Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Lifestyle Asia

Founded in 2006, the Cartier Women's Initiative is an annual event created to celebrate the environmental and social impact of women in entrepreneurship to aid them in reaching their maximum potential, honoring them with awards and accolades for their outstanding achievements to society. For the foundation's 15th anniversary, nine former fellows were chosen and divided into three categories based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Improving Lives, Preserving the Planet, and Creating Opportunities. Now it's time to meet the goddesses of legend. PRESERVING THE PLANET To be selected under this category means being intimately involved with Mother Earth, a trait found in Australia's Joanne Howarth, founder of Planet Protector Packaging who intelligently markets environment-oriented insulated packaging made from sheep waste wool. On the other hand, EcoPost's Lorna Rutto from…

Months into the new year, many communities are still reeling from the devastating effects of Odette. The category 5 super typhoon left many in the country’s belly reeling and without basic necessities such as food and water and a roof over their heads. Siargao was one of the most badly hit by Odette, and images of its streets lined with torn down trees and homes reduced to debris circulated around social media in the weeks following. The community within the popular surfing destination has come together to help bring the island back to its. One such member of the community is Niño Barbers, who has been living there since 2016. Barbers, who owns Bayud Boutique Resort, says that the community focused on food security such as rice and water distribution…

Keith Haw and Gen See met in 2018, on a night out at Rum Jungle at the Palace BGC. According to Gen, before they met, his friends were already building him up, telling her that he was a promising DJ she should meet. “I realized that type ko talaga, Chinito,” says See. Because he was busy that night, they never actually got to follow up with each other. In 2019, See’s friend Jessica asked her to go on a night out, intending to re-introduce them. “[She said she was] going to introduce me to Keith, and in my head, I was like dude don’t you remember meeting me before? I guess not!” she says, laughing at the memory. Less than 10 minutes into their conversation, he asked her to follow…

When it comes to visiting places that aren't warm and humid like the Philippines, it makes sense to tweak your skincare routine to fit the destination's climate best. To prevent shocking your skin due to the new environment, which can lead to irritation, redness, and itching—you can already pack the recommended products to be well-prepared. In addition, we've included two treatments for your body and face for getting beach-ready and protected from city pollution. Even though travel is not a priority just yet, it's important to know the basics of what you need to maintain healthy skin, no matter where you go. COLD AND DRY WEATHER You can leave your sheer moisturizer at home for traveling in cold weather. Instead, opt for a thicker face cream that can lock in…

While you’re well-aware of luxury brands for fashion, furniture, and possibly even pets, what about culture? Well, books publisher Assouline describes themselves as just that—”the first brand of luxury culture.” Founded in 1994 by Prosper and Martine Assouline, the company aimed to contribute to the worlds of luxury, fashion, and design through “book objects.” These are published works with substantial text and decorative pieces on many topics, from heritage brands and influential people to travel and cuisine. Before launching their company, the couple wrote their own coffeetable book titled La Colombe D’or, which features a historic hotel in the south of France of the same name. Prosper shot the images while Martine wrote its text. Today, Assouline has stores in the US, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Last December,…

Without a doubt, The Peninsula Manila has one of the most enviable art collections amassed by a hotel. That includes works by important Philippine artists like Jose Joya, BenCab, Mauro Malang Santos, Cesar Legaspi, and Larry Alcala, some of whose drawings were kept as “mementoes” by hotel guests. The most visible of them all would have to be Napoleon Abueva’s tantalizing sculpture. Mounted on the hotel lobby’s high ceiling, it has become a defining feature of The Pen’s lobby. Just before the lockdown, the hotel unveiled the newly-restored and reframed 20-piece collection of Ang KiuKok’s works on paper, purchased at P1,600 to P1,700 each back in the seventies. “It’s now worth a lot more zeroes,” Evelyn Lim Forbes likes to say. The daughter of PL Lim , the Pen’s late…

When you mention Jaguar, what comes to mind? For me, it’s Sebastien Valmont (played by Ryan Philippe) driving a 1956 Jaguar XK140 in Cruel Intentions, who was known for his knack of being different and diverting away from the trends. The elegant vintage roadster gave a lot of cues regarding the character. Valmont was a rich kid who could afford anything but didn’t play by the rules. I had the chance to drive the latest Jaguar sports car and realize how understated and different they are. There are flashier cars in the market that get a lot of attention, and it’s a common status symbol. If you want to be the cool neighborhood kid who everyone talks about, the Jaguar F-TYPE is surely for you. A HANDSOME AND SLEEK LOOK…

Without being able to visualize better days ahead, living through these unprecedented times can weigh heavy on the soul. At an especially awkward juncture are content creators who must bank on every burst, spark, and whiff of creativity they can find. And, these days, inspiration can be hard to come by. For people in the business of engagements and reactions—like, love, care, haha, wow, sad, and angry—the cup can run empty. But leave it to the OGs Camille Co, Tricia Gosingtian, and Laureen Uy to be ready for tomorrow, whatever it may bring. Although what constitutes as “normal” anymore grows fainter by the day, the girls have not resigned themselves to a poor, helpless fate. If anything, these blogging besties have stayed fresh despite the spiritual drought that is COVID-19.…

March 2020—the period in time where it seemed like the Philippines stood still. It was the beginning of the country’s first official lockdown period that quite literally put everything to an abrupt halt. Eateries and restaurants, entertainment and leisure establishments, and even everyone’s usual service providers had no choice but to either pause operations for the foreseeable future or close up shop entirely. While it’s an understatement to describe all of it as a horrific phenomenon, Jonathan So and Carlito Macadangdang took advantage of the situation. The friends-turned-business-partners eventually came up with the idea of a delivery-service app to alleviate at least some of the regular struggles brought about by the pandemic. Last December 2020, another joint brainchild of theirs was released to the public, and it was named toktok.…

I start seeing people I haven’t seen in two years. People are kissing and hugging once again. Malls are filling up. Cars are on the streets. Flights are resuming pre-pandemic routes. All of these signal that things are getting back to normal. It is clear that our attitudes are more positive. The smiles I see on people’s faces every day give me a sense that the worst is over. Revenge travel is upon us. More and more people have been going in and out of the country. It is almost summer and we want to help our local tourism rise up again, better and bolder than it was before. Old and new resorts and restaurants are opening up. There are also more local flights. Flights to Ilocos Norte, for example,…

Mark Agas saw Kara Gozali for the first time in 2011, during a basketball game while both of them were in medical school. “I asked my teammate who she was, but circumstances never permit us to cross paths,” says Agas. A few years later, he saw her as a suggested friend on Facebook and added her. “The rest is history,” he says. Together for seven years, Agas decided to propose while both of them were at the beach. As the story goes, Gozali had wanted to go to the beach, and when she got the opportunity, decided to plan a trip to a private resort. What she didn’t know was that Agas, with the help of family, was working behind her back. “The day we went on the supposed simple…

The world we live in is rich and vast, as the blues of the ocean and greens of the trees stimulate our five senses with the vividness of colors, the attractive aroma, the singing of the wind, and so on. This vivifying world itself became the inspiration for Cartier’s carefully-carved new collection as they released the third chapter of Sixième Sens par Cartier, with the purpose of arousing not just the five basic senses, but also the sleeping sixth sense within us. SOULFUL DESIGNS EXUDE SENTIMENTAL IMPRESSIONS Cartier becomes one with nature by taking account of the grounding feeling of earth’s gravity. The sight is said to be a powerful sense, driving Cartier to use optical illusions and perception disruption in their new designs. Green and blues dominate the Sixième…

Former Senator and House of Representatives member Anna Dominique “Nikki” Coseteng was moving from a 2,000 square meter home to a condominium unit last August. The move forced her to downsize, but it became tricky as someone who’s a collector at heart. Coseteng accumulated things she could identify with through her travels—and that was everything from magnets to antique beads and furniture to textiles. “The pieces are described as giving ‘a sense of freedom in enclosed spaces’” “I said, ‘what am I going to do with all the fabrics that I have?’ So I took out 15 suitcases of textiles maybe, or more,” she shares. With love for kaftans, she thought others might have the same appreciation for the long, loose, and unbinding garment. Then, Kaftan One was born, which…

French skincare and perfumery brand Officine Universelle Buly opened its first boutique in Paris in 1803. First founded by Jean-Vincent Bully, he made his fortune with his Vinegar de Toilette product using natural ingredients. Since then, the brand has expanded to London and multiple cities in Asia with 28 stores and counting. Last December 1, Manila was added to the growing list when it opened its doors in the luxury wing of Makati’s Greenbelt 3. On his recent trip to Paris, Lifestyle Asia EIC Dong Ronquillo spoke with Buly’s co-founder and communication and special projects director Victoire de Taillac-Touhami. In Buly’s Rue Saintonge boutique, the only store with a cafe and skincare treatment center, she talks about merging “excellence of the past” and “best of the future” since buying the…

BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY: A MEMOIR OF AN UNDOCUMENTED CHILDHOOD BY QIAN JULIE WANG Seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994. She knows no word of English, but she knows that the Chinese word for America is “Mei Guo,” which means “beautiful country.” However, the America she sees is far from the imagined idea: her parents in China were professors, in the United States they work in illegal sweatshops. The toil of the day encroaches on their new life and relationship with each other. The whole family is illegal, and buckling under fear and precarity. Small joys are mustered to survive. Due to her limited prowess in English, Qian’s small joy is the library, where she learns to master the language and makes her only American friends in the Berenstain…

I must admit that Ilocos Norte was never in my list of places to visit. I have only been to Ilocos Norte once in my life for a work trip moons ago. I have heard a lot of nice places to visit here, but it never got me excited. But a few weeks ago, a group of friends and I were invited to help promote Ilocos Norte tourism through our social media accounts. Why not, I thought. it was something new to me and it probably will be good content. I have been a staunch supporter of local tourism and promoting it not just in the Philippines, but also around the world. And so off we go, we took a Philippine Airlines flight and in a little over an hour…

Siargao Island compensates for its shortage of land area with an abundance of white sand islets, tide pools, and lagoons in its 437-square-kilometer vicinity. It made waves in the local tourism industry: first for its surf spots that earned the island its reputation as “Surfing Capital of the Philippines,” then as a hub of sunbathing, island hopping, rock climbing, cliff jumping, and cave exploration, among other attractions. Enter Jordan Prieto-Valdés, who had just returned to the Philippines after five years abroad. Homesick but not gagging about city life, she had wanted to find a place of her own that offered fresh air, warm water, and freedom from the constraints of traditional post-graduate life. “Siargao fit the bill of what I was looking for; it’s a beautiful, tiny island filled with…

When Charina Sarte started her eponymous label, she lived in the tropical Philippines. Inspired by the archipelago's seemingly endless summer, her pieces invoke its sunshine through vibrant prints and lively shades. And while they're made for trips under the sun, the silhouettes include flowing dresses, breathable eyelet cover-ups, and floral co-ords. With a career spanning 15 years, Sarte's brand is carried by some of the most prestigious department stores worldwide like Paris' Le Bon Marche, New York's Saks, Intermix, Bloomingdales, and Amazon subsidiary Shopbop. “Endless summer is an aspiration that we want people to feel when they see our brand," she tells Lifestyle Asia. “The joy of a promising summer that you don't want to end. We want to make pieces that make our clients in colder countries look forward…

When COVID-19 made its appearance, aviation was one of the hardest-hit industries. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation, revenues from air transport were down 90 percent in April 2020. AirTaxi, a premier private jet and helicopter charter service in the Philippines was, in some ways, uniquely positioned. The company's status as a private jet charter sets it apart from public aviation regulations, so they could have, in theory, continued business as usual. AirTaxi’s issue, however, is being the means to get to the location, but having no location to go. Owner Paj Rodriguez says as much when he compared the situation of private and business aviation companies abroad to those located here. “Business Aviation companies in US and EU have their highest sales on record starting May 2020 since…

Shaan Chainani and Neelam Gopwani met in Hong Kong in 2018. “I was on a work trip. It was so natural and instantaneous. Our first date was at Nobu in Hong Kong then rest is history,” Gopwani says. The couple has been together for four years. Chainani proposed in Sofitel Dubai at the Palm in a private caban, during dinner facing the ocean. Gopwani shares they were served with a five-course French menu by a private chef, and ate with a view of the marina. “It was magical. The private beach was engulfed with flowers and our favorite songs playing, we danced and then gazed at the stars—no words to explain that comfort and joy feeling! Next thing I knew, at the peak of midnight, he proposed!” The wedding took…

As we start to round the corner to the hottest months of the year—and as COVID restrictions begin to ease—many of us will be heading to the beach or somewhere in the great outdoors. But as we have fun under the sun, we should never forget to take care of our skin. There are a lot of concerns relating to increased exposure to UVB rays alongside with UVA radiation like hyper pigmentation, break-outs and premature aging. We wouldn’t like that, would we? There are a lot of products available out there that can help us prevent or at least minimize the harmful effects of sun exposure to our skin. How do we keep our skin feeling healthy and looking its best? Here are a few of my go-tos: EXFOLIATORS Since…

Kristine Lim admits that the hardest thing she had to go through as an artist was going back to art. “It was only uncertainty that I had. Thankfully I didn’t have to overcome it by myself,” she says. “I maybe uncertain about many things but my journey proved I can be certain about who my God and He never has and will never fail me. The artist and missionary does not only attribute her direction to the divine, but also her inspiration. “I cannot think of any other way to view where my inspiration comes from but Him because He is the ultimate source of all the resources of my inspiration. Everything that exists was birthed from His every breath. Every circumstance I found myself in, He allowed and He…

The concept for iFarm came to me when we were all locked down inside our houses at the height of the pandemic. I wanted to have a safe place for my family where we could enjoy fresh air and wide open spaces. The location that we found in Alfonso, Cavite is also ideal for farming, because of its climate and the richness of the soil, so we decided to combine a love for nature and the nurturing aspect of agriculture. I am proud to be the granddaughter of farmers who grew up with a high respect for those who work with the land. With this iFarm concept, we can introduce farming to the next generation, who are not as exposed to farming because they grew up in the city. This…

Do you find comfort in tradition and aspire to leave your mark in an industry commonplace, or does the call of leadership cry for your name, even if it means venturing into an untapped market? Dealing with this crossroad is not a simple task, but for the industry leader in Dr. Joel Lopez, MD it was an obvious decision. “We want to make people more open-minded… to know that there are new developments in medicine.”-Dr. Joel Lopez, MD Since 2013, Dr. Lopez has been leading the practices of preventive, regenerative, and integrative medicine in the Philippines through the JLopezMD Medical Group, as well as educating the next crop of professionals in this field. His professional history is extensive, having studied and trained with pioneers of the integrative medicine field across…