I was on a regular jaunt at Shangri-La Plaza one weekend and happenstance at Rustan’s the Portuguese designer Ricardo Preto was busy attending to shoppers at his corner in the store’s men’s department.
The sales ladies pulled me to the designer’s side and introduce me to him as one of the store’s regular clients. Immediately, Preto showed me his collection all of which he said was made in Portugal exclusively for Rustan’s.
He showed me off a couple of shirts and pairs of pants. I picked a couple and wished the designer and his collection would do well in the Philippines.
In 2007, Ricardo Preto started showcasing collections at Lisbon Fashion Week under his own label, Ricardo Preto. While the brand’s core business is Women’s ready-to-wear, bags, and shoes, it also offers Menswear and accessories.
The designer said he’d be back in Manila in Autumn
★★★★★
Was in Hong Kong two weekends ago where the summer sale is at the peak, while a storm kept most of the shoppers in their hotel rooms.
The day before the SAR administration in Hong Kong declared a tropical cyclone warning no. 8, had a window shopping spree at the Ocean Terminal where I saw a Jimmy Choo boutique and ogled the men’s shoes and bags.
There’s a Jimmy Choo store in Manila, but it only sells ladies shoes, bags, and some accessories. So, I wonder why the SSI Group sends PR materials about Jimmy Choo’s men’s collections when it’s not available in the country.
Jimmy Choo ladies collection is located at Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La Plaza East Wing.
★★★★★
Also, in Hong Kong, summer is the season for sale, and so the shoppers from nearby countries like Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines flock to the city for bargains. I met a family of three whose father was shopping for a watch and went to the Patek Philippe store in Kowloon.
I asked why do Filipinos prefer to shop abroad than in their own country? Is it cheaper to buy in Hong Kong than buy the things you want in the Philippines. This should be a challenge to retailers of imported brands to convince Filipinos it’s better to shop in the Philippines than anywhere else. But, first, let the retailers fill up the stores first with merchandise so local shoppers won’t dream of going somewhere and spending their money there.
In Hong Kong, most of the shoppers are tourists who fly in to the city for the bargains.
Can’t we make Metro Manila a shoppers paradise, too?