Event in Paul Smith and why lifestyle brands are important

I had a long chat with my friend Charles, brand manager of Paul Smith here in Manila, about why I want him - and ergo Paul Smith - to succeed in the local market.

Of the many luxury brands that have set up shop here in the Philippines, the hippest for me is Paul Smith. I like the color and the irreverence. The fact they they have ceramic bunnies all over their stores underscores the brand's playful nature which appeals to my own impish impulses. That's why when we launched a concept phone that celebrates a person's individuality, the Modu phone, which performed poorly unfortunately due to the price vis-a-vis its (lack of) functionalities, it was natural for me to do it at Paul Smith's store in Philippines' swankiest Greenbelt 5.

So why, in a country always portrayed by media as poverty-stricken, would I want a luxury brand to triumph? Because the triumph of luxury brands is the triumph of an argument: that the person who works best to better himself achieves the best. Paul Smith to me is not just about aesthetics but the expression of man's dream and achievement to distinguish himself from the uninspired masses (men-sheep) through his own hard, committed and passionate work, his intelligence and creative brilliance. Paul Smith and luxury brands, simply put, celebrates the triumph of man's work, genius and creativity. And in a country that strives to move forward, it measures the amount of achievement this society has fulfilled. The more inspired men who can buy Paul Smith in this country, the more men who put their creative labor into the betterment of their environment and ergo this nation.

I remember F. Sionil Jose. He blames, not the masses who just follow orders (but of course he blames them too but not entirely) for the laggard performance of our country, but the elites who refuse to take charge. The land-backed, indolent elite with no dreams, who sips his buko juice on the back of a farmer who starves. Both are blind. Both have no spirit of initiative and ergo both are doomed to live a life of cyclical struggle.

Ok. That's too serious. =) But that sparks a blog of its own, soon. May reader o wala. HA!


- V -

It's me on the Philippine Star's YStyle! Fantastic!

I look like a retard but it's still me! Haha! (Please click on the photo for a clearer version)


Pardon the excitement. I totally thought that the picture taken by Smokey Delfino, an ex-client from British American Tobacco, was just going to be part of the usual clutter of pictures in a photographer's file. I didn't think it would end up getting printed - ergo the weird smile. And I was holding a tissue, nice.

It's a little something that made me smile today. This was taken in Paul Smith's "Dance to the Nines" event last Tuesday at Amber Lounge at the Fort Strip. My friend Charles de Jesus, Paul Smith Brand Manager in the Philippines, took the lead. Actually, I had some suggestions but they came in too late. It was all planned. Charles had always been supportive of me so I thought to return the favor (Last year, I did an event inside the Paul Smith store in Greenbelt, awesome!). But yun nga, the favor came in late. Argh.

Anyway, I had a very good time at the event, the vibe was truly Euro. And my experience was authentically British as I talked to an intern from the British Embassy whose stay here in the country is focused on the study of Human Rights and Mindanao issues (he came in with the UK Embassy's economic attache in Manila). I cannot help but share my points of view on Mindanao given that the complexity of the subject cannot be understood by observing the surface, the obvious and reading what's written on the press. What should be read, if you're going to read Mindanao, should be what's written on books.

But before I get totally political here, here are two articles about the event:

Let's hear it for the boys in dapper garb
TALK SHOP By Anne Bella (The Philippine Star)

Great Looks for Men: How to be stylish, forward and well-groomed this season
SHEER APPEAL By Jake Galvez (The Manila Bulletin)

TGIF!