than gaming on his mind. He said, “Imagine enjoying a courtside seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world, or consulting with a doctor faceto-face—just by putting on goggles in your home.”

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3 RIDESHARING Apps like Lyft (lyft.com) empower commuters to choose and grade whom they ride with. With Lyft, users only connect with the drivers and passengers they rate highly. One low grade, and the user will never ride with that person again. After the ride, payment goes on credit. The idea has made its way to Manila with apps like GrabTaxi and Uber. But ﬁrst these guys have to drive through the LTFRB.

4 SNACK BOTS Snack Bots, not to be confused with the Snackbot at Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute, work like ATMs or vending machines. The Sprinkles Cupcake ATM (sprinkles.com), for example, serves fresh cupcakes using robotic arms. Customers merely have to pick a pastry from among the pictures on the ATM’s touchscreen menu. If cupcakes aren’t to your taste, other snack bots serve hot burritos, salads, and even caviar.

5 BITCOIN Modelled after gold mining, the Bitcoin (bitcoin.org) system allows netizens to make transactions without having to go through a bank. This is digital money going person-to-person, country-to-country via the Internet and a Bitcoin mining app. Digital signatures make the transactions unique and the money is protected by cryptography. With sites like Reddit and Wordpress already recognizing Bitcoins, this tech-savvy moolah could be the new way to go.

6 D-WAVE Dubbed “The Inﬁnity Machine” by Time and backed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, the D-Wave (dwavesys.com) is a product of quantum mechanics and is poised to solve the kind of conundrums regular computers running on the binary code would take years to answer. Google saw so much potential in this machine that it bought the latest version: the D-Wave Two. The search engine giant partnered with NASA to create the Quantum Artiﬁcial Intelligence Lab in California in order to unlock the D-Wave’s full potential—and maybe answer questions like: Are we alone in space?

J U N E 2014 57

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED With the $1,500 Lytro Illum light-field camera, photographers can now achieve what was once impossible: adjusting an image’s focus and depth of field after taking them WORDS BY FRUHLEIN ECONAR

IN 2012, LYTRO released a sleek rectangular tube-shaped camera that took the industry by storm with its unique looks and its ability to allow users to edit the photograph’s focal point, depth of field, and perspective shift after shooting—effectively introducing lightfield photography into the mainstream. This July, Lytro will start shipping its follow-up, the Lytro Illum, a more familiar-looking camera that will once again capture our fancies. It’ll still allow users to manipulate the focal point after shooting, but that’s the least of its abilities. The Lytro Illum (lytro.com) comes packed with specs enough to rival the latest professional-grade DSLRs as well as a software platform that maximizes the potential of the photographs, allowing it to display 3D photos and build custom animations. Equipped with a sensor four times more powerful than its predecessor, the Illum captures photographs using a technology called Light Field Photography—a new way

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LCD touchscreen interestingly angled at the back, and attached to it is an 8x optical zoom lens, equivalent to a 30mm-250mm, with a fixed f/2.0 aperture across the entire zoom range. Its fast shutter speeds—up to 4000th of a second—makes it ideal for a range of conditions. The software platform is compatible with suites like Aperture and Photoshop and allows users to export images into common formats like JPEG. The company’s mission is to go beyond the limits of digital and film, and open the doors to the creative possibilities offered by light-field technology; to give birth to content that is authentic, interactive, and immersive. And while it usually takes new mediums a while to have their time in the spotlight, the Lytro Illum’s breathtaking results will ensure that, in this case, it’ll be no time at all. POINT OF FOCUS

Above: The Lytro Illum is now available for pre-order and will ship by August 2014. Left: A photo adjusted with Illum’s refocus, which shifts focal points in an image.

of taking images that go beyond artistic expression. It harnesses the power of the light field, capturing the wide spectrum of light in multiple dimensions. Pair that with the processing power of the quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, the same found in the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, and you’ve got a machine that delivers images of stunning detail. Shifting its focus to a more professional crowd, Lytro has integrated its groundbreaking technology with the traditional look and feel of a DSLR. Its black magnesium frame comes with a 4-inch

SPACE HOME ACCESSORIES

CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

Left: A gallery of design objects and taxidermied animals from Xbesitzer’s display, which also includes artwork, lamps, and weathered shoes. Below, inset: A preserved Moose head shipped from the US. Owner Jeremy Guiab started his taxidermy collection six years ago.

MYSTERIOUS SKIN Xbesitzer, the new taxidermy shop of furniture designer Jeremy Guiab, is more than just a repository of dead creatures and secondhand goods—it’s a world of its own WORDS BY KAREN BOLILIA PHOTOGRAPHED BY JELITO DE LEON

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LATELY IT’S BEEN tough to keep the light out from Xbesitzer (178 Mabini St., Brgy. Addition Hills, San Juan; 0915 380 5172) At 3 p.m., when the shop girls open the door for business, the blinds go down immediately to thwart the summer sun, the artificial defense of the artificially-preserved: taxidermied animals. The girls are quick to quip—this was not meant to be a taxidermy store. It was supposed to be a furniture one, the depository of excess fixture replicas produced by a manufacturer also owned by Xbesitzer’s chief curator, Jeremy Guiab. “The main idea was to find a place to display and sell things we are interested in enough to buy and collect for ourselves,” he explains. “So

SPACE HOME ACCESSORIES

EXHIBIT A

Clockwise, from above: A texas longhorn skull and a beaver’s head (inside a glass dome); an antique microscope, a sparrow, and Yasmin Sison’s ceramic antlers; one of Xbesitzer’s second-hand designer chairs.

“The caribou mount arrived from Finland with its face broken in half and its antlers in pieces,” says Guiab. But the payoff wasn’t so shabby—“between the rubble of the cavity I found a ring with a small emerald stone.” please don’t be surprised if the next time you visit the store and it suddenly looks like a recording studio.” Right now it looks like a cramped living room, but one styled by deft, seasoned hands. It’s a garage sale gone luxe. Sourcing mainly from the US, Africa, and the Netherlands, Guiab started his taxidermy collection six years ago, and the store tucked in an idle street of San Juan is where all the surplus go. Taking its name from the German word besizter, meaning “to own,” the prefixed “x” gestures the transition; new, future ownerships of his former possessions. A sheepish-eyed bison towers over everyone in size, while deer and their giant antlers plank on one side, a fox on the other. An oil lamp on a table sits across the fully oxidized counter. Scowling black crows fraternize with varnished

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ostrich eggs, and crocodile skulls rest just above a couple of pairs of desert boots. Xbesitzer is the intercontinental safari trip you have yet to take. This frozen fauna assembly is not without its hiccups, though. Guiab recalls a time when he tried to ship a trophy-winning caribou mount from Finland. “It arrived with its face broken in half and its antlers in pieces,” he says. But the payoff wasn’t so shabby—“it was an old mount done with wood, clay, and paper, and between the rubble of the cavity I found a ring with a small emerald stone.” The reindeer may have slipped through, but Xbesitzer’s key collector has just acquired a polar bear recently, dethroning the bison as the magnum opus of the reserve. We might even get to see it in the light of day.

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SPACE MOTORING

HATCHBACK HUBRIS

Audi joins the supermini ranks with its new S1 hatchback, a pocket rocket with style and the power to match WORDS BY APA AGBAYANI

64 J U N E 2014

AUDI CARS HAVE always offered a mix of powerful road performance, polished interiors, and sheer elegance on the road. With the new S1, Audi (audi.ph) fits a compact B-segment body with a robust performance car engine. The new model is a near-carbon copy of the limited run A1 Quattro, which Audi put out in 2012. Only 333 of the cars were produced, though. Thanks to the automobile gods, then, for bringing the rest of us the S1. Don’t let the diminutive frame fool you. The S1 packs a serious punch on the road. The hatchback runs on a 2.0-liter turbo engine and goes from zero to 62 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds, rivaling the Volkswagen Golf GTI. It’s a comfortable ride, but with a 228 break horsepower engine, it’s not a car to be wasted driving through the city. Let it loose on the freeway. The four-wheeldrive supermini has the power and the grip to put bigger vehicles to shame on a cross-country drive. At lower speeds, the engine has a

pleasant, warm hum. Revved up, though, it rises to a magnificent roar. The car’s versatility and comfort bring a genuine pleasure to driving the S1. An adjustable suspension lets you switch to dynamic mode on a more open road. This gives you higher speeds, heavier steering, and—for the sheer thrill of it—feeds more engine noise into the cabin. To boot, the car looks and feels just as good on the inside. The steering wheel adjusts to your height and reach. The fittings are sleek and subdued, and the seats are stylish albeit cozy. The S1 comes with an optional Bose 14-speaker sound system. While it takes up some space in the already compact vehicle, it’s perfect if you’re the type to go cruising down the highway volume up, windows down, no damns given. For years, Audi has worked with the motto “truth in engineering.” The small, formidable S1 is a testament to that idea—that engineering need not lack in brazen beauty, or an appreciation for the thrill of the ride.

SPACE HOME ACCESSORIES

SHELTERING LIGHT

Dra out the shadows and illuminate your home with these overhead lamps

YUPIK LAMP

EDI

ETCH SHADE

ALBEDO LAMP

BALLOTON LAMP

BEAT LIGHT TAIL

by Form Us With Love for Fontana Arte ffrom Furnitalia (Crescent Park West, 30th St. cor. Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City; 819-1887)

by Alberto Biagetti for Venini ffrom Furnitalia (Crescent Park West, 30th St. cor. Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City; 819-1887)

by y Tom Dixon from f MOs Design (B2 Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; 856-2748)

by Albedo by Studio Drift for Fontana Arte ffrom Furnitalia (Crescent Park West, 30th St. cor. Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City; 819-1887)

by y Venini ffrom Furnitalia (Crescent Park West, 30th St. cor. Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City; 819-1887)

by y Tom Dixon from MOs Design (B2 Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; 856-2748)

66 J U N E 2014

THINNING HAIR? Keep it don’t lose it.

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SPACE DESIGN

THE NATURE OF THE EXPERIMENT Recently honored in Italy for her modernist Musketeer stools, Rachelle Dagñalan reworks Filipino materials into sensible, playful objects WORDS BY GIAN CRUZ

EVEN THE MOST elementary

of things can turn into a great elsewhere of possibilities—much like in the case of designer Rachelle Dagñalan (pictured left) who shares that her passion for design was initially ignited by creating props for a variety of projects back in high school. This eventually led to her pursuing Industrial Design at the University of Santo Tomas’ College of Fine Arts and Design. And from here came a more spirited enthusiasm in product design. Witnessing that there were only a handful of opportunities in product design in the country by the time she graduated in 2012, Dagñalan still valiantly pursued this domain. From being assistant designer to artist/designer Jinggoy Buensuceso to being mentored by much celebrated designer Budji Layug, her exposure and

68 J U N E 2014

experience made her realize that there was a huge potential for local materials, which were often overlooked. Her acclaimed Musketeers stools embody this reality. Other than being one of her creations that she’s most keen on, she adds that it is a collaboration with a paper company, a rattan manufacturer in Cebu, and an eco-sustainable company. The idea came to her two years ago, which prompted her to play on the dynamics of an urban resort theme—a concept that works very much within the vein of the Filipino sensibility. Meanwhile, the approach to design and exploration of materials took things further. “I am inspired by designs that evoke emotions. It has to relate with people; designs that understand the nature where it came from—the honest materials and the stories of craftsmen who make them,” she says about her work. She also shares a love for Scandinavian design because

of how they make things really “simple yet so desirable, very basic yet functional.” These days, Dagñalan is working on starting her own brand, RADA Industrial Studio (rachelledagnalan.com). She deems that this will be an initial step for her to strategically put her designs to the market and a platform to work with other young designers. But at this point, she believes that there’s still a lot more that she has to do despite the success of her designs— primarily the international acclaim she garnered for her Musketeer stools, which won her the Silver A’ Design Award in Italy in 2013 and two other merits from design competitions all within two years. “I still have a long way to go and a whole lot more to learn, but I am enjoying the process,” she shares. SIT DOWN, STAND UP

Below: Dagñalan’s Musketeer Stools have travelled the world, gaining international acclaim in such design exhibitions as the 2013 A’ Design Awards in Como, Italy.

J U N E 2 0 14 / I S S U E 7 7

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Ju n e 2 0 14

ISSUE NO.

E DI T E D BY

ANNA C. REYES

ASHION + STYLE + GROOMING

B A C K A L L E Y B A R B E R S H O P, W I T H I T S O L D - S C H O O L C O O L , P U T S MEN'S GROOMING BACK IN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE PHOTOGRAPHED BY PATRICK DIOKNO / STYLED BY ANNA C. REYES PAUL SMITH SWEATER AND PANTS, MASSIMO DUTTI SHOES

THE EYE GROOMING

MASSIMO DUTTI SHOES AND JEANS

ABOUT

BACK ALLEY

BARBERSHOP >

t’s unlikely that you’ll hear someone ask about a piece of art hanging from a barbershop, but here is that someone— sporting a fresh undercut, beard closely shaved, and the elegant scent of an aftershave in tow—inquiring about the curious images: artworks by Ranelle Diaz, Cos Zicarelli, and Bembol Dela Cruz, all found within the premises of Back Alley Barbershop. From the get go, Back Alley (Unit 1D, Alpha Salcedo Condominium, Bautista St. cor. Sanchez St., Salcedo Village, Makati; 0947 518 5736; backalleybarbershop.com) aspires to be more than just a barbershop. The slick interiors give it away, lined with a carefully selected library of magazines and records, handmade tools, and a well-thought of collection of men’s grooming products. But it’s the repurposed 40-year old barber’s chairs that mean business, with their second-generation barbers that are trained to give the most meticulous haircut you’ll ever have. If you have time to kill, ask for the Cut + Shave and Hungover Treatment, which lasts for an hour and a half, and leaves you with the feeling of a renewed man ready to conquer the world. And to top off a great cut and shave, sit back with a beer or coffee on hand (courtesy of Katipunan and Yardstick, respectively) and drink in the vibe. It’s Back Alley’s way of taking back men’s grooming to its rightful place: the barbershop that brims with old school cool and sticks to the forged traditions of manhood. -Don Jaucian 72 J U N E 2014

NEIGHBORHOOD STOP

Taking its name from the side streets of Salcedo Village, Back Alley Barbershop was built to address the growing need for specialized men's grooming shops.

HUNGOVER TREATMENT

Poised as an antidote for long nights and a gentleman’s refresher, the Hungover Treatment is a careful six-step process that revitalizes the weariest of skins. Back Alley selected Noevir products for the treatment—from recovery masks to aftershaves—to highlight the trademark barber massage attributes: simple but effective.

J U N E 2014 73

THE EYE GROOMING

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SEE SHOPLIST (PAGE 158) FOR STORE INFORMATION

NEW

SCHOOL

PAUL SMITH SHIRT OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PAUL SMITH SUIT, TM LEWIN SHIRT, MASSIMO DUTTI SHOES, TM LEWIN POCKET SQUARE, TM LEWIN SHIRT, MASSIMO DUTTI JEANS.

Back Alley sources from a carefully selected list of suppliers for their facial care treatments, such as the Japanese brand Noevir (which ranges from skin milks and shampoos to washing foams), British after-shave brand Prankhurst, and Murdock, a badger-hair shaving brush from London.

J U N E 2014 75

THE EYE ACCESSORIES

THE CLOCK TURNS BOTH WAYS

One of the most influential brands in the world debuts two new timepieces at Baselworld 2014, showing a remarkable ability to balance innovation and heritage that is distinctly Hermès WORDS BY ANDREA ANG

76 J U N E 2014

AN HERMÈS PRESENTATION

anywhere in the world is always a coveted invitation—and one at leading international watch and jewelery trade show Baselworld is not an exception. Although the iconic Hermès pieces are largely agreed to be its bags and scarves, the stalwart of heritage also has a strong foothold in watchmaking. Hermès has been making timepieces since the late 1920s, but with its appointment of Luc Perramond as CEO of La Montre Hermès (back in 2009 to breathe life into its watchmaking arm), it wouldn’t be surprising at all if an Hermès watch joined the Birkin and the Kelly as necessities in every woman’s life. For Baselworld 2014, Hermès released two new timepieces that show a range for diversity often unexpected in a heritage brand.

PARTNER PROMOTION Giacomo Soragni of BBC, Stefano Crea of Tueco, Guiseppe Raviaro & Tommaso Zelger of Florim

KC Lee of Hansgrohe, Kuysen President & CEO Jensen Go, and Estin Hoon of Geberit

Architects Bong Recio and Meloy Casas

THE FIRST 25 YEARS

Kuysen celebrates 25 years of inspiring creativity and delivering solutions

Architect Alfred Wieneke and Cecile Wieneke

Kuysen Enterprises recently gathered its business partners, associates, and collaborators to celebrate their silver anniversary at the Grand Ballroom of Solaire Resort and Casino. Joining the affair as well are some of the country’s top architects, property developers, designers, and building contractors. “It’s been a beautiful collaboration, actually a marriage of minds,” Kuysen President and CEO Jensen Go said. “Our partners and clients appreciate true quality and craftsmanship. They put their faith in our company and believed in us all these years. Our hope is that Kuysen will continue to be a valued and reliable partner in the success of their respective businesses and practice.” Looking forward to the immediate future, the company also announced their expansion of product lines with the addition of furniture pieces to the brand portfolio. With a showroom set to be built in Makati and eight upscale global furniture brands under their wing, this move only underscores Kuysen’s drive to continue inspiring creativity amongst trade practitioners and clients and continue on with its resolve to deliver innovative solutions to homebuilders.

Architect Angelo Mañosa

Architect Ed Calma

Salvador Lopez of Teka and Lawrence Yeap of Rheem

Robert Seña and Isay Alvarez

Manny Villar, Jensen Go, Michael Tan

Architect Mike Peña and wife Marlene Peña, Architect Paul & wife Jonina Elaine Peña

Jensen Go, Francesca Frattini of Fratelli Frattini

Architects Tony Trilianes Jr., Jerome Galarpe, and KC Lee of Hansgrohe

Singer Richard Poon

THE EYE ACCESSORIES

BEYOND THE VEIL The centerpiece unveiled at Baselworld, under their Arceau Le Temps Suspendu collection, is the Dressage L’Heure Masquée. From a design standpoint, it’s a worthy choice for any wrist. Available in rose gold or stainless steel, with an automatic Caliber H1925 movement, its limited quantities of 500 and 1,000 respectively are already a mark of exclusivity only a distinguished few could boast of. The look and feel is classically Hermès in its clean, modern, undeniable elegance. The automatic winding caliber H1925 is an in-house manufacture movement proudly Hermès, but it’s the option of hiding the hour hand that truly sets it apart. With a simple press of a button, the hour hand is hidden beneath the constantly moving minute hand, powered by a Vaucher movement with an in-house patented module. Another press, and it returns to its place seamlessly—almost like a whisper, as if it were never gone. And, as if the piece’s unique mechanism triggered by an innovative interaction of the rack, pinion, and gear trains of the watch, isn’t enough, it also has a dual-time zone function, representative of the brand’s dedication to perfecting even the most minute details. The Dressage L’Heure Masquée was three years in the making, but clearly time well worth the

78 J U N E 2014

THE ARCEAU MILLEFIORI DISPLAYS A FINE HANDMADE CRYSTAL DIAL FURNISHED IN SHADES OF RICH RASPBERRY AND PLUSH INDIGO BLUE. wait, as few others can offer the same level of craftsmanship and ingenuity. Of course, any Hermès watch is a celebration of time. But with the Dressage L’Heure Masquée, it is at the same time a celebration of the wearer: one who affords the luxury of time should not be pressed for it. The ability to hide the hour hand from sight and will it back so easily isn’t just a mechanism—it becomes a form of perspective. That hidden hour hand is a choice. It is liberation. It allows the wearer to move through day and night, without so much as a glance backward. The hidden hour hand resets the mind, and thus, frees the body. It’s an almost spiritual experience in itself—unsurprising, given the watchmaker’s penchant for integrating themes of poetry and dreams. In an interview with World Tempus, Perramond discusses their exploration in the concept of time veiled: “At Hermès, our starting point is that time is a friend. The heure masquée or ‘time veiled’ concept is all about innovation and singularity. Innovation because this

watchmaking module was created from scratch. Singularity because this is about playing with time, interacting with the display of its steady flow. I think that we are currently the only ones to show time in this way.”

ART HISTORY Accompanying the Dressage L’Heure Masquée is another piece revealed at Baselworld, the deliciously feminine Hermès Arceau Millefiori. It is a piece that subtly presents dualities. Soft curves and delicate crystal come together with solid white gold and alligator leather. The Arceau Millefiori, which means “a thousand flowers” in Italian, displays a fine handmade crystal dial, the watch’s foremost feature, furnished in shades of rich raspberry and plush indigo blue. Crafted by Europe’s oldest glassmaker, the Cristalleries royales de Saint-Louis, the overall design makes the timepiece look so effortlessly made, the work put into its creation seems almost unbelievable. Manually wound in Caliber H1912 or H1837, the Arceau Millefiori comes in four hand-blown crystal designs. Each one more delicate than the next, the florid designs were cut in much thinner layers than the hefty paperweights that the Cristalleries royales de Saint-Louis is known for. With only 24 pieces available for each design, the Arceau Millefiori ceases to become a mere watch, but a covetable piece of art history. Hèrmes, however, is aware that beyond the artistry surrounding the Arceau Millefiori, it is primarily a time-teller. The French brand, which has always been known for nothing but the best, maintains the same keen eye for quality and detail in its watches. Perramond says to World THE TIMEKEEPERS

Tempus, “We actually don’t speak of artistic crafts at Hermès; we prefer the expression ‘Of Mastery and Time.’ We are interested in approaching ancient craft techniques from an innovative angle. In this case, it is about promoting this wonderful technique performed by the craftsmen from the Cristalleries royales de Saint-Louis—which has belonged to Hermès for a long time.” Perramond goes on to say that Hèrmes has never been deeply concerned about trends, choosing instead to create singular, unique objects. The Arceau Millefiori will certainly become another one of the brand’s wearable calling cards: functional but beautiful, and able to withstand the time that it so delicately keeps.

Clockwise, from top left: Switzerland’s Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer speaking at Baselworld; the Baselworld Building at Basel, Switzerland gathers over 2000 exhibitors from 45 countries; the exterior of the Hermès exhibit. Previous page: Philippe Ramette’s “Exploration rationnelle des fonds sous-marins”, the artwork that accompanies the Hermès Baselworld brochure for the Dressage collection (inset).

THE TIME THAT REMAINS Hermès draws from its equestrian origins to create two unique pocket watches, the Arceau Pocket Chevaux sauvages

t takes a great virtuoso to craft finely made pieces that display tremendous skill and restraint; a sleight of hand that is almost mesmerizing and magical. This is what Hermès showcases in the two new pocket watches, the Arceau Pocket Chevaux sauvages, recently presented at the Baselworld 2014, along with the heritage brand’s elegant timepieces. Made with two glasses harkening back from the beginning of the 19th century by the Cristalleries Royales de Saint-Louis, each piece is a work of meticulous attention to detail, accumulating days of patient work (it takes 15 days to engrave each lid—one on clear crystal and the other on flannel colored crystal), from composing of the shape and the surfaces up to the design of the horses, which reveal a remarkable feat of fine design. These two extraordinary models reflect the equine motif of the brand, evoking magnificence and power.

J U N E 2014 79

THE EYE ACCESSORIES

A WOMAN CALLED STELLA Designer Stella McCartney talks to Rogue about being the fashion industry's odd woman out, the highs and lows of establishing a label, and the challenges of building an accessory line free of animal skins WORDS BY GINO DE LA PAZ

NOT ONLY HAS STELLA MCCARTNEY

A RO G U E

EXCLUSIVE

turned her British take on modern femininity into a responsible global business. By weaving social ethics into her company’s story, she has also created a brand that has value in the name itself, winning three British Fashion Awards and an Order of the British Empire (OBE) along the way. Since launching her own-name label, the fashion designer has cornered the field of pulled-together dressing for busy women as she—a wife, working mother, and outspoken animal rights activist—recognizes that they do not view themselves in simplified terms. Having grown up the daughter of a legendary pop star but living on an organic farm, her masculine-feminine aesthetic, too, has many facets; it melds city-slicker details and country-girl elements and spans sportswear to eveningwear. Her line of accessories, which now account for over a quarter of the brand’s turnover, fuse man-made and natural materials with easy polish.

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SEE SHOPLIST (PAGE 169) FOR STORE INFORMATION

THE EYE ACCESSORIES

AT THE FOREFRONT

The facade of the Stella McCartney boutique in SoHo, New York.

“I’M OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE ODD IN MY INDUSTRY BECAUSE I DON’T USE LEATHER, I DON’T USE FUR. I WAS PROBABLY MADE FUN OF. BUT THE LEATHER INDUSTRY HAS A MASSIVE IMPACT ON THE WORLD WE LIVE IN." ROGUE: In terms of running a luxury brand,

one that has quite a few layers, how do you keep both message and matter consistent? STELLA MCCARTNEY: I’ve always said I don’t want to be a huge brand, but as time goes by, we’re sort of slowly moving towards something bigger. I’d like to continue to build it brick by brick. I would like to build on the foundations we have now, the same belief system and maintain a consistency in our message, quality, and aesthetic.

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In a 2012 PETA video, you said, “As a designer I like to work with fabrics that don’t bleed. That’s why I avoid all animal skins.” What can you say to those who still can’t wrap their heads around the fact that one can build a strong accessories business without using animal skins? I’m obviously a little odd in my industry because I don’t use

leather, I don’t use fur. The leather industry has a massive impact on the world we live in. Over 50 million animals are killed a year. It has a huge impact on water consumption, on land consumption, on tanneries, on chemicals. It not only impacts the animals, but it impacts the planet and the people working with these chemicals. So I’m a bit of an odd creature and in the beginning I was probably pretty much made fun of. But I have a business, a profitable, healthy business to show for the way which I approached it. I have been IT'S IN able to create products that have a THE BAG more responsible approach and for me, that’s the way I can encourage and Stella McCartney's inspire other people in the industry. A/W bags tap into the designer's wild But first and foremost, I am a fashion side and takes cues designer and I have to create desirable, from her sister Heather's punk and luxurious, beautifully made products edgy style that women are going to want— whether they’re a little more saleable than the other or not. From the time you began your own line, you seem to have marked out a specific territory in consumers’ minds: cool Britannia. How have you remade and reshaped this to suit the shifting global retail landscape? BLUE TOTE I’ve just tried to keep true to myself and design for a naturally sexy, naturally confident and modern woman. Just a few years ago, the concept of ethical luxury was dismissed by major luxury brands, with the exception of Stella McCartney. As one of the first WHITE BACKPACK to champion this approach, what do you think is next for products based on environmental concerns and fair trade principles? Consumers are starting to demand it and they won’t take anything less. The STAR CLUTCH luxury industry is catching up, slowly but inevitably, but there is a lot more to be done. The sad thing about the fashion industry is that things come in and out of fashion. To be sustainable and responsible in business needs to be continuous. BLUE FALABELLA

THE EYE FASHION

INTO THE WYLDE Luxury fashion house Thomas Wylde offers a different perspective on understated elegance with its new flagship store in Los Angeles WORDS BY ISABEL BINAMIRA

EDGY, SOPHISTICATED, feminine, chic. These are words generally used to describe luxury fashion house Thomas Wylde. While Thomas Wylde’s ready-to-wear clothing and accessories collections have been available at various retailers around the world, the first store to showcase Thomas Wylde as a well-rounded lifestyle brand is the new flagship store (3237 S. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California) that carries ready-to-wear collections, accessories, and fine jewelry, as well as the new Thomas Wylde collection of home furnishings and artwork. The store offers a completely immersive shopping experience. Located in the La Cienega Art Gallery District, it is off the beaten path, and is private and discreet. Neutral colors and simple architecture dictate the feel of the store, and provide customers a clean palette against which to view the collections.

84 J U N E 2014

One of the most eye-catching features of the store is the set of photographs displayed on the walls. A collaboration between photographer, Rankin, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Thomas Wylde, the project reflects the fashion house's aesthetic, and individual take on a woman. Some of the services the store offers are a membership club for VIP shoppers and a personal shopping service available upon request. Aside from this flagship store, Thomas Wylde will launch an e-commerce platform later this year. Rogue talked to founder and creative director Paula Thomas in Los Angeles. Is designing something you've always wanted to do? Actually, no, but I have been in the fashion industry all my adult life and it was an organic

process for me to become a designer—I do love the design aspect but all creativity has an allure for me. What I really wanted to be was a jockey, but unfortunately that did not work out even though my love for horses is still as strong as it ever was, I just don’t get the time anymore to ride . . . maybe one day. What is your inspiration behind your collection? The feeling of the brand is a rock spirit, but these days, we have evolved into a more sophisticated woman—she has an attitude, but she understands quality and exclusive product. I suppose you could say we are the best-kept secret for now—but all that is about to change. What is the inspiration behind your store? The store has the same feel. We are a destination

comfort and effortless chic, always with a little edge—and the Thomas Wylde biker jacket.

RANKIN FILE

Fashion photographer Rankin shot 10 limited-edition photographs of model-actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, exclusively for Thomas Wylde.

"WE DON'T DO FASHION SHOWS BECAUSE I FEEL HIGH STREET CHAINS DESTROY MANY IDEAS BEFORE THEY GET A CHANCE TO PUT THEM IN THE MARKET—BY THE TIME THOMAS WYLDE ARRIVES IN THE STORE, THERE IS STILL A FRESHNESS TO IT."

You are also showcasing pieces from your collaboration with Rankin and Rosie Huntington-Whitely in your store. Could you tell us a bit more about it? I had the idea for Ten Times Rosie, because it was the fifth anniversary of the brand, and I wanted to celebrate it with a classic, timeless piece that would become an all-time great piece of work. The idea was born, and I was the creative director of the project. The challenge of the piece was to create 10 different kinds of women based on one woman, and to celebrate 10 seasons of Thomas Wylde. I was very happy with the way the project turned out, and I want my viewers to not only be inspired by the imagery, but also look upon the book as a treasure. I feel we achieved that. store tucked away in a warehouse complex that, from the outside, sends you a very different message. A very beautiful surprise awaits you as you enter the world of Thomas Wylde. I am still a firm believer in experience when you shop and service—which is all important. I also believe in order to have loyal customers, one must go the extra mile to care for them. This is just one of the many philosophies behind our secret door. Let’s face it, there is so much competition out there these days, it is not enough to produce nice clothing. What are your three closet essentials for women? The three closet essentials for me would be: the Thomas Wylde classic "Day of the Dead" bag, the Thomas Wylde stretch leather pants—

WorldMags.net

What makes Thomas Wylde different and unique? Thomas Wylde beats to its own drum—I am not swayed by what other design houses are doing, and I believe we offer a wonderful product in the market. Many of my women have pieces from collections that they will never disregard and always want to add more to their wardrobes. We do not do fashion shows because I feel the high street chains destroy many brand ideas before they get a chance to put them in the market—by the time Thomas Wylde arrives in the store, there is still a freshness to it and, therefore, a desire to have something not everyone has. Luxury is becoming more about exclusivity and product quality . . . this is what makes us special right now.

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THE EYE ACCESSORIES

KINGS OF THE ROAD Louis Vuitton rolls out a tailor-made set of carbon-fiber luggage set for BMW's most progressive sports car: the i8 plug-in hybrid WORDS BY JASMINE TING

TOP OF THE LINE MOTORING company BMW (2324 Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati; 892-8127; bmw.com.ph) has established itself as a commanding force in the automobile industry for decades. The company is known on an international scale not only for their sophisticated and polished look, but also for their numerous creative innovations in the attempt to make dream cars that suit varying tastes. Coming together with BMW is the fine craftsmanship of Louis Vuitton. Renowned in the fashion scene since its debut in 1854, Louis Vuitton (G/F Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati; 756 0637) has come a long way. Standing out and making a statement for over a hundred years as a high-fashion brand, Louis Vuitton also goes for full jet-setter functionality with its collaboration with BMW, a partnership that elevates the art of travel to soaring new heights.

The Louis Vuitton-BMW i8 collaboration offers an unprecedented experience, redefining what it means to travel in style as it brings forth the Luggage i8 line. This four-piece set of chic and sleek, charcoal grey luggage goes beyond the concentration on fashion, and takes the luxury of leather goods a step further through technological qualities inspired by the BMW i8 model. With the same lightweight, high-tensile carbon material used in the creation of the BMW i8, the House of Louis Vuitton has woven an exceptional textile. Despite its weight of barely 600 grams per square meter, the material has been able to produce strong, quality, feather-light luggage— custom-made to match and fit snugly into BMW’s most progressive sports car, and is sure to pack elegance into adventures ahead.

USING SAME LIGHTWEIGHT, HIGH-TENSILE CARBON MATERIAL USED IN THE BMW I8, LOUIS VUITTON HAS WOVEN AN EXCEPTIONAL TEXTILE. 86 J U N E 2014

THE ROGUE ARENA J U N E 2 0 14 / I S S U E 7 7

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GEORGE CLOONEY 'S BEST K EP T SECRET Where flashing lights of towering skyscrapers match the twinkling stars, Omega showcased its new Seamaster Aquaterra Timepieces in Shanghai. Omega took a Western spin to the oriental elusiveness surrounding China and named the event Le Jardin Secret. The star-studded event was graced with the presence of Omega brand ambassador George Clooney. The Oscar winner shed his sleek facade and showed a softer core when he revealed the sentimental presence of Omega in his life, “My father wore an Omega for many years—I have a long, long history with the brand.” The spotlight then shifted to a more philanthropic cause, Orbis, an organization committed, to delivering high quality eye care to remote regions since 1982. Its recipients, two Chinese children, were escorted to the stage by Clooney.

Ju n e 2 0 14

E DI T E D BY

M ARA CO SO N

THE SLANT

ISSUE NO.

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OPINIONS + IDEAS + PERSPECTIVES

White Man’s Rage

More Fun in Numbers

A Battle of Wills

Bambina Olivares Wise

Andrew James Masigan

Bianca Locsin

When Oscar Pistorius fired gunshots into his locked bathroom door, who was really behind it: his girlfriend or South Africa’s trouble with race?

Can we rely on social media promotions to keep our tourism afloat? Department of Tourism Secretary reveals tourism strategies post-Yolanda

Born from a line of writers, one lawyer finds that, when it comes to the life you should have led, some cases you just can’t win

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Bambina Olivares Wise ON THE MASKED ANGER OF AFRIKAAN MEN

END OF THE LINE

Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands for the charges during a 2014 court hearing in Pretoria, South Africa. Pistorius has been accused of murder after shooting his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

White Man’s Rage

verything you’ve heard about South Africa is true. It’s a beautiful country, the scenery spectacular, the weather agreeable, and the infrastructure mostly decent, albeit crumbling in parts. And the crime, the violence? Unfortunately all too true: cars being hijacked, babies being raped, students being mugged at knifepoint right in their dorms. Everyone has a tale to tell, of how their house or car was broken into, how so-and-so’s sister was brutally raped one afternoon, or how they narrowly cheated death at the mall when a bank heist went wrong. Of course, it’s not as if you land at the airport and walk straight into a gangster movie set, dodging bullets along the way. Like any big city, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban are

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pleasant to visit, and relatively safe, as long as you keep your wits about you. For the most part, there is a frighteningly random quality to crime in South Africa; it could strike anyone, regardless of color, anytime and anywhere. Sometimes it feels like you’re playing a game of Russian roulette: Everyone you know has been a victim of some kind of crime, and it’s just a matter of time before you spin that cylinder and that metaphorical loaded chamber is aimed neatly at your head. Oscar Pistorius knew exactly what he was doing that night of February 14, 2013 when he fired four rounds through a bathroom door and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. As crimes go in South Africa, this one was as violent

as they come, but it was far from random. Pundits have called the Oscar Pistorius murder trial South Africa’s version of the OJ Simpson murder trial. In terms of celebrity, perhaps, good looks and a backstory that made for rivetingly good copy. Pistorius, until his dramatic fall from grace, was the much-idolized double amputee who went on to gain glory as a Paralympic athlete fitted with carbon-fiber prosthetics that allowed him to zip through 100- , 200-, and 400-meter races at dizzying speeds, earning him the nickname “The Blade Runner.” Steenkamp, on the other hand, was the law graduate-turned-model, on the cusp of bona fide celebrity, at least in South Africa, thanks

LIZA VAN DEVENTER/FOTO24/GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

Outrunning everybody but the law, the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has confounded the world. But one South African expatriate asks, is all this really so surprising?

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

WALDO SWIEGERS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES / GRAPHIC BY ELSOLET JOUBERT/GRAPHICS24/GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

Below: A picture taken on January 26, 2013 shows Pistorius posing next to Steenkamp at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. Right: A suggested representation of the events, based on conﬁrmed police reports and supported by evidence presented in court, that lead to Reeva Steenkamp’s death in Pretoria on the morning of February 14, 2013.

to a reality TV series set to air soon, one of those marooned-on-an-island type shows. She was blonde, beautiful, and, by all accounts, a nice, down-to-earth girl with solid Christian values. Her relationship with Pistorius was barely four months old, but together the two were very much the golden couple—attractive, privileged, and white. So, unlike the OJ Simpson saga, race was not an issue at all, at least not in the sense of victim and murderer belonging to different ff races. If that had been the case, who knows how the country would have reacted? The thought of that powder keg of racial resentment simmering quietly, stealthily, sometimes almost imperceptibly beneath the fabric of South Africa’s rainbow coalition of ethnic diversity, ready to erupt with the right provocation, is too alarming to contemplate. But race—and the privilege that comes with it—is still very much a factor in the Oscar case. It’s largely an all-white affair, ff save for the judge, the court clerks, and a couple of witnesses. But more than that, it’s about the white man’s rage. It’s a controversial position to take, but after 10 years in South Africa, I’ve come to understand that the white man’s rage—perhaps from privilege gone awry—informs the culture that someone like Oscar Pistorius was raised in. I used to feel that it was the black man in South Africa who was marginalized and, to a degree, demonized as thieves, rapists, and killers—as well as deadbeat dads, philandering husbands and lazy, unreliable workers—just waiting for the opportunity to strike. It was that same feeling that made me automatically lock my door or roll up the window when a black man approached my car at a red light, ostensibly to beg or hawk something but really, I suspected,

It’s a controversial position to take, but after 10 years in South Africa, I’ve come to understand that the white man’s rage—perhaps from privilege gone awry— informs the culture that Oscar Pistorius was raised in. to snatch my bag or steal my phone. The same feeling that made me wonder, nervously, if the handyman to whom I’d given a lift to the bus stop in the pouring rain—he was black and deferential and he smelled of open sewers— would now rape or kill me or take my car, or all of the above. But now, as the black middle class strengthens and the country settles into its hard-won democracy, it seems that it is the white male—specifically, some would argue, the white Afrikaans male—who has become marginalized, even emasculated. They rail against the scarcity of job opportunities, the presence of clowns in the government, and the general lowering of standards of efficiency and service delivery. And their anger masks their fear, the paranoia that refuses to subside, that the black man will inevitably take over and run to the ground what was once theirs: the land, the businesses, the schools, the roads, the mines,

their women, and their children. And so they keep guns under their pillows at night, ready to shoot and kill the intruder, should he come in the deep of the night to take what was not his. They vent their frustrations out on the shooting range, perfecting their aim with clear-eyed determination so that they are prepared to defend what is theirs, should the occasion arise. I’ve been to all-white dinner parties and listened to the men talk, eyes shining and mouths actually salivating at the prospect, about what they would do if someone (meaning a black man) broke into their house one day. It was as if they relished the opportunity to fight back because in doing so, they would become real men once more. Oscar Pistorius claims he thought it was an intruder who had come that night he shot Steenkamp. Yeah, right. Intruder or lover, the consequences of the white man’s rage are almost always tragic.

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Andrew James Masigan ON TOURISM TOMORROW

More Fun in Numbers After Yolanda rained on the parade of the “It’s More Fun” campaign, can the Department of Tourism’s new strategies bring the sunshine back?

e’ve all become emotionally invested in the tourism industry. The success of a country’s tourism program is, after all, a reflection of its profile in the international community. It speaks of its level of globalization and the competence of its government. It validates the beauty of its landscapes as it does the character of its people. For us in the ASEAN, having a successful tourism program is a signal that a country is on its way to joining the big boy’s table. Following a problematic start under former Secretary Bertie Lim, the Department of Tourism (DOT) finally got its act together under the experienced hand of Secretary Ramon “Mon” Jimenez. In January 2012, Jimenez unveiled the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign along with a slew of sweeping reforms in our tourism framework. In just two short years, the country doubled its tourism numbers. Unknown to many, the campaign originally started with just four “More Fun” posters (otherwise known as “Internet memes”). It was jointly conceptualized by the DOT and its advertising agency, BBDO Guerrero. The poster’s simple composition of slogan + image

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proved to be so compelling that the Filipino immediately took it as his own. It has since morphed into 50,000 or so versions, thanks to the Pinoy’s creative savvy and penchant for social networking. The brilliance of the campaign has led the Filipino to believe in the country’s tourism potentials again. The memes provided the citizenry with a battle cry and a template to sell. And sell they did. Up until Typhoon Yolanda, the nation was riding the crest of “fun” and was on its way to attracting 10 million visitors by 2016. Tourism was one area where the country was succeeding and the citizenry rallied behind it if only to restore his machismo in the regional jockey for alpha-ness. But a winning streak was not to be. Typhoon Yolanda derailed our tourism program in a massive way. Not only was it a reason for mass cancellations of tours, it also cast images that

run contrary to the “fun” impressions we’ve been trying to portray in the last three years. The bombardment of macabre images over international media prompted the DOT to call a moratorium on its advertising efforts. I met with Secretary Jimenez to find out what was next in our tourism story after Yolanda. What was supposed to be a short chat over coffee turned out to be a lively conversation that lasted for hours. I came out of it more optimistic than I was before the typhoon struck. Targets Will Not Change We should have hit the 5.2 million-visitor mark last year, a cool million more than 2012. Instead, we ended with just 4.7 million. Sure, it was still an 11% expansion, but the growth was still wafer thin for the folks at DOT. Challenged by the setback, the Secretary

To absorb even just 8.5 million tourists, we would need 47,000 hotel rooms. But as of last year, the country had an inventory of just 23,181.

refuses to scale down the nation’s visitor targets for 2014 through 2016. For this year, our 6 million visitor target holds, he firmly declares. This should increase to 8 million in 2015 and 10 million by 2016. Doing the math, we would need to grow by 30% every year to achieve it. Ambitious targets, I thought to myself. But the Secretary is unfazed. His optimism is predicated on world travel trends from now until 2020. IATA statistics show that 93 million people will be travelling to Southeast Asia this year. By 2020, this number will increase to well over 200 million. The Philippines is poised to take its fair share of the market if we continue the path of building absorption capacities by way of hotel rooms and port facilities. As it stands today, DOT records reveal that the latent demand for inbound travel to the Philippines is already at 10 million. The only reason why we aren’t realizing it is because of a shortage in hotel rooms. To absorb even just 8.5 million tourists, we would need 47,000 hotel rooms. But as of last year, the country had an inventory of just 23,181 rooms, less than half of our true requirement. Infrastructure bottlenecks further exacerbate the situation, not the least of which are our insufficient and poorly run airports. Another source of optimism is the country’s recent inclusion in the luxury cruise circuit. Luxury cruises are becoming increasingly popular in Asia following saturation in the west. Manila, Cebu, Puerto Princesa, and Boracay, have recently been added as official destinations along with Davao, Iloilo and Bacolod, albeit to a lesser degree. The Secretary sees annual growth rates exceeding 80% in sea-fared arrivals in the next few years. This year alone, more than 60 cruise liners have already called on the Philippines from just 14 last year. Size Matters While the majority of us consider tourist arrivals as the penultimate benchmark of success, what really matters is the amount of revenues and jobs we derive from it. Having said that, we are very much on-track towards fulfilling our tourism revenue target. The end-goal, per the national tourism development plan, is for us to realize US$8.924 billion in tourism revenues by 2016 on the back of 10 million tourist arrivals. The assumption is that 10 million visitors would stay an average of 9.2 days, spending US$97 a day. Although 2013’s arrivals failed to reach the target, the average length of stay shot up to 8.5 days while average spending increased to US$102 per day. This means that for the year 2013, revenues surpassed US$4.1 billion, very much within budget towards hitting the 2016 objective.

HIGH FLYING

To close the devastating chapter of the super typhoon, and to thank those who have offered their support to the Philippines, the Department of Tourism rolled out “The Philippines Says Thank You” campaign three months after Yolanda, in major cities including New York, London, and Tokyo.

The situation is even better from an employment point of view. As of end-2013, the tourism industry already accounted for 4.9 million jobs, just 1.9 million shy of the 2016 target. The industry is way ahead of the program in this respect. The Secretary cites Australia as an ideal tourism model. Our friends from down under welcomed just 6.1 million tourists in 2012 generating revenues of US$26.6 billion. In contrast, Malaysia got 25.03 million tourists (50% of which are cross-border arrivals from Singapore) raking-in US$60.6 billion. Australia is clearly doing it right as it earns US$4,360 per visitor compared to Malaysia who earns just US$2,421. Not only is Australia saving its tourist attractions from wear and tear, it also minimizes the social costs associated with tourism (e.g. health risk from AIDS, viral diseases, etc.). Above all, having fewer, but high spending visitors allows its service providers the opportunity to deliver top-class, personalized service, making the Australian experience a better one than those that move multitudes of tour groups like herds of cows. So for this year onwards, our tourism strategy will follow the Australian model with a renewed focus on Europe, America, Canada, Russia, and Australia. Tourists from these markets stay longer and spend more. Our recent upgrade to Category 1 in America’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rating and the lifting of our European air travel ban bolsters this strategy. The Fun Is Back So it’s back to aggressive promotions mode, says the Secretary. To put closure on the Yolanda episode, the DOT launched its “The Philippines Says Thank You” campaign last February 8, exactly three months after Yolanda struck. On that day, print ads and billboard were unveiled in big cities across the globe including New York, London, Berlin, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Toronto, and Sydney. Our message of thanks reverberated

throughout the world and so did our positive energy and festive spirit. In one fell swoop, we expressed our gratitude while implicitly saying that we’ve moved on and that “the fun is back.” Moving forward, the DOT will still be using “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan but promotions will now be more tactical in nature. In other words, promotions will be skewed towards promoting specific destinations and attractions rather than the country as a whole. The intent is to make Boracay, Puerto Princesa’s Underground River, and Cebu attain worldwide fame much like Niagara Falls, Macchu Pichu, and the Pantheon has. The DOT is armed with a global promotions budget of US$20 million, which is equivalent to Malaysia’s budget for Hong Kong alone. Obviously, it falls short of what we truly need to attract quality tourists from the west. So once again, the DOT is looking at the citizenry to give its promotional efforts the extra legs it needs. This should be the least of the Secretary’s worries, as the Filipino has become far too invested in our tourism program to see it go flaccid. New Beginnings As he and I wrapped up our chat, I realized that we are in fact in a better position now, post Yolanda, than we were riding high on the wings of “fun.” Fact is, our short but bombastic rally in the tourism race gave us a taste of success we had not experienced in decades: We began to believe in ourselves again, as a people and as a republic. The success was intoxicating. Like strengthening iron through forging, the Yolanda debacle serves as an upbraid that had only intensified our resolve to go the whole nine yards in tourism and perhaps even in other aspects of nation building. Am I worried about DOT’s scant promotional budget? Not at all. We simply have to too much riding on it, not the least of which is national pride and our newfound confidence as a people. I can’t think of a more powerful motivation.

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Bianca Locsin ON NOT BEING A WRITER

A Battle of Wills A lawyer, whose lineage hints at a life better spent writing, makes the case for double lives “I do not like money, either for itself or for what it can buy, since I want nothing we know about.” - René Magritte

the drawing board in my bedroom and crashed and burned out of that life within 16 months of arrival. The problem, in hindsight (always 20/20), grew up at the knees of men who were was my essential makeup: hyper-sensitive and ascetic in their habits, tinkered with words insecure; associative rather than analytical; at professionally, and held to lofty ideals odds with the hard-driving, unapologetically effortlessly. My great-grandfather was a ruthless world of high finance. I remember the lawyer and a poet. My grandfather was, as his first day I put on a suit. I felt an inexplicable headstone states, a “poet,” a “journalist,” and a despair—and I felt like a bit of a fraud. “freedom fighter.” My father has been, among My best friend once observed that the other things, a politician and a writer. Because reason for my distorted psyche and the of them, I had always felt an affinity for the constant anxiety that dogs me is a thwarted rebellious, the idealists, the fierce dreamers, as artistic life. I should have been a writer well as the beautifully broken. To be among or a painter. Instead, I am a lawyer. My the certain and the unquestioning, not to evolution was slow, unnatural, and painful in mention those pre-ordained to succeed, and the beginning but, ultimately, irreversible, a those instinctively adept at managing the process not unlike grafting, the horticultural pressures and operating the levers of corporate technique by which two completely different life, was to be, for a very long time and until plants are vascularly fused together. There is no I learned how to mimic their aims and their frustrated artist within me. I am an artist who actions, a stranger in a very strange land. is also a lawyer and the unhappy combination In the final months of college my father is what makes me who I am. started to pressure me to apply to law school. It has been 11 years since I entered legal His pestering went on for all the years I spent practice. That I continue to work as a lawyer finding myself. One day, tired of his badgering, and write and draw during my spare time is I asked him: “Why do you keep insisting I my particular deal with the Devil. I comfort become a lawyer when you know that in the myself that this juggling act is the only way to end, like every Locsin before me, I’m just honor the practical side of me that demands going to end up a writer?” I don’t end up in a gutter and the artistic side I compromised and attended a law school that sends siren calls from the shoals of the that shared a campus with a great drama soul. I render to Caesar school and an art school known for being a what is Caesar’s and feeder into New York’s art scene. I studied what is God’s to God. law but I also dabbled in costume design and The cost is, however, portrait painting. In the summer months, I high and two-fold. I live interned at law firms and volunteered with a a divided life shuttling traveling theatre group. When it came time between personas and to choose a city in which to start my legal environments, and I imagine career, I wrote out a detailed pros and cons that something, someday, will list and, despite the cons far outweighing have to give. the pros, chose New York City—the chance The only picture of my to live a semi-bohemian life in a seething great-grandfather I have seen creative capital proving to be too alluring. shows a slight man with thinning I moved into an apartment in Alphabet hair and average features. Family City when people were still getting shot on legend has it that, one day, he shot Avenue D, worked 18- to 20-hour days at a my great-grandmother dead while she large international law firm known for going was knitting. I have never seen any of through associates like toilet paper, spent my my great-grandfather’s poetry. Was he free time watching off-off Broadway plays and as or more talented than any of us? Was hanging with poor artists living and working he as prone to solitude and to flights of in Harlem and Queens, never once touched fancy? Did he hate himself as much I did

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for years for being drawn to the world of the imagination, for feeling stirred by a perfectly turned phrase but bereft among those playing the game of power and money? Did he strike the same deal with the Devil? Was his violent act the moment the latter took his due? I like to think that mine will be a happier ending. The exigencies of the profession have impressed an ego on and bred some courage in a character that, till only recently, was fragile and no more than an amalgamation of fears. The law also offers a wealth of ideas for stories, as every case or transaction I have managed tells a unique tale about fortunes made and legacies lost, failed loves and frustrated hopes, crimes of passion and minor corruptions, the perversities of fate and the manipulations of man. Maybe my father was right after all, in insisting I attend law school, giving sound advice from a seasoned storyteller to a merely budding one—that being a lawyer was necessary to making me the kind of person who could tell a story and had actual stories to tell.

J U N E 2 0 14 / I S S U E 7 7

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SPACE INVESTORS

ELON MUSK FOUNDER, SPACE X

ou might think Elon Musk is a bit nuts for pursuing mankind’s destiny as an interplanetary species. Building online payment service PayPal and electric carmaker Tesla Motors—both of which have had a significant impact in our transition to the digital age—was just an initial step for him. Musk is not merely reaching for the stars; he’s looking to colonize an entire planet, Mars. His rocket company, Space X, has been creating vehicles for spaceflight successfully, sending the first commercial spacecraft in history to dock in the International Space Station (ISS). Just last May, it launched Dragon V2, a new spaceship that will shuttle astronauts to and from the ISS—the penultimate triumph for Space X, which has been awarded with over $1 billion in contracts for NASA supply missions. At 41, Musk has sent satellites into orbit and provided public and private clients launch manifests, mapping systems, and other scientific experiments. Although the real-life Tony Stark has a net worth of $9 billion, he says he’s not in it for the financial payoff. “It’s a terrible risk-adjusted return,” he said in 2012. “But it's gotta happen. America is a nation of explorers. I’d like to see that we’re expanding the frontier and moving things forward. Space is the final frontier and we have to make progress.” - DON JAUCIAN

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SPACE INVESTORS

PAUL ALLEN CO-FOUNDER, MICROSOFT

“W

e are at the dawn of radical change in the space industry,” said Paul Allen, the billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, when he launched Stratolaunch Systems, a new space vehicle venture that will bring cargo satellites—and, eventually, paying passengers—into orbit before 2020. With six Boeing 747 engines and a wingspan (385 feet) longer than a football field, it will be the largest aircraft carrier ever constructed. “You have a certain number of dreams in your life that you want to fulfill—and this is a dream that I’m very excited about to see come to fruition,” he said during Stratolaunch’s public unveiling on December 13, 2011. It was not the first foray into private space travel for the 61-year-old Allen, who established Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975 and remained the tech giant’s chief technologist until 1983. In 2004, the Portland Trail Blazers owner funded SpaceShipOne, the first privately-backed effort to successfully put a civilian in suborbital space. Proof of his pioneering efforts: the rights of the SpaceShipOne technology has been bought by another serial space investor, Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson. –SEVERINO X.B. SORIANO

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SPACE INVESTORS

JEFF BEZOS FOUNDER & CEO, AMAZON.COM

“G

PATRICK FALLON/BLOOMBERG

radatim Ferociter,” Latin for “Step-by-Step, Ferociously,” is the motto of Blue Origin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s aerospace company, which promises tourists affordable and reliable access to suborbital space. But it may as well be Bezos’s motto for himself. Amazon.com, which began as an online bookstore, has become the world’s largest online retailer, offering everything from e-books and electronics to sarcastic user reviews on items like “The 2009-2014 Outlook for Wood Toilet Seats in Greater China.” Yet redefining how the world reads— and shops—seems the least ambitious of Bezos’s goals. After graduating from high school in 1982, he declared that he wanted to put up hotels, theme parks, and entire colonies in space. The first step towards this is Blue Origin’s New Shepard, a space capsule— coupled with a rocket—that will detach and land itself after launch. Plans for regular space flights have had to be pushed back, but Bezos has already succeeded in one space-related project: retrieving one of the rocket engines of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. In late 2013, Bezos unveiled Amazon Prime Air, which will develop drones for quick customer deliveries. Pie-in-the-sky as all those may seem, it is unclear whether they are more quixotic than his recent foray into discovered but dangerous country: the $250 million purchase of the Washington Post. –JONATHAN DE SANTOS

SPACE INVESTORS

SERGEY BRIN CO-FOUNDER, GOOGLE

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ew people have come as far as tech entrepreneur Sergey Brin. From leaving his native Soviet Union in 1979 to co-founding Google in 1998, the 40-year-old computer scientist is now worth $30 billion. In a 2007 interview, Brin admitted his irreverent attitude towards authority was awakened during a pre-college trip back to Russia: “My rebelliousness, I think, came out of being born in Moscow. I’d say this is something that followed me into adulthood.” Another thing that seems to have followed him into adulthood is the drive to push the limits of the possible, a province that his birth country and his adoptive home share. The so-called Evil Empire had its share of research projects that seemed more science fiction than science, ranging from the ungainly airplane-ship Kaspian Monster to laser-based weapons that would, theoretically, melt enemy aircraft. Brin now runs Google X, a semi-secret lab facility in Mountain View, California devoted to the technological advancements of tomorrow: the augmentedreality eyewear Google Glass; Project Loon, an ambitious project to bring Internet access to the world’s remotest regions via balloons; and a self-driving car that could be street legal in California by 2015. –JONATHAN DE SANTOS

SPACE INVESTORS

“T

o me, an adventurer and entrepreneur are very similar—both take risks for big rewards,” said Sir Richard Branson in a recent interview with Forbes. An adventurer-entrepreneur hybrid himself, the English tycoon has surrendered to his fascination with human spaceflight, investing a large sum of his earnings in his space tourism enterprise, Virgin Galactic. Given the aggressiveness of Branson’s otherworldly expense, Virgin Galactic—founded in 2004—has raised the bar for space travel quite drastically, attracting the attention of

RICHARD BRANSON FOUNDER, THE VIRGIN GROUP

foreign investors in the process (investment fund Aabar Investments put out close to $400 million). More than two decades since Galactic was registered, and a decade since the spacecrafts started to be put together, Branson’s spaceflight company aims to launch the inaugural trip in a range of suborbital spaceflights and space science missions by the end of 2014— shuttling himself (and his family) up with it. For a guy that dropped out from high school in his pre-teens, Branson definitely has something to prove as he, quite literally, reaches for the stars. –MICHELLE V. AYUYAO

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SPACE INVESTORS

LARRY PAGE CO-FOUNDER & CEO, GOOGLE

hile they say the Internet is getting dumber by the day, Google’s Larry Page is trying to make the Internet—and computers in general—smarter. Smart enough, at least, to learn about the world and smart enough to drive safely and intelligently. And why not? “We have all this money, we have all these people, why aren’t we doing more stuff?” he said in a recent Wired interview. Page has had, since his undergraduate days at the University of Michigan, “a healthy disregard for the impossible.” The difference now is that he actually has the money—and an entire Google X division—to punch impossible in the face to make the world a better place. The Google driver-less car is not a precursor to the Batmobile, though. The Toyota Prius prototype, with its rotating sensor on the roof, looks more like a mom car than a crime fighter’s vehicle and is designed to be safer than your average mother. “There’s 20 million people or more injured [in accidents] per year. It’s the leading cause of death for people under 34 in the US,” Page said in a TED Talk earlier this year. Also mom-like is Google’s research into artificial intelligence to make computers that understand you: “We actually ran machine learning on YouTube and it discovered cats—just by itself!” –JONATHAN DE SANTOS

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THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARK NICDAO / STYLED BY ANNA C. REYES

Emerging from the depths of post-reality TV limbo, Valerie Weigmann shakes off her Pinoy Big Brother roots and rises above the modelling gameâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;earning TV commercials, magazine cameos, and even a regular hosting gig. She talks to Michelle V. Ayuyao about life in entertainment and what could possibly be her next big move

I WAS A SPY she admitted to me from across a long table lit by faux candles, on the edge of the beach, in the dead of night. Dressed down in a side-bearing tank top, tawny tresses licking at her skin, Valerie Weigmann’s furtive stare teased at the plausibility of this allegation. How espionage could present itself through this striking image had me floored. Thoughts of clandestine missions escalated where the likelihood of Bond girl realness began. In truth though, her stint as a Miranda Frost of sorts, lasted the length of Marlon Rivera’s unsteady dramedy, Ang Huling Henya; it had Rufa Mae Quinto as a cop, and Val as a German assassin out to get her. But before setting out for some semblance of world domination in this dystopia, the small beginnings of this German-born girl began simply in a house, with 15 other teenagers figuring themselves out. My very first glimpse of the bashful Valerie Weigmann was 34 issues ago in this very magazine. It was Rogue’s first Sports Issue, and on its cover was this wide-eyed wonder, cheekily showing off her backside. Within its pages, Val had this unruffled air about her, despite being pelted by tennis balls, and holding up a flaming racket that burned like the Olympic torch. At that stage in her life, she had just finished serving her time of two months in the Pinoy Big Brother house. With that initial taste of stardom, Val was well on her to figuring out how Manila worked—or, more precisely, how Manila could work for her. With a regional commercial listed in her repertoire (Close-Up), and a magazine cover as her initial set card, Val deliberated on making that critical transition from PBB’s German ingénue, to a respectable adult in an industry she had yet to understand. “In Germany I was working in a photo studio, and I also took this on-

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the-job training at a small TV channel. Then when I decided to move to the Philippines, modeling opportunities came up, and that was new to me. In Germany, I was just used to staying behind the scenes,” she admits. “TV shows would guest me as a model, and also as an entrepreneur because of Bamm (the German-Turkish restaurant she co-owns). Then one day Mr. Tony Tuviera (producer and the man behind GMA’s Eat Bulaga!) asked if I wanted to be on TV,” she recalls, sounding almost perplexed at the idea that she could function outside the box that was the PBB house, and inside the box that was local television. Instead of taking the offer that teens hoping to rub elbows with Kapuso stars would kill for, Val signed up for a writing gig at Bulaga! where giving suggestions for gag segments, and holding up idiot boards fell under her general job description. “It’s the fault of [Bulaga! co-host] Jose [Manalo], alam mo. Siya yung nag-start, kasi makulit siya,” she admits while shaking her head, a faint grin escaping her. “They kept teasing me saying ‘ikaw kaya mag-host?’ and I’d think, why are they doing this? But it was fun, so ginawa ko lang,” and to her surprise she found her place as a host on the show. Given her complete lack of diva persona, there’s a clarity that comes with understanding that Val feels absolutely no pull towards the flashing lights that orbits the universe that is Manila’s show business culture. Where those groomed for big screen blockbusters cough up rehearsed anecdotes about their co-stars, Val dives straight into a blow-by-blow of how her involvement in Eat Bulaga!’s “All for Juan, Juan for All” segment has managed to put her TV career into perspective. “I hear the stories from people in different barangays and I am just so glad that I have the chance to

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“I HEAR THE STORIES FROM PEOPLE, AND I AM JUST SO GLAD THAT I HAVE THE CHANCE TO LISTEN, TO I N T E R A C T, A N D T O H E L P T H E M A S B E S T I C A N .” BURBERRY PRORSUM

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listen, to interact, and to help them as best I can.” The course of our conversation moved into a discussion on worldwide programs with admirable causes, which led me to fumble with the two words I purposely skirted around, hoping for the right time to drop it. Miss. World. Speculations of her vying for a chance at the crown have bubbled all over the Internet, particularly from the largest online lexicon for pageants, Missosology. Online petitions for her to join Miss World have been formed, and avid forum participants have expressed full support for her, such as a post by Ononymous saying “A back to back victory is almost impossible, but I think Weigmann would give a good fight for the Philippines.” Without any prodding, Val owned up to being asked by Aces & Queens—the “creators” (as they like calling themselves) of beauty queens Megan Young, Venus Raj, and Shamcey Supsup—a couple of years back, whether stepping up to the plate of beauty pageants was something she’d consider. “Three years ago, bago pa lang ako, mahiyain pa ako. It was such a big thing thinking about representing the country. So I said not now, but maybe in three years.” Now at the brink of the pageant’s age limit, and bound by the timeline she had called out many moons ago, Val has, unsurprisingly, started training under Aces & Queens since early this year, being mentored in tasks that range from the proper walk and stance, to the mental bloodbath that is the Q&A portion. “The idea of joining became something like an open goal. I felt I was ready so I said sure, why not. Especially since I like the whole beauty with a purpose advocacy of Miss World, just the idea of training for it didn’t seem so bad,” she affirms, with hints of that pageant training peeking out between pauses. The weekly trainings have Val grouped with rest of her “sisters,” as she calls them; those being groomed for The Big Four pageants this year and next. With screenings for the pageant’s local leg to take place sometime in the next few months, Val’s pageant debut as a Miss World Philippines contestant has earned some sense of finality. Yes, she will strut down the stage in that long gown, and yes, she will most definitely kill it at the Q&A—but winning the local crown is another hurdle altogether, and what exactly the pageant has in store has stumped her to a sizable extent. Then again her Philippine dreams started off within the four walls of a house, and now, where her reality stands at the cusp of reaching across the world, just about anything is likely. 124 J U N E 2014

CONFESSIONS OF A

PHOTO BY JEFF HUTCHENS/EDIT BY GETTY IMAGES

STOCKBROKER WHEN HE ISN’T MOONLIGHTING AS THE LEAD GUITARIST OF ROCK BAND OVERDRIVE, ANTON PERIQUET—A RETIRED STOCKBROKER AND FUND MANAGER WHO FOUNDED LEADING BROKERAGE FIRM DEUTSCHE REGIS PARTNERS—SERVES AS INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR FOR AYALA CORP., BPI, ABS-CBN, DMCI, AND PHILIPPINE SEVEN. FOR THE GREENHORN INVESTOR TO THE MOST SEASONED OF SUITS, THE OXFORD-EDUCATED INVESTMENT STRATEGIST OFFERS 10 INDISPENSABLE TIPS ON PLAYING THE MARKET PHOTOG RA PHS BY JE FF HUTCHE NS

ON BUYING COMPANIES VERSUS STOCKS

At the onset of the US sub-prime crisis in 2007, a friend confided to me over a drink that he had just bought shares in Citigroup at $40 per share. “The stock has nearly halved,” he told me. “How can I lose?” Months later, as the crisis intensified, I overheard another friend boasting at an art exhibit opening that he had just bought shares in Citigroup at $20. “The stock has come off twothirds,” he told a riveted audience of art lovers. “How can I lose?” Weeks later, with the headlines foretelling economic meltdown, Citigroup’s share price continued to slide and I came across yet another

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As Oscar Wilde observed over a hundred years ago, many people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. friend gushing at a birthday party that he had just bought himself a truckload of stock at $10. “How can you lose?” I chimed in before he could say the words himself. Days later, traders capitulated and Citigroup’s stock plunged to $1. This time, I was determined to buy the stock for myself if only just to be able to thumb my nose at all the punters who had bought higher. Truly, I thought, with the stock already flat on its back, how could I lose? Somehow, either sanity or inertia got the better of me. “What do I know about Citigroup,”

I asked myself, “other than that its share price has fallen by 98%?” And so I walked away from the trade, relinquishing to yet another audacious friend the bragging rights of having bought Citigroup’s stock at the bombed-out price of a dollar. In the end, Citigroup’s stock fell below 10 cents. The company had effectively gone bust and had to be bailed out by the US taxpayer. A near miss it was for me, for obsessing over a company’s stock rather than its underlying financial health.

PHOTO BY JEFF HUTCHENS/EDIT BY GETTY IMAGES

erewith are 10 of my most persistent, if random, musings on the stock market, perhaps the richest source of drama and irony outside of the Senate these days. The lessons described may not come across as totally original to the professional investor, given the hundreds of books already written on the subject. That said, I am confident that the novice who takes them to heart will find himself playing the market next time around with the odds stacked in his favor.

THE PLAYERS

Self-made Wall Street legends who have become, in Tom Wolfe’s words, masters of the financial universe BILL ACKMAN Founder, Pershing Square Capital Age: 49 Education: Harvard University Source of Wealth: Hedge funds 2014 Net Worth: $1.5 billion 2014 World’s Billionaires Rank: #1,204

GEORGE SOROS Founder, Soros Fund Management Age: 83 Education: London School of Economics Source of Wealth: Hedge funds 2014 Net Worth: $23 Billion 2014 World’s Billionaires Rank: #29

CARL ICAHN Founder, Icahn Capital Management MONEY NEVER SLEEPS

In New York’s ﬁnancial district on Wall Street, a broker takes a smoke break during the 2009 recession. Previous spread: Traders hard at work on the ﬂoor of the New York Stock Exchange, April 2009.

ON SETTING PRICE TARGETS

It is always helpful that one knows the worth of what he is buying not just so that he does not overpay, but also to ensure that he knows when it is time to sell. In a moment of recklessness, I once sold a stock whose value had quintupled in just a couple of years only because I thought that gravity would inevitably weigh on its share price. Alas, the company proved to be worth much more—ten times more, as its share price today reflects. Had I set a price target based upon how much I thought the company was worth—ignoring how far its stock had already traveled—I may have ended up holding on to the stock for a bit longer. As Oscar Wilde observed over a hundred years ago, many people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Age: 78 Education: Princeton University Source of Wealth: Investments 2014 Net Worth: $23.4 Billion 2014 World’s Billionaires Rank: #27

ON INVESTMENT VERSUS SPECULATION

You have two companies, one “good” and one “bad.” Both companies’ stocks trade at P1 per share. On which of the two propositions below would you rather bet? A. That the good company’s stock will be higher than the bad one’s at the end of fi five weeks

B. That the good company’s stock will be higher than the bad one’s at the end of fi five years If you chose the latter, you have discovered without losing a cent a truth that many investors take a lifetime to learn—that the market is unpredictable in the short-run but rational in the long-run. Investment is all about playing the long game. The careful practitioner seeks to minimize risk by removing speculation from the equation.

ON MISTAKING “CHEAP” FOR “VALUE”

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BET-SIZING

ON CUTTING LOSSES AND WHY YOU SHOULD DO SO QUICKLY

A “value trap” is a company that looks deceptively cheap but is actually hazardous to one’s wealth. It typically trades at a deep discount to its underlying assets and is run by an entrenched manager who is either ineffective ff or disinterested in creating shareholder value. In markets where share ownership is widely dispersed, value traps rarely exist, as companies trading at large discounts to their underlying assets eventually become takeover targets. Unfortunately, such is not the case here, as companies’ shares are concentrated in the hands of a few and market watchdogs have yet to enter the age of enlightenment. Hence, the proliferation of value traps—cheap stocks that can remain cheap longer than one can stay liquid. Avoid these like the plague. Unless you can exert a positive influence on a company’s management, heed Warren Buffett’s ff advice: “Better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.”

There is nothing like playing poker if one wants to learn how to bet properly. In one my early stabs at living the Bond lifestyle, I observed that if a poker evening went on beyond a couple of hours, each player would win about the same number of games as the others around the table. Notwithstanding, over the period, one or two would accumulate towers of chips while others would be left emptyhanded, shaken and stirred into re-buying. The differentiating ff factor between the winners and losers was bet-sizing. The savvy players knew when to fold and when to go all-in. The newbies hardly varied the size of their bets, like they were playing slots. While more of a speculator than a traditional investor, George Soros said it best: “It’s not whether you’re right or wrong that’s important. It’s how much you make when you’re right and how much you lose when you’re wrong”.

When you find that you’ve made the mistake of investing in a losing proposition, get out of it quickly, even if it means taking a loss. Too many portfolios end up being saddled with “losers” because their owners fall slave to the accountingdriven practice of selling only stocks that are “in the money,” that is, stocks that are trading above their acquisition cost. Be aware that stock market investing is a derby that allows one to change horses in the middle of the race. You need not stick to your initial bet should you discover that your horse J U N E 2014 129

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has developed a limp. Better to switch to another horse than to wait for the limp to mend.

ON THE FOLLY OF THE CONSENSUS

For timing purposes, one cannot ignore the consensus view, for it is initially self-fulfilling. But making a killing in the markets is about running ahead of the herd, not with it. The consensus can be treacherous in that, once firmly established, it is almost always a contrarian indicator. For a company on which every analyst is waxing lyrical can only disappoint, just as one on which everyone is downbeat can only surprise. Be particularly wary of fads, which are often manias in their infancy. This is not just because the fashionable, by definition, must at some point become unfashionable. It is because overly high stock prices in one industry invites new entrants, new capacity and, ultimately, oversupply (think dot-com).

ON SITTING OUT THE LAST DANCE

A bull market is like the proverbial open party. It starts with the quiet arrival of a few early comers, builds up as the herd thunders in, and climaxes as interlopers get wind of the scene, muscle in, and insist that it’s much too early to take away the punch bowl. Like all great parties, the bull market has a finite life. Before the final hour, a sober minority bid their goodbyes amidst ridicule and scorn. They miss out on the last rites of indiscretion and folly that intoxication mandates, and wake up the morning after without regrets. As for the rest… While the preponderance of conscious repeat offenders suggests that the consequences of partying hard can be endured, one does not want to be caught overstaying in a bull market. A crash typically wipes out years of gains, in many cases entire fortunes. Fortunately, crashes are preceded by extended periods of overvaluation, which leaves the disciplined investor plenty of time to exit.

ON WHY DIVIDENDS ARE SEXY

Dividends are usually associated with mature companies whose high-flying days are behind them. While there may be some truth here, it is always helpful to have a few cash cows in one’s portfolio. Calculations show that dividends made up approximately a fourth of total stock market returns in the last decade. Dividends are to the investor not only desirable in themselves. They reflect a willingness of company managers to return capital to shareholders where there is no compelling use for it internally. Few things are more hazardous to

MARKET STUDY For those interested in learning more about the markets and the psychology of investors, I recommend the following books

Extraordinary Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841)

CHARLES MACKAY

The Stock Market Barometer (1922) WILLIAM PETER HAMILTON

shareholder wealth than managers who hog capital.

Where Are the Customers’ Yachts? (1940)

FRED SCHWED, JR.

A Random Walk Down Wall Street (1973) BURTON MALKIEL

Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises (1978) CHARLES KINDLEBERGER

One Up on Wall Street (1989) PETER LYNCH

The Zulu Principle (1992) JIM SLATER

SINCERE THANKS TO RHONA LOPA-MACASAET & ROBIN SARMIENTO

RISKY BUSINESS

Top to bottom: Michael Douglas, with Charlie Sheen, in Oliver Stone’s 1987 film Wall Street, where he played the ruthless fictional trader Gordon Gekko; Leonardo DiCaprio portrays the real-life financial hustler Jordan Belfort in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013); a fake Gordon Gekko cover of Fortune magazine, which was used as a prop in the 1987 film.

ON THE BEAUTY OF INDEX FUNDS

For those who are too busy or who do not have the wherewithal to pick stocks, buying into an index fund can be the best thing. An index fund is a “passive” fund whose constituents merely mimic the Philippine Composite Index—a basket of the larger, more liquid stocks that trade in the stock market. It is a little known fact that these boring funds, apart from charging lower fees, outperform two-thirds of all actively managed funds (i.e. those run by professionals) here and abroad in almost any given year. Why this is so we can save for another discussion, but the conclusion is as clear as day. If you do not have the patience or personality to invest on your own nor the confidence in a particular fund manager, save yourself the fees and buy into an index fund.

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IN FOCUS

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE When crowdsourcing pioneer Luis Von Ahn, 34, sold his spam-fighting verification program reCAPTCHA to Google for $25 million, he created the revolutionary learning app Duolingo—Apple’s “iPhone App of the Year”—which offers free language education to millions. The tech visionary talked to Rogue about changing the world INTERVIEW BY MARA COSON / ILLUSTRATED BY MENEER MARCELO

How did you come up with the idea of Duolingo? Three years ago, I found myself in a very fortunate position in my life: I’d just sold my second company to Google and no longer had to worry about money. Something I always wanted to work on was education. I am a professor and it has always been a passion of mine. But my thoughts have always been influenced by my native country. I was born and raised in Guatemala, a notoriously poor country. Most people there cannot afford to pay for good education. And something that always bothered me was the difference between those who have money, and therefore can afford a Harvard-quality education, and those who do not have money and can barely read and write. Education is often seen as something that can give people equal opportunities, but in a way it can further divide social classes. So I wanted to do something related to education, but in such a way that everyone could have equal access to it, and focusing on a field that could actually make a large impact in people’s lives. There are 1,200 million people learning other languages throughout the world. And most of these people—about 800 million of them—are learning English in order to better themselves in life, to get a better job. But learning a new language is very expensive. It generally requires attending a private school or private lessons, or to buy expensive software such as Open English or Rosetta Stone—all this means the people who can afford it already have money. And so those who really need a language to improve their lives can’t afford it. What I wanted was to develop a way of teaching languages for free. But not only free: I also wanted to create the best way to learn languages. But this requires a lot of money because you have to hire the best people to implement them. So the question became: How do we fund the best language learning system so that it is totally free for students? If you have ever learned a language, you know that some of the exercises involve translations. And, actually, language translation is a huge business. So the idea is this: First, the translation of languages on a large scale is necessary. Second, there are more than a billion people learning 132 J U N E 2014

other languages in the world. Could it be that these people can do the translation while learning? That’s how Duolingo was born. What lessons did you learn in reCaptcha that gave you the confidence that Duolingo would be viable at such a huge global scale? It showed what can be accomplished, in terms of solving large-scale world problems, via the collaboration of millions of people, just like millions of books are now transcribed every year with reCAPTCHA. This was not possible before the Internet.

we also hang out after work. We share jokes and comments with each other on our general chat and email during the day, but because everyone works quite hard (and we are computer geeks), it is usually fairly quiet in the office during the day!

What is the future of “language” in the Internet age? Will we be forever translating texts, or will technologies soon make real-time translation ubiquitous? Duolingo allows people all over the world to learn other languages in order to gain better opportunities, communicate with family members in other countries, make new You not only offer the brilliant twofriends and, in the case of many of our E U G RO A fold purpose of helping people learn users, even find love. Helping people a language for free and translating find a common language doesn’t necesthe web, you also prove to entrepresarily mean simplifying all the world’s neurs that adding social responsibility languages into one. In fact, with the to their business model really makes Language Incubator, our project that allows endeavors like this not only possible, but also our community to create language courses in sustainable. Can you offer some advice to new collaboration, we have plans to create courses to entrepreneurs? help teach dying languages in order to help keep Believing in what you do and knowing that your them alive. Language is an important part of work improves the lives of others is perhaps the culture and people’s history. best motivator there is. However, many think that in order to do “good,” they need to create a How many languages can you speak? Have you non-profit organization. Though there are many learned a new one using Duolingo? incredible non-profits, in some cases finding a I speak English and, because I’m from Guaway to sustain your business in the long term to temala, Spanish as well. I use Duolingo every outlast investment is very important. So thinkday to test features and as a result, have picked ing of a business model is important—this also up a lot of phrases in the languages that we allows you to hire the right talent and get the speak. But in particular, I have used Duolingo best resources to create a great product. to study Portuguese as I was in Brazil twice last year to give talks. I am not fluent but can say it Some people wonder about management styles has definitely helped me a lot—people seem to and office culture in tech companies. You run be impressed! this great company and are also an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Can Since you make travel easier for everyone (and you enlighten us about your daily work life? have been traveling a lot these days), where are To be honest, I have taken a leave from my job your favorite places around the world? as a professor at CMU only because Duolingo I love warm weather, probably because of my has become more than a full-time occupation. roots! So some of my favorite places include I think about it when I go to sleep and when I the Mexican coast and California, but I’m often wake up—it is hard to do anything else! We’re surprised on work trips. I just got back from still a small-ish team of 35 people and we try giving a talk in Amsterdam and had a very good hard to maintain a relaxed, friendly atmosphere time—the people were friendly and the food was at the office. For example, we all have lunch togreat. And unsurprisingly, I’d love to visit the gether every day, and on many days of the week Philippines—hopefully in the near future!

EXCLUSIVE

MARCOS, GENERAL MENZI, AND ME

General Hans Menziâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;sportsman, philanthropist, political kingmaker, and media baronâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;was a controversial Swiss-Filipino bachelor revered and feared for his immense clout with President Marcos. Thirty years after prostate cancer claimed his life on June 27, 1984, Teddy Locsin Jr. untangles the mystery of the powerful Manila Bulletin publisher A D D I T I O N A L R E P O R T I N G B Y T E D D Y Y. M O N T E L I B A N O

BORN TO THE SADDLE

Gen. Hans Menzi (right) preparing for a game of polo, one of his lifelong pasions, at the Manila Polo Club, 1970s.

I REMEMBER HANS MENZI AS THE TALL, BARRELCHESTED SWISS WITH CLOSE-CROPPED WHITE HAIR WHO STOOD IN A WHITE MILITARY UNIFORM BEHIND PRESIDENT MARCOS at Palace functions. From time to time, he would bend down to hear the president’s whisper or to whisper in the president’s ear. Menzi did the same for the First Lady, who had a knack for guessing your shoe size and gave me what I still think were the best pair of tan loafers that I have ever had. On August 23, 1910, Menzi was born of Swiss parents in Manga Road, Sta. Mesa, a suburb of Manila then favored by prominent families. He was the only one of Johannes and Bertha Menzi’s four children who was born in the Philippines; all the rest were given birth in his mother’s native Zurich, Switzerland. His folks had enough wealth and commercial standing for the name Menzi to appear in Philippine jurisprudence along with Soriano, Leyva, and others who were bywords of wealth at the time. Much of this wealth was destroyed during World War II but was rebuilt many times over by Hans Menzi after. He never acquired the economic clout of the Sorianos; or the political clout of the Lopezes that sometimes

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went with great wealth and the willingness to spread a little of it around. In his earlier years, he attended public schools, as did most people of any means and some intelligence at the time, and then the Ateneo in Intramuros, before he was shipped off to boarding school at Worth, the Catholic school run by Benedictines in Sussex, England. He was also enrolled, in the 1920s, at the Swiss Cavalry School in Bern, Switzerland where he learned to ride a horse, and then back to England where he graduated from Oxford with the curiously American degree of Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Commercial Law, followed by a doctorate at the London School of Economics. He was one of the first pilots to cross the Pacific in a twin-engine Beechcraft. He did intelligence for General MacArthur, joined a guerrilla unit, and was imprisoned by the Japanese. True, there would come to be more guerrilla units after the war than actually existed, let alone operated in

BUSINESS CLASS

Clockwise, from top left: The facade of the Menzi & Co. building in Manila, November 1962; Menzi with Foreign Affairs Secretary Salvador P. Lopez (left) after their return from Hong Kong for an International Press Institute conference, May 1970.; on the cover of Philippine Life magazine in 1956, which proclaimed him “Industrialist of the Year”; Francisco del Rosario, Lourdes ReyesMontinola, Menzi, Thelma Gallego-Villonco, and Mr. and Mrs. Tony Meer at a dinner party hosted by businessman Romeo Villonco at his Broadway, New Manila home, January 1960; arriving in the Manila International Airport, January 1957. Opposite page: With Maj. Henry Meider of the FEATI Flying School, who initiated Menzi as a pilot after completing his ﬁrst solo ﬂight in 1951.

FAST COMPANY

Menzi boarding a Northwest Airline Douglas DC-7C in 1959. Opposite page: the general at the Manila Polo Club, where his polo mallet and ball were said to be the bane of his opponents; at a party with former First Lady DoĂąa Trining Roxas (left) and Mrs. Gus Tarno; at the stables with one of his prized horses; on the cover of Sunday Times Magazine.

SOME THOUGHT HANS MENZI A SPY FOR THE COMING DICTATORSHIP; MORE SUSPECTED HIM OF LOOKING FOR STREET BOYS; OTHERS ENJOYED HIS COMPANY AT INDIOS BRAVOS AND COCO BANANA, WHERE HIS APPEARANCE MEANT A LONG EVENING OF REVELRY. its duration with anything like the deadly effectiveness of the Communist Party, which delivered the only real resistance. President Macapagal promoted Hans Menzi to brigadier general for a brief stint with the Philippine Contingent in the Korean War. Menzi rebuilt much of his family’s businesses as survived its internecine quarrels; and ventured into new ones: flour and paper importation, textiles, machinery, fertilizers, chemicals, shipping, insurance, indenting, paper products—which gave generations of Filipino school children ease in writing their notes and homework on a straight line (the Señorita ruled pad paper)—and lastly, agriculture, so that Menzi was synonymous with oranges like Valencia; not as juicy and sweet but undeniably oranges, if better juiced and drank than sliced and eaten. Menzi was the man behind the only dependable supply of oranges in the country at a time when haute cuisine only meant access to large boxes of US tenderloin and lamb chops, though from time to time only the lesser kind from Australia was available. Mothers served their families just these, without sidings until the box was empty. They couldn’t be bothered to do anything in the kitchen other than salt, pepper, and shove them in the oven, leaving the children to squeeze them with tongs to see how much blood still oozed out. The rest of the time mothers spent before the mirror in the bathroom, while someone did their hair and make-up for Palace affairs at which Hans Menzi stood out by his height, the smiling disdain on his mouth, and the kindly smile in his eyes that showed that it was a put-on he easily carried off because he was a man of immense independent means. He served as aide to four Philippine presidents: Roxas, Garcia, Macapagal, and Marcos. He was a tall, elegant presence wherever he appeared; at his post behind Presidents at Palace functions but, despite his good looks and aristocratic manners, was never suspected of being on top of their First Ladies afterward. He was a frequent presence at the rowdy clubs of accomplished and always-aspiring painters and writers, voyeurs, American and British diplomats, and anyone escaping the dull parties of the rich, at which one had to make a brief appearance before slumming in the same attire with the never-to-be-invited. When I started going out, I knew Menzi also as the man who presided over the liveliest table at Indios Bravos, and later at Coco Banana—a transvestite bar we all frequented. A tall and lanky young Swiss called Rene Knecht exhaled a superior air of yet another kind than Hans’s. There was someone else who looked very much as you would imagine a German prince. He had ice blond hair and went by

ONE NIGHT, HE WHISPERED IN THE EAR OF A STRIKINGLY BEAUTIFUL BLONDE WOMAN WHILE NODDING IN MY DIRECTION. SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID SOMETHING INAUDIBLE TO MENZI. “THAT MUCH? WHAT IS YOUR PUSSY MADE OF— GOLD?” HE EXCLAIMED.

the name of “Vulfgunk.” He wore his black jacket draped over his shoulders and never with his arms in the sleeves. Occasionally, a strikingly beautiful blonde woman of Central European origin made her appearance; she was about twice my height and excited my avid attention more than that. This was so evident to Hans Menzi that, one night, he beckoned her to lean over so he could whisper in her ear while nodding in my direction. She looked at me and said something inaudible in Menzi’s ear. He was evidently taken aback because he exclaimed, “That much? What is your pussy made of—gold — d?” In 1957, Menzi acquired the country’s oldest but not by any means a successful newspaper, The Manila Bulletin, to which readers turned only for its comprehensive classified ads and infallible shipping schedules. The Bulletin never sought to make any political impact, but it had the gossip columnist Carmen Pedrosa, who savaged the First Lady even while Menzi was the Marcoses’ aide de camp. Menzi acquired Liwaywayy and started Tempo, both hugely successful publishing ventures that were allowed to continue publishing after Martial Law shut down the two largest circulation papers in the country: The Manila Timess and the Philippines Free Press. This exponentially increased the Bulletin’s already considerable ad revenues and its growing circulation. It was distinctive in its dogged coverage of any town fiesta, however small in any part of the country. The Bulletin would be the only paper to survive the imposition of Martial Law. The other newspapers thought they could bend events to their will from their commanding position in the press by virtue of vintage, circulation, talent, and money. Of these, the Locsin Free Presss and the Lopez Chroniclee come to mind. Menzi didn’t think so, nor did my mother on whom he lavished the elegant attentions that delighted her. Some thought Hans Menzi a spy for the coming dictatorship; more suspected him of looking for street boys; others like myself enjoyed his company and knew that he did not need to spy on leftists because Imelda Marcos had casually mentioned within my hearing that she had leading leftists on her payroll provoking the street riots that would be the excuse for Martial Law when the real men of power and influence—all natives— emerged and sidelined Menzi who died in 1984, a Philippine citizen to

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the end, hated by no one, and sometimes fondly remembered by the Indios Bravos and Coco Banana crowds because his appearance at these noisy smoke-filled clubs meant a long evening of revelry; though once or twice it signaled an impending drug raid by the Metrocom—or so it seemed in retrospect. Those who wished to flatter themselves traced the raids to him, but Imelda could retaliate without the benefit of prodding. Drugs were not the problem then that they are now. At the time, the problem was how to find an excuse to impose a dictatorship to avoid an election. Some in that crowd unwittingly provided it. They later served the dictatorship, though some would claim to have done so in a double-agent capacity, though this was only after the vast reversal of fortune of their conjugal patrons. When the Palace encouraged the formation of unions in these increasingly critical and stridently hostile newspapers, the workers were fired and Hans Menzi—surprisingly, given his closeness to the powersthat-were—proposed to the unaffected ff publishers that striking workers should never again find work in any of their newspapers to which they heartily agreed. Since most newspapers were either subsidized as a hobby or, in the case of the Bulletin, the Manila Times, and the Free Press, lucrative enough to confidently declare all its profits as bonuses to the workers, it seemed unseemly to Menzi that they should demand them as a matter of right since they would still get the same sums but deny the publishers concerned the satisfaction of giving them out on Christmas. I also remember Menzi as having told Marcos, when the Free Press was seized by the military at the imposition of Martial Law, its editor and publisher detained, and the printing plant padlocked that, out of kindness and also out of gratitude for past favors the publisher had extended to Marcos, including defending him against charges of corruption arising from the Haruta Letter, “Why don’t we just shoot Teddy, the man has no life outside his paper.” It was the kindest word anyone ever said about my father because it was completely true. That is how I remember Hans Menzi. Photos courtesy of The Manila Times, Daily Mirror, andd From Earth to Sky: The Life and Times of Hans Menzi, published by the Menzi Trust Fund Inc.

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY

The tycoon in his twilight years, early 1980s. He passed away from prostate cancer on June 27, 1984, “a Philippine citizen to the end, hated by no one,” wrote Locsin. Opposite page: Often ﬂying without shoes, Menzi puts on his boots after landing his Queen Air plane.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY EDRIC CHEN (AT EAST|JED ROOT) / STYLED BY ANNA C. REYES

W O N D E R L A N D

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J U N E 2 0 14 / I S S U E 7 7

THE ROGUE ARENA Promotions and relevant items, direct from our partners

Miami Heat Travel and lifestyle brand Tumi took Miami to Manila when it launched its Spring 2014 Collection with a grand party at 71 Gramercy. DJ Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda provided the evening’s beats, while top-notch mixologist Enzo Lim of Maharlika and Jeepney served fine drinks. The party showcased this season’s line that evokes the feel of Miami’s palm trees and poolside parties with splashy and punchy hues. Tumi also collaborated with the American designer, potter, and author Jonathan Adler on an eccentric and unique line, with bold, geometric patterns. One of Tumi’s main products, the Tegra-Lite, is also among the lightest and toughest luggage available today. The new travel bags available are proof that Tumi continues to strike the balance betweetn modernism and timeless sensibilities, all for the discerning, style-conscious jetsetter.

Rubber Soul Sanuk recently partnered with surfing photographer Steve Sherman for their Space to Play web series that provide glimpses into athletes at the top of their sport. Sanuk also took its Classic Sidewalker Surfers to a higher level with their new Thinovation™ feature with sleeker and slimmer sandals. Their Instaplay™ footbeds have the same kind of comfort Sanuk Sidewalk Surfers are known for, while being able to handle an adventurous lifestyle. For the ultimate kind of comfort, there’s the Yoga Sling with soles made from real yoga mats. There are different designs in men’s and women’s styles that suit all kinds of tastes, such as tropical pop prints and ethnic textiles to pinstripes and polka dots for relaxed sophistication on-the-go. Sanuk is just what’s needed to survive this sweltering Philippine summer.

The Trailblazers The Salomon XTrail run is an annual event that is held in the Philippines, along with Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. This year, around 1,500 thrill-seeking runners made their way across the scenic Hamilo Coast, with its variety of sand, rocks, and fire roads that were the perfect setting for a race. Novices and hardcore enthusiasts alike were able to choose between two different trails that suited their capabilities. The more difficult path, the Mountain Run, boasted steep vertical ascents that gave people a taste of Skyrunning, the core of the ultimate Salomon Experience. The first runners who made their way across the finish line received Salomon cash prizes and products, and most importantly, the sweet taste of success.

J U N E 2 0 14 / I S S U E 7 7

THE ROGUE ARENA Promotions and relevant items, direct from our partners

Ocean Drive Twenty five years ago, Pierre Bourdon created Davidoff ’s Cool Water; a classic scent that has a unique blend of freshness and captures the essence of the union of man and the ocean. Davidoff has decided to set a new milestone in Cool Water’s history and create a new fragrance with a brand new take on freshness, more sensual and addictive than ever. Designed by Jean-Christophe Hérault, Cool Water Night Dive opens with a clear and thrilling “splash” sensation brought by a blend of shivering mint and cold watery fruits, carefully assembled to enhance the green inflexions of lentisk. Cool Water Night Dive’s ambassador for the worldwide multimedia campaign is American actor Paul Walker where he gives in to the mysterious call of the ocean at night, artistically shot by photographer Nathaniel Goldberg.

The Great Outdoors Nuvali’s green community embarks on an invigorating adventure, as the development by Ayala Land in Sta. Rosa Laguna expands the facets of its eco-friendly destination into a sanctuary fit for a summer getaway. Camp N is the newest sports zone in the vast eco-community of Nuvali and provides a venue with recreational facilities for everyone. Sharpen the mind and body with Camp N’s obstacle course, aerial walk, and bike path. With the purpose to promote a healthier and more balanced lifestyle, the camp provides grounds where families and friends can spend quality time in tents and sit around bonfires under the stars.

Express Yourself Fashion has always worn an unfortunate stigma of haughtiness, but Havaianas proved the contrary in its annual event, Make Your Own Havaianas 2014. This all-time favorite brand brought the heat inside the halls of Glorietta Activity Center by recreating a tropical Brazilian street party, packed with vibrant colors, hip-shaking music, and performances by the Brazilian community. Guests were once again treated with a wide array of soles, straps, and prints—all of which embody the Brazilian spirit—to quench their creative thirst for self-expression. In the midst of celebrating a 200-year old tradition featuring Binfirms (wish ribbons worn for luck), the walls struggled to contain the bursting Havaianas perennial summer spirit of Alegria, Diversao, Empolgacao, Euforia, and Felicidade.

J U N E 2 0 14 / I S S U E 7 7

THE ROGUE ARENA Promotions and relevant items, direct from our partners

Hot Wheels It was quite a geared-up weekend for all car aficionados as the Manila International Auto Show celebrated it’s 10th year of staging world class auto exhibitions. The show was held from April 3 to 6 at the World Trade Center and the Philippine Trade Trading Center. A total of 35 automotive and motor brands were included in the exhibition, some of which launched new models. These included Ford’s Escoport, the all-new Escape, the Subaru WRX and WRX STI, Volkswagen’s Beetle, Kia’s new Soul, the Rolls Royce Wraith, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Peugeot 208GTI, BYD and TATA motors. Classic sports car enthusiasts were pleased as a plethora of highly collectible cars were on display, such as a very rare Mclaren MP12C, the stainless steel skinned DeLorean, as well as the restored Pontiac Fiero GT.

Ju n e 2 0 1 4

SHOP LIST Where to buy the products featured in this issue

Makati City. Vince Top (P2,098.08); shopbop. com. The Purple Shore Swim Bottom; Available at zalora.com.ph. Burberry Shoes. PAGE 112 Burberry Prorsum Lace Dress (Price Upon Request); burberry.com. Louis Vuitton Cuff Bracelet, (P56,500). PAGE 114 Tommy Hilﬁger Dress (Price Upon Request); tommyhilﬁger.com. PAGE 116 Rudy Project Goggles (P7,500); Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, 2/F Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati City. Boom Sason Swim Suit (Special Order); 7-B Amorsolo St., San Lorenzo Village, Makati (by appointment only); boom@boomsason.com; 0918 268 555. PAGE 118 Louis Vuitton Collar Necklace (P73,000), Cuff Bracelet (P56,500). Eres Swim Top (P10,267.15); net-a-porter.com. The Purple Shore Swim Bottom; Available at zalora.com.ph. PAGE 119 Linda Farrow Sunglasses, (P18,550); LS Pascual Optical Shangri-La Plaza, LS Pascual Optical Powerplant Mall. Hervé Léger Black Leather Harness (Price Upon Request); G/F Shangri-La East Wing. Louis Vuitton Bracelet (P30,600). Vince Top (P2,098.08). PAGE 120 Burberry Prorsum Lace Blouse and Briefs (Price Upon Request); burberry.com. PAGE 122 Hervé Léger Posh Chevron-Jacquard Jacket (Price Upon Request). Yuminum Yellow Swim Bottom; Available at zalora.com.ph PAGE 123 Rudy Project Goggles (P7,500); Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, 2/F Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati City. Boom Sason Swim Suit (Special Order).

TM Lewin shirt (P3,990), Massimo Dutti jacket (P12,500)

PAGE 124 Burberry Prorsum Lace Dress (Price Upon Request); burberry.com. Louis Vuitton Cuff Bracelet, (P56,500).

THE BARBER"S TALE, PAGE 73 Paul Smith Sweater (P13,500), Chinos, (P11,900); G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City. Massimo Dutti Shoes (P10,500); G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City.

PAGE 144 Carrera y Carrera Earrings (P495,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati. Louis Vuitton Jacket (Price Upon Request); G/F Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati. Rajo Laurel Top (P5,495); House of Laurel, 6013 Villena cor. Manalac St., Poblacion, Makati City. PAGE 145 Micheline Syjuco Crown, (Price Upon Request), Ring (Price Upon Request). Rustan’s Private Collection Ring, (P145,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati. Carrera y Carrera Cuff, (P575,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati. ROI Cuff, (P5,500), Necklace, (P14,000); roi_accessories@yahoo. com. Thomas Wylde Dress, (P109,275); thomaswylde.com. PAGE 146 Micheline Syjuco Crown, (Price Upon Request), Ring (Price Upon Request). ROI Necklace (P14,000) and Cuff (P5,500). Carrera y Carrera Cuff, (P575,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati. Thomas Wylde Dress (P109,275); thomaswylde.com. PAGE 147 Micheline Syjuco Ring (Price Upon Request). Thomas Wylde Vest, (P327,787.50); thomaswylde.com. Just Cavalli Dress (P39,500); Rustan’s Makati. PAGE 148 Thomas Wylde Coat (P242,562.75), Boots (P135,501), (P32,778.75); thomaswylde.com. ROI Necklace (P4,000). PAGE 149 Micheline Syjuco Crown (Price Upon Request), Ring (Price Upon Request). Thomas Wylde Caftan (P83,039.50); thomaswylde.com. Carrera y Carrera Necklace, (P6,545,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati. Omega Watch (Price Upon Request); G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City, 6750 Retail Arcade, Makati City, 1/F Shangri-La Plaza East Wing, Mandaluyong City. Louis Vuitton Shoes, (P52,000); G/F Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati City. PAGE 150 Lock & Co. Hatters Hat, (P23,241.58); lockhatters.co.uk. Sarah Baadarani Dress (P84,850); saarahbaadarani.com. Micheline Syjuco Bracelets, (Prices Upon Request). Rustan’s Private Collection Ring, (P145,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati. PAGE 152 Sarah Baadarani Coat (P280,374.57); saarahbaadarani.com.

PAGE 74 Massimo Dutti Jeans, (P4,650) Shoes, (P10,500). PAGE 76 Paul Smith Suit, (P59,900); G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City. TM Lewin Shirt, (P3,990), Pocket Square, (P1,290); 2/F SM Aura Premier. Massimo Dutti Shoes, (P8,950).

WONDERLAND, PAGE 142 PAGE 18 Thomas Wylde Dress, (P83,419); thomaswylde. com. Omega Watch (Price Upon Request); G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City, 6750 Retail Arcade, Makati City, 1/F Shangri-La Plaza East Wing, Mandaluyong City. Carla Amorim Earrings (P645,000) and Ring (P395,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati.

TM Lewin Shirt (P3,990); 2/F SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Massimo Dutti Jeans, (P4,650) PAGE 77 Paul Smith Shirt (P12,450) THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, PAGE 110 Hervé Léger Harness, (P25,700); G/F ShangriLa Plaza Mall, East Wing, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City. Louis Vuitton Bracelet (P30,600); G/F Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center,

158 J U N E 2014

Ring (P145,000); Rustan’s Silver Vault, Rustan’s Makati.

PAGE 142 Lock & Co. Hatters Hat, (P23,241.58); lockhatters.co.uk. Sarah Baadarani Dress (P84,850.20); saarahbaadarani.com. Micheline Syjuco Bracelets, (Prices Upon Request); call 0906 215 0089. Rustan’s Private Collection

PAGE 153 Mary Katrantzou Top (P71,798), Skirt (P53,898); Univers G/F East Tower, One Rockwell, Makati City. ROI Necklaces (P4,000).

Ju n e 2 0 14

FAMOUS ROGUE

DURING HIS HEYDAY as the king of Stratton Oakmont, the brokerage firm he created to run a penny stock scam, Jordan Belfort became an overlord of a hedonistic kingdom; a financial rock star that scammed innocent hopefuls and then funded his rabid dream populated with models, mansions, and mountains of cocaine. “It should have been Sodom and Gomorrah,” Belfort wrote in his 2008 memoir, The Wolf of Wall Street. “After all, it wasn’t every firm that sported hookers in the basement, drug dealers in the parking lot, exotic animals in the boardroom, and midget-tossing competitions on Fridays.” The book, born from

a 22-month prison sentence which he served for securities fraud and money laundering, chronicled his boiler room reign where he earned the moniker that became the memoir’s title (and later, the Martin Scorsese biopic where he was played by Leonardo DiCaprio). These days, Belfort makes a killing circling the globe as a motivational speaker—a career trajectory that drew from his business-savvy, stroking egos to push the power-hungry. He was a persuasive man who sold himself well; a real-life Gordon Gekko who told his story with such an infectious cadence, transforming himself into the stuff of financial legend.

“Successful people are 100 percent convinced that they are masters of their own destiny. They’re not creatures of circumstance—they create circumstance.”

SÉBASTIEN MICKE/PARISMATCH/SCOOP

JORDAN BELFORT, former stockbroker