The First Year Of Lifestyle Asia’s Refresh

Through a vibrant thanksgiving fiesta, Lifestyle Asia paid tribute to the neighborhood whose assist turned the primary chapter of its refreshed period right into a 12 months of outstanding milestones and unforgettable moments.

In the blink of an eye fixed, it’s already November, and the Philippines’ oldest luxurious journal has simply celebrated the primary 12 months of its refresh by means of the colourful, spirited thanksgiving gathering, La Fiesta Manila. It was an intimate gathering of 100 friends, all of whom made the achievements of the previous 12 months doable, from cowl and have personalities to the various cross-section of Manila’s rising cultural and enterprise institutions who’ve been supporting the model all through its refresh. 

In its greater than three a long time of existence, this 12 months was one in every of many firsts for Lifestyle Asia. These embrace a summer season fete, artwork exhibit, wellness retreat, and the launch of 4 print magazines and month-to-month e-magazines that mirror the model’s new path: redefining what it actually means to dwell “the Good Life”—which, within the phrases of Vice President for Lifestyle Media Brands Apples Aberin, is a response to “a world where luxury is no longer defined by excess, but by intention.” 

Lifestyle Asia Chief of Editorial Content Kerry Tinga expounds on this throughout her speech: “We give story and narrative to people, places, and ideas that, in a humble way, can let people see beauty and wonder and possibility in the world, and want to contribute to that.”

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Where The Past, Present, And Future Converge

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Quezon City served as a becoming venue for the event, with its historic areas that mirror the richness of heritage whereas nonetheless making room for contemporary prospects: brilliant, trendy fiesta decor, modern Filipino meals and drinks, experiential cubicles, and scintillating performances. 

As they stepped contained in the spacious venue, divided into indoor and outside pockets that transported them into the previous, friends had their images taken by lush vignettes styled by famend occasions designer Jo Claravall, with floral preparations within the Plaza Mayor by Jos Curates. Banderitas heightened the festive spirit, whereas a sequence of dwell marching band units from the Sta. Cecilia Band 89 set the fiesta tone in grand trend, filling the venue’s cobblestoned Plaza Mayor with the sounds of celebration. 

The Ploom sales space evoked the heat of Filipino weaving, inviting friends to discover its lineup of common merchandise and take house printed images as keepsakes from the night. Furnitalia took the occasion’s theme to new heights, merging the perfect of latest design and craftsmanship with conventional attraction by means of a curated show of its elegant furnishings, which friends might flick through a handy QR code that led to its e-catalog. 

No fiesta is full with out an array of scrumptious meals and drinks that pay homage to the nation’s beloved classics. Baken integrated their mouth-wateringly crunchy bacon merchandise into an expansion of appetizers bursting with Filipino flavors—comparable to Quesong Puti Croquettes with Bacon Jam, Tinapa Mousse with Ilocos Garlic Confit and Bacon Jam Crostini, and Baken Sliders with Atchara Relish—which friends indulged in as they sipped on drinks and conversed all through the night. 

No one missed an opportunity to seize some candy treats from Poppy’s Halo-Halo, which served each its Poppy’s Classic and Ube Keso flavors for the night, cups jam-packed with creamy, chewy goodness. And in fact, Destileria Limtuaco saved the occasion going with its roster of cocktails and photographs impressed by nostalgic dishes: Turon Daiquiri, Mangga’t Suman Colada, Calamansi Garden Spritz, and Coco Pandan Shooters. 

A Filipino Feast At La Fiesta Manila

Guests have been ushered into the ornate corridor of Las Casas’ Casa Kilayko for the night’s grand feast, lengthy tables bursting with coloration that includes artistic plates from Casa Juan. Lifestyle Asia’s venue associate ready a particular menu for the event that includes luxurious, elevated takes on consolation staples.

The meal opened with a refreshing Shrimp and Pako Salad with Red Egg, texturally accentuated with savory Baken Crisps, then drizzled with Honey Onion Vinaigrette. The important course was a hearty, layered dish of tender Slow-Braised Pre-Colonial Pork Adobo, Seared Local Mahi-Mahi with Golden Mango Chutney, and Poached Garden Vegetables. Rice is a should for any Filipino feast, and Luxe Slim stepped in to offer a fluffy, healthful serving of Konjac Zero Shirataki Dry Rice wrapped in a banana leaf cone to enhance the meal. 

Throughout the night’s dinner conversations, friends have been serenaded by the hovering dwell music of jazz band Project 201, which carried out a mixture of iconic Filipino tunes and clean chart-topping beats at Casa Kilayko’s placing balcony part, framed by works of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo. 

Lifestyle Asia additionally gave friends a sneak peek of its upcoming December print difficulty, unveiling its latest cowl star, Jessica “Jica” Sy. To cap off the dinner, Kerry and Apples led a toast to Lifestyle Asia’s anniversary and refresh, joined by Jica and the 12 months’s different cowl stars, July and September cowl ladies Bea Elizalde and Monica Lorenzo. 

The night time wasn’t over: Plaza Mayor opened as soon as extra with a set by DJ Uno, drinks, and meals nonetheless flowing, friends gathering to get pleasure from one another’s firm and proceed the meal’s conversations. As the night winded down, every visitor took house a bag of mementos that embodied the occasion’s core themes. Casa Juan gave friends catch-all plates that includes an enthralling illustration of a sorbetes vendor, in addition to gold serviette rings with Filipino motifs. Marie France’s present certificates entitled holders to 1 session of its FMS Elite and Plasti-Dermi Treatment on prime of any package deal, whereas the Italian Chamber of Commerce handled friends to mini panettones for the vacation season. 

It takes a village to each uphold and reinvigorate a legacy. La Fiesta Manila was not only a thanksgiving gathering: it was a mirrored image of the dynamic, multi-faceted neighborhood that makes Lifestyle Asia what it’s in the present day, its folks set to propel the model’s development within the years to return. Kerry put it finest in her speech: “Tonight, through the power of storytelling, and of course, the power of the amazing people behind this event, we connect with heritage: three decades of Lifestyle Asia, and the stories of culture and history that have shaped us, inspire us, and even challenge us to consider how we write the next chapter.”

Lifestyle Asia’s La Fiesta Manila is finished in partnership with Furnitalia, Ploom, Marie France, Baken, HiEssence, New Lounge, Luxe Beauty and Wellness, with mobility associate Subaru Philippines and venue associate Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. Special due to Casa Juan, Premium Wine Exchange, Destileria Limtuaco, Poppy’s Halo-Halo, StyledbyJo, Jos Curates, B Hotel, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce.

Photography by Kieran Punay, Kim Santos, Excel Panlaque, and Ed Simon of KLIQ, Inc.