To the Heart of Italian Cuisine

Hotel Celeste, the boutique hotel at the corner of San Lorenzo Drive and A. Arnaiz Avenue in Makati City, closed down its main dining outlet and opens a new restaurant run, along with the hotel’s whole fodd and beverages operations, by the Cravings group of restaurants.

The new restaurant, called Lucia, features select Italian dishes by chef Davide Lombardi, who is know his restaurant Lombardi’s Authentic Italian, which is part of the Cravings group.

“When the invitation came from the owners of Hotel Celeste (the mother-and-daughter tandem of Cely and Tricia Sarabia), I immediately thought that the dishes that should be served in a fabulous hotel like this should also exude the same elegance and flavor,” said Lombardi. 

“With Lucia, I want to share real Italian flavors,” her further said. “We do classic Italian dishes.”

            Lomabardi explained that  in northern Italy, the dishes are richer, with more butter and  cream, while in southern Italy, they are more Mediterranean and have olive oil, fruits, vegetables, seafood. He selects the best dishes among them to serve at the restaurant especially those he had exeprienced eating at hme.

“I grew up with my grandmother and mother. On weekends, the family comes together. We all help in the kitchen to prepare the food. Since I’m married to a Filipina, we also do the same in the province, in Mariveles, Bataan,” reveled Lombardi, who added that adobo is his favorite Filipino.

            The name of restaurant itself is a homage to the chef’s mother.

 “It is my mother’s name, Lucia, and this is my way of honoring and thanking her, for passing on to me the passion of cooking authentic Italian meals,” he explained. 

Chef Davide Lombardi

Lombardi doing a cooking demo

              The name complements the name of the hotel derived from the name of a woman and the founder, Cely Sarabia, mother of Tricia who is now at the helm of the hotel.

The semi-fine dining Lucia Ristorante has more meat offerings along with Italian favorites such as pizza and pasta. It also boasts of a wider range of premium Italian wines.

For starters, diners can choose from a sampling of cold (antipasti freddi) or hot (antipasti caldi) appetizers. Cold appetizers include carpaccio di manzo sedano e grana or beef carpaccio marinated with lemon and olive oil and fresh parmesan (P480); mozzarella di bufala ai tres pomodori or mozzarella bufala with theee tomatoes (P660); insalata mista or salad with cherry tomatoes, shallot and balsamic vinaigrette (P240); the antipasto all’Italiana or Italian ham with Italian vegetables (P780); and the carpaccio di salmone or salmon carpaccio marinated with lemon, olive oil served with dill and fennel bulb (P490).  

For the antipasti caldi, Lucia is offering two special selections: minestrone di verdure con pastina or hearty vegetable soup with fresh pasta (P220), and the parmigiana di melanzane or roasted eggplant with mozzarella cheese (P260).

            The pizza selections are limited but satisfactory. The menu includes the Napoletana pizza with tomato sauce, Mozzarella and fresh basil (P290); the quattro formaggi with Provolone, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella cheeses (P490); the pizza ai salumi (P490) with tomato sauce and Italian hams; the quattro stagioni (P365) with ham, mushrooms and artichokes; and the prosciutto di parma, funghi (P385) with tomato sauce, prosciutto and mushroom.

            The pasta is made fresh here,a nd it is used in its five dishes—the ravioli di magro (P290),  Italian dumpling with ricotta cheese and spinach; the taglierini tartufati (P440), homemade taglierini with mushroom and black truffles; the lasagne della casa con crema de porcini (P320), lasagna with bolognese ragu and porcini sauce; the tagliatelle alla carbonara (P340), tagliatelle with pancetta and egg; and Lomabardi’s own creation for the restaurant, the Spaghetti Lucia (P590), a subtle spaghetti dish with seafood that includes clams, mussels, squid and giant prawns.  

A good selection of fish and meat dishes makes up Lucia’s entrees. The dentice alla pugliese (P460), roasted snapper with pancetta and broccoli; and the orata all’ ortolanala in crema al basilico (P440), roasted white fish with pesto cream sauce, are worth trying, but the stars of the menu are the meats—coscie di pollo tartufate in salsa ros, boneless chicken thigh stuffed with mushrooms with pomodoro dolce; the scallopine alla Milanese (P480), thinly sliced pork loin, breaded and served with fresh salad; tagliata di manzo (P1,200), thinly sliced beef tenderloin baked with olive oil and rosemary and served with caramel balsamic sauce; and the bistecca di manzo arrosto (P990), fillet of roasted beef with truffle sauce.

            If you still have room, they have a trio of dessert offerings—tiramisu (P210), the panacotta del Piemonte (P160), and the crostatina di frutta fresca (P260)—that puts an elegant finish to a filling meal.

Bistecca di manzo arrosto

Mozzarella di buffala ai 3 pomodori

Spaghetti Lucia

Taglierini tartufati

Tiramisu

 Lucia Ristorante is at the Hotel Celeste at 2 San Lorenzo Drive corner A. Arnaiz Avenue, San Lorenzo Village, Makati City.  For more information, call 887-8080 or check the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/luciaristoranteph.

Candies for the Eye and Tongue: Matteo Guidicelli and Mentos Make Sweet Mix

Matteo Guidicelli is the first endorser of Mentos in the Philippines

At the recent launch of new candy flavors, Italian-Filipino actor and athlete Matteo Guidicelli, an eye candy himself, co-hosted the event, entertained the audience, sang and generally charmed the people. It was a testament on how he has grown from a shy boy of 14, fresh out of Cebu, when I first interviewed him 10 years ago at a kart racing track in Bonifacio Global City. He was sort of a celebrity then, making local karting history by winning two titles in a row —Karter of the Year of the Shell Superkarting Series held in Carmona, Cavite, and the champion at the Rotax Max Junior division. Guidicelli was also tapped as endorser and image model of Swatch, Penshoppe, Addict Mobile and Oakley.
Now, he has graduated from karting and is into triathlons. He eventually entered showbiz, appearing in television and doing a couple of movies. He developed an interest in acting and enrolled in an acting workshop at the New York Academy in Los Angeles. He took up musical theater at the Columbia College in Chicago. And these made him more endearing, an athlete with an interest in the arts. There are more to the 24-year-old celebrity and some of it are revealed as he become the first endorser of Mentos in the Philippines.
As the newly-minted ambassador of the candy of Perfetti Van Melle product, the European company that also produces Fruittella, Smint and Chupa Chups, Guidicelli stars in a three-part promotional mini-movie called “Mentos Strawberry Mix Thrillogy,” shown on television but mostly on social networks. The videos promote the new Mentos Strawberry Mix, three candy flavors are packed in one roll or bag — the sour strawberry, vanilla strawberry and classic strawberry. They also present three facets of Guidicelli, who stars in the videos together with two strawberry-headed sidekicks, the quirky Mentos Strawberry Hitmen.

Matteo Guidicelli as the action star

 The first video is called “The Thrill of the Chase” and presents Guidicelli as the action star. Embodying the sour strawberry flavor, the video puts Guidicelli in a video game world where he runs, swims and does stunts, harking to his athlete persona. Aside from being a racer and a triathlete in real life, he bikes, runs and generally committed to an active and healthy lifestyle. Guidicelli got his first taste of kart racing when he was 11 years old while vacationing in Italy, and was instantly hooked. He pursued it when he returned home in Cebu and eventually won many races. He was passionate about racing that he almost cried when he got in the seat of Marlon Stockinger’s racecar because he did not get to fulfill his dream of being the first Filipino Formula One racer. But he is now very much into triathlon. He revealed though he experienced a harrowing incident when he joined his first triathlon in 2011 in Cebu. He almost drowned out in the sea and thought he would die. He survived it and it did not stop him from pursuing triathlon.

Matteo Guidicelli as the Italian lover

For the sweet vanilla strawberry flavor, the second video, “The Thrill of Declaring Your Love,” depicts Guidicelli as the lover boy who, through ardent wooing, makes even the painting of Mona Lisa smile. Guidicelli succinctly put it that he is both Italian and Filipino, claimed to make passionate and romantic lovers. In the matters of romance though, he proves to be terse. People are talking about his relationship with singer Sarah Geronimo, but he remains reticent or vague about it. Defining love, he resorts to sports metaphors: Love is not a sprint but a marathon.

Matteo Guidicelli as the boy next door

The third video is “the real me,” Guidicelli said. “The Thrill of Being Real,” for the classic strawberry flavor, shows him as the boy next door, down-to-earth and generally uncomplicated, pursuing passions, having fun and relishing the joy of doing ordinary things. Even without the frills, Guidicelli still exudes with charisma and wholesome appeal.

The Strawberry Hitmen

A little phallic to me

For more of Guidicelli, watch the “Mentos Strawberry Mix Thrillogy” on www.facebook.com/MentosPhilippines.

Barako for Beauty

Pond’s Men endorsers: real estate mogul Victor Consunji, singer-songwriter Rico Blanco, actor Xian Lim, film director Paul Soriano and football player Anton del Rosario

In Filipino, barako is a virile and brave man, a stud. It lends its name to a type of locally grown Arabica coffee, the kapeng barako or barako coffee, or the strong brew made from it. Now, both — the man and the coffee — are essential elements for an established beauty brand for its new product line targeting men.

Masculinity changes over time. Although there are still left, men are no longer generally slobs and pigs. Over the years, good grooming and taking of how one looks were often emphasized to the point that metrosexual became once a buzzword. Skin care is becoming less and less attributed to only women.

“Guys really use personal care products. It’s only they use ‘female brands.’ We learned that one-third of Pond’s facial wash users are men,” revealed Cesca Silvestre, Pond’s senior brand manager.

In the course of their research, they noticed that many young male office workers bring them toilet kits containing essentials for grooming and skincare products. It’s their version of the women’s kikay kit, she said and dubbed it “man’s purse” or “murse” for short.

Some of these men may not be buyers themselves but use their wives,’ girlfriends’ or sisters’ skincare products. But men’s skin are different from women’s, according to Anuchai Sinsawati, the Thai product manager for Southeast Asia Unilever. They have bigger pores and thus tend to have oilier faces. Also, their skin ages faster.

“So we saw it fit to develop Pond’s Men that specifically addresses those problems,” Silvestre said.

Pond’s consider this a milestone. The famous brand, which released its first product in 1846 in the United States and is currently owned by the multinational company Unilever, has pioneered many things in beauty and skincare. For example, they introduced face washes to replace soaps, and face washes are now part of the essential regimen. They also introduced the beauty regimen. Actually, Pond’s had also released men’s products before, such as the aftershave, but obviously it did not take off.

Pond’s Men was first launched in Indonesia in 2012, where the brand is big in the Muslim-dominated country. Then in late 2013, it was launched in Thailand.

Unilever has a number of men’s products in such brands as Vaseline and Master, but they believe they will not compete with each other.

“We have segmented the markets,” Silvestre explained. “Pond’s Men talks to the more affluent man, already a groomer, who is taking care of himself, knows how to dress. We want them to upgrade to Pond’s Men. Master talks to teens and addresses their problems like oiliness. It is more affordable and comes in sachets. Vaseline Men talks to yuppies as well but the concerns of yuppies are really about whitening. There’s a growing whitening segment even among men. It’s not really that they want to have kutis mayaman. These guys are bothered about pimple marks.”

Although Pond’s Men products have whitening properties, they added a new ingredient.

“We did a lot of research and we learned that the biggest problem of men is dull-looking skin, the ‘haggard-looking’ skin because of their hectic lifestyle,” Silvestre said. 

Pond’s Men Acne Clear Oil Control Face Wash controls oil for up to 12 hours with salicylic acid and mineral clay for SRP of P190 (100-gram Tube)

 To address this problem, they added coffee bean extract to its products. Coffee is known to perk up its drinkers thus Pond’s is harnessing this ability as well as its antioxidant property for their products. It enhances skin circulation that lends skin a healthy and recharged glow, they said, promising that the products will “perk up” the skin for a “bright and energized” look.

Dr. Jason Harcup, vice president of Personal Care Research at Unilever, said, “At the Pond’s Institute, we discovered that coffee bean extract, an innovative ingredient, has scientifically proven skin care benefits that can address male skincare concerns.”

There are two lines in the Pond’s Men products — the Pond’s Men Energy Charge and the Pond’s Men Acne Clear Oil Control.

The Pond’s Men Energy Charge is for normal skin types and has a facial foam, gel moisturizer and all-in-one moisturizer. The facial foam (suggested retail price of P190 for 100-gram tube) is said to brighten tired-looking skin while the gel moisturizer (SRP of P145 for 15 gram tube) is a light formula that is said to energize skin while lending it a healthy glow. On the other hand, the all-in-one moisturizer (SRP of P350 for 50 gram pump) is a moisturizer, toner and serum in one. The moisturizer whitens the skin and lightens spots, while the toner cools the skin and minimizes pores. The serum gives the skin an active glow. On the other hand, the Pond’s Men Acne Clear Oil Control has a face wash (SRP P190 for 100-gram tube) of which has the added ingredient of mineral clay, said to absorb oil for 12 hours, and hazel extract, known for its astringent properties. This is recommended for men who have problems with oily faces and pimples.

Pond’s Men Energy Charge All-in-One Moisturizer is moisturizer, toner and serum in one pack, available for SRP of P350 per 50-gram pump

 The Pond’s Men campaign is a big one. Giant billboards are now scattered all over Metro Manila. The grand launch was held at Whitespace Manila in Makati City on March 18. The events place was transformed into a semblance of an exclusive men’s club with a Jaguar parked outside, a billiards table at one side of the room, a fireplace with a video of a flickering fire at another, cocktails flying about. Guests walked on black carpet and were held in a room by the entrance with video walls on both sides showing buildings that seemed to scroll down — it was a big elevator! — before being greeted by model’s and stands full of Pond’s Men products. An after party featured international and local acts such as DJ Nina, LA Duo DJ Kim and DJ hat, and Dutch DJ Trio Shermanology.

The highlight of the event was the launch of Pond’s Men endorsers — five men, most of them can be considered barakos in different ways, coming from different fields and of different persuasions.

“Common among them is that they’re all driven, ambitious and successful,” said Silvestre. “They’re the men that Pond’s Men is catering to because they’re more discerning with their choices in many things. They work hard and they make sure that they get the best products and services they deserve.”

She added that these men are active and keep hectic schedules, thus their skin really needs care.

Leading the pack is Xian Lim, who is enjoying a lot of endorsements lately but Pond’s Men remains to be one of the biggest. According to the handsome actor, the number-one thing that keeps him refreshed is sleep, seven to eight hours of sleep to be exact, especially after longs hours of shooting. He said he also uses Pond’s skin care products. “I’ve always used Pond’s so it’s good that there’s now a Pond’s product made for men,” he averred.

The rest of the good-looking team is composed of football player and Azkals member Anton del Rosario; singer-songwriter Rico Blanco; film director Paul Soriano; and real estate mogul Victor Consunji.

While the choice — to represent different kinds of men according to their professions and passions — is commendable, there seems to be a lack to acknowledge another market segment. While sexual orientation is not highlighted, all of them are known to be heterosexual, and it will be a more commendable thing to include a gay man as one of the endorsers, knowing that gay men will form a bulk of its buyers.

Pond’s might have considered it but was not able to find a suitable endorser that as high-profile and good-looking but also gay and proud as the present crop. Most likely, the oversight is deliberate for to include a gay man, no matter how upstanding and masculine, may drive away heterosexual men buyers, or they maybe have the limited and erroneous notion that all gay men want to look like women and thus would prefer products that are for women.

Though several years ago, Pond’s released a breakthrough television ad, one of the very few, if not the only one during its time, to show gay men not in the stereotypical mold. The ad shows a couple, both men, walking hand in hand, and one is beguiled by the beauty and fairness of a woman, who uses Pond’s White Beauty day cream, walking along with them.

They could have sustained and reinforced that showing of this different image of gay men, especially in a time when My Husband’s Lover has broken grounds and its leading men are now being asked to be endorsers as a couple, with an inclusion of a gay man in the endorser roster to acknowledge that market segment as one of their long-time patrons, and to really show the wide spectrum of men, which Pond’s cater to equally. In this still restrictive environment, the move will be a brave and enlightened one.

As of now, Pond’s Men’s campaign with the endorsers sends a message that today’s barakos are accomplished, confident and aware of the importance of taking care of the themselves and how they look. If added a layer, today’s barakos are also sensitive, respectful, intelligent, confident and unafraid, unafraid to not only stand out but to stand up for something important.

For more information on Pond’s Men, visit www.pondsmen.ph or follow Pond’s Men on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @PondsMenpH and #GerEnergized.

Ask and It Will be Answered: Acer’s Tech Doctors and Two-In-One Netbook Respond to Consumer Needs

The world is becoming increasingly wired and, well, “geeky,” with computers and gadgets becoming an integral part of everyday living and making life better as technologies are improved and developed. However, the advances in technology can be dizzyingly speedy for some that it is often difficult to catch up. Those who are not tech-savvy enough, which is many of us, are left confused and thus cannot take of full advantage of these advances. It may also prevent us from buying the gadgets that we really want or need. There may be a glitch in the computer and we don’t know what it is, what happened and how to repair it. Sometimes we are afraid to ask least we sound stupid or often we don’t know who or where to ask that can provide us with direct, simple and understandable questions.

Global information and communication technology company Acer knows this simple and commonplace but important problem, and to address this they formed the Acer IT Doctors, a team of IT (information technology) specialists who, as service to the public, are available to answer any IT concerns or questions, may they be downright “stupid” or complicated. This effort is timely as there is an increasing number of gadgets entering the Philippine market and majority of Filipinos are not really tech savvy, much more IT experts.

For proper guidance or valuable technical assistance, the Acer IT Doctors can be asked through the most popular social networking site, Facebook. Just follow Acer Philippines’ Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/AcerPH). The Acer IT Doctors can be access via their Custom Tab. Then, you can now field you questions via Facebook, a more personalized and personified customer service. They will respond regardless whether questioners are Acer users or not, or the questions Acer-related or not. They are also producing a YouTube series that will showcase their best prescriptions that are easily understandable, especially by non-techies.

Five men make up the Acer IT Doctors team, most of them product managers from its different product divisions—mobile devices, notebooks, stationary devices and other commercial products—and are promised to be expert and trustworthy. Leading the team though is not an Acer employee. Vince Golangco is the founder of the top site WhenInManila.com, as well as a TV show and events host, radio DJ, writer, surfer, skater, US veteran and an adventure junkie. He acts as the ambassador for the team.

Dio Vasquez is the head of the Product Management Department of Acer Philippines with a background on and experience in product portfolio management including managing the P&L of all product lines. He is also quite proficient when it comes to product marketing, demand planning and sales revenue forecasting and management. In Acer, he seeks the most advantageous partnerships and alliances with industry partners like Microsoft, Intel, AMD and Google.

Jeffrey Mariano is a gamer and previously served as a product manager for another IT company where he helped create a new gaming department. In Acer Philippines, he works as product lead for consumer mobile PC, and he is focused on product planning and execution.

Cuki Pendor is Acer’s business lead in digital display devices handling the overall business for Acer display devices. He was formerly Acer’s consumer product lead for stationary devices and fought for the continuous and active promotion of Acer projectors to become the number-one brand in the country.

With 10 years in the industry, Mikee Taylo is currently Acer’s business lead for stationary and enterprise products, with focus on identifying and selecting specific hardware products to be introduced in the Philippine market. He decides on product positioning, promotions and pricing for sales of the various Acer product lines.

Manuel Wong, general manager of Acer Philippines, said that the creation of Acer IT Doctors is a way of moving closer to their end users. He admitted that there are products, which are confusing to many consumers After the purchase, do they really enjoy them or use them in their full capacity? he wonders, and the Doctors help them better understand these products, especially Acer products.

The Acer IT doctors — Vince Golangco, Dio Vasquez, Jeffrey Mariano, Cuki Pendor and Mikee Taylo — will answer any tech-related questions  as public service, from the  simplest to the most complicated

The Acer Iconia W4: Fun and function in one

One Acer product that Acer IT Doctors recommends is the newly launched Acer Iconia W4, and it is the answer many are asking or waiting for.

The tablets are something most people use to play with it, but more and more people are using this for work because of its handiness, especially by people on the go. The email and picture features are frequently used as well as the Internet for quick research. If it requires basic functions, the tablet is preferred rather than the laptop because it can be bulky. The drawback is it is still very limited in terms of functionality; it can’t do much what laptops can. Many wish though that the laptop can be just as handy as tablets. It is just a matter time before the tablet acquires some of the characteristics of the laptop. And here comes Acer Iconia W4.

Very much improved from Iconia W3, the Acer Iconia W4 is a two-in-one netbook, compact and handy. With an eight-inch wide screen, it is small enough to be held by one hand and big enough for viewing things such as text document.

It uses Microsoft’s latest Windows 8.1 as operating system, with a 1.33Ghz Intel Bay Trail CPU supported by a 1067Mhz, 2GB LPDDR3 RAM. Pre-installed with full versions of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 edition, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel and OneNote, it is ready enough for work. For easy typing or encoding, Acer Iconia W4 comes with a portable full-sized Acer crunch keyboard. Its micro USB 2.0 port, meanwhile, enhances flexibility and productivity with work and its HDMI micro port enables presentations and entertainment to be shared on big screens.

For storage, the netbook has 32 gigabytes, and additionally it has its built-in cloud storage, the Acer SkyDrive, which functions as the default location for saving documents. You can manage both local and SkyDrive storage in one place.

The Acer Iconia W4 sports a clear and vivid display, enhanced by Zero Air Gap technology, which reduces light reflection by directly binding the LCD module and touch panel, and personalization of visuals is fun.

And one of the best thing about Acer Iconia W4 is the price. Because Acer is primarily targeting students and young professionals, the suggested retail price is P18,900, relatively one of the most affordable netbooks/tablets.

The handsome Acer Iconia W4 two-in-one netbook allows you to play as well as to work, being installed with full versions of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 edition, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel and OneNote

For more information on Acer Iconia W4 netbook, visit Acer Philippines at www.acer.com.ph or www.Facebook.com/AcerPH.

A Classic and Clean Look for Summer: Giordano Ushers in the Hot Season with Linens and Richard Yap

Giordano Philippines’ summer colletion focuses on linen, a very apt material for the hot weather

The rise in temperature signals the onset of summer in the Philippines, and Hong Kong-based retail brand Giordano has just launched its summer collection to make the scorching season comfortable. The latest collection is called A Linen Story, and it consists mainly of apparels made of linen, the textile made from flax fiber and even of cotton or other fibers but done in a linen weave texture.

“The lightweight linen cloth is the most luxurious yet underappreciated material. It is definitely the supreme choice for comfort in hot weather with its breathability, durability and cool and absorbent properties,” explained Lloyd Lim, Giordano Philippines vice president for business development.

Actually, linen has been in many Giordano collections for some time now. And from time to time, the brand highlights it especially during summers. According to Giordano, linen should be a staple and should be a summer essential. They suggest wearing comfortable and airy linen instead of shortening the hemlines and wearing skimpy clothes.

“Through this collection, we will be reintroducing the beauty and practicality of linen and making it an essential part of every wardrobe,” said Lloyd Lim.

The variations of designs from summer to summer are not too far apart. Giordano generally leans to the classic and generally likable styles. This is most probably due to its adherence to its “World Without Strangers” concept and slogan.

“World Without Strangers has always been the philosophy of Giordano. It means transcending age, ethnicity, cultures, borders. That’s our main tagline. Actually, we have 2,600 stores (in over 40 different countries) in the world. We went to the Middle East, different cultures,” Lim said.

Giordano aspires to bridge gaps with similarities in terms of clothing and a shared brand that is Giordano. Thus, designs are classic and “safe,” something that appeals to many people and that everybody can wear. The clothes are for everyone, they say. With “World Without Strangers,” it wants to transcend its origins as an Asian brand and develop trust and strong relationships with consumers across cultures with apparel catering to everyone regardless of ethnicity, nationality or culture.

This is true for the latest collection, which has essentials such as long-sleeve and short-sleeve button-downs and cropped pants in 100 percent linen and cotton-linen blends, although some trendy elements are incorporated. A Linen Story is a big campaign with three sub-collections to be released in tranches — the start of summer, the middle of summer and near the end of summer.

The first sub-collection is called Ethnic Beat, which was made available since February 28. This is perhaps the trendiest of the sub-collections, being colorful and with artsy and tribal patterns. There is a play on Aztec prints, which is very popular right now. These colors and patterns are translated in soft embroidered shirts and jersey crew neck dresses for women.

Giordano will be launching the second sub-collection called Nature Burst on March 21. Nature Burst uses earthy colors for their linen short-sleeve shirts and cropped pants for men and colorful prints in shirts for women. The washed-out look suggests the ruggedness of nature.

On April 18, it will be launching Summer Blues, which features badge polo lycra pique muscle shirts in all shades of blue for men and soft rayon three-fourths sleeve for women. Denim dresses and jersey V-neck cardigans also make great transition pieces as temperatures start to shift.

The Giordano summer collection will have three sub-collections

Richard Yap: Brand’s first-ever Filipino ambassador

In the time for the launch of the summer collection, Giordano also launched its first-ever Filipino ambassador/endorser, actor Richard Yap.

After 25 years in the Philippines, Giordano Philippines is just now taking this promotional move to sustain interest for the brand and its current 63 stores all over the country.

Although popularity has not waned over the years, according to Beatrice Lim, vice president for marketing, this is taking it a step further. Giordano still has many customers, many of them those in their thirties and above, who grew up with Giordano, when it became popular in the Philippines in the 1990s. The local endorser will make the brand relatable to Filipinos and also will promote it to the younger generation, who are not familiar with the brand.

Right now, Giordano Philippines uses Giordano Korea’s images of popular Korean celebrities for their billboards, a decision made because of Korean pop’s popularity in the country.

“It’s just time for a local face to represent Giordano,” Lim said.

The choice of Yap is apt because he represent the age group that forms bulk of Giordano buyers but at the same time he is popular with the younger set as to entice them to the brand further.

Yap is a breakthrough celebrity. He entered showbiz in his forties and quickly gained fame, something rare in youth-obsessed Philippine showbiz. He first entered the public’s consciousness as the image of Chinese-Filipino fast-food chain Chowking. He then took on the role of Papa Chen in 2011 hit TV series My Binondo Girl, catapulting him to stardom. His status is solidified by another telenovela Please Be Careful with My Heart as the dashing Sir Chief. Now, he is one of the most sought-after endorsers.

“Richard Yap epitomizes Giordano’s brand values. Both are clean, casual, current and appeals to everyone everywhere,” revealed Lloyd Lim.

He further said that “age doesn’t matter,” when they were looking for an ambassador, and it “depends on the presentation.” It is ironic though that the detail on age is mentioned or emphasized if age is irrelevant.

On his part, Yap said, “Considering my age, I never thought I’d achieve this much. But I’m thankful for it. So I do my best for every project but I take things as they come and live in the moment.”

On fashion style, he said, “I’m never the structured type. I always prefer relaxed casual pieces any time. They suit my lifestyle better and I found that I feel much more relaxed when I know that I am well-dressed,” he said.

Yap admitted that he has been a Giordano buyer, especially the T-shirts, and loves the timeless, classic pieces.

“Giordano pieces are essential; the styles are timeless and I prefer it that way. I like to dress well and I like how Giordano provides me with pieces that inspire, at the same time, lends a put-together look without requiring me to think too much about it,” Yap said.

He also mentioned Giordano’s use of the latest innovations in fabric technology, ensuring superior quality and great value.

This may be start of Giordano regularly getting local ambassadors/endorsers, and Lloyd Lim revealed that for future endorsers they are also looking for people not in the entertainment industry. Beatrice said another ambassador will be launched within the year. Meanwhile, Yap’s image will be used in social media and in-store promotional materials.

Actor Richard Yap is chosen to be Giordano Philippines’ firts-ever brand ambassador because he is “clean, casual, current and appeals to everyone everywhere”

Richard Yap with Larry Lim, president and CEO of Giordano Phils

Giordano has a special offer for selected linen items. For more information about the promo, log on to Facebook.com/GiordanoPhilippines. This offer is good until March 31. For more information on Giordano, visit their Web site (http://www.giordano.com.ph/homepage.php) or log in to Facebook.com/GiordanoPhilippines.

Giordano article in The Daily Tribune