INQUIRER Lifestyle Series Fitness Fashion with Samsung



“Fitness.Fashion” is the flagship runway project of Samsung and Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle, together with HSBC, Mastercard, Philippine Airlines, Rustan's, San Miguel Corporation and The Peninsula Manila.

Fashion becomes less a spectator sport when sport itself becomes the fashion.

Last Thursday, Inquirer Lifestyle staged the rousing, filled-to-the-bleachers (despite the heavy rains and flooding) curtain-raiser to its Lifestyle Series of events with “Fitness.Fashion,” a catwalk team-up between some of the country’s top designers and best-selling activewear brands, at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Peninsula Manila in Makati City.

Co-presented with Samsung, it drew guests who cut across the fields of fashion, business and commerce, arts, media and entertainment. With the support of HSBC, Mastercard, Philippine Airlines, Rustan's, San Miguel Corporation and Peninsula, the show had 12 sought-after designers melding their creations with the latest brand collections: Kipling with Vic Barba; Fila with Lulu Tan-Gan; Nike Golf with Anthony Nocom; Speedo with Louis Claparols; Adidas with Patrice Ramos-Diaz and Rhett Eala; Marks & Spencer with Arcy Gayatin; Aigle and Oxbow with Rajo Laurel; Bench with Joey Samson; and Puma with Ivarluski Aseron and Randy Ortiz. (Read the fashion report in this Friday’s Lifestyle Fashion and Beauty.)

“Fitness.Fashion” also scored a coup with the runway debut of fitness enthusiast and sports advocate Sen. Pia Cayetano. Other guest models were Akiko Thompson, Amanda Carpo, Rina Go, Paolo Abrera, Phoemela Baranda, Svetlana Osmeña, Jeena Lopez, Enchong Dee, Ruby Gan, Fely Atienza, Trishan Cuazo, catwalk queens Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez and Apples Aberin-Sadhwani, and Inquirer’s own Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Leica Carpo.

The show was supported by L’Oreal Philippines, Swatch and Technomarine.

Official mall partners are SM Supermalls, Robinsons Malls, Ayala Malls, Araneta Center, Star Malls and Trinoma Mall.

Our official media partners are ABS-CBN, People’s Television Network (PTV-4), ABC TV5, GMA-7, RPN-9, Q Channel 11, IBC-13, Studio 23, NET 25, ANC: ABS-CBN News Channel, ETC: Entertainment Central, GNN: Global News Network, Lifestyle Network, Living Asia Channel, Asian Journal, Panay News, DZBB Radyo Bisig-Bayan 594, DZMM Radyo Patrol 630, DZRH, Campus Radio 97.1 WLS-FM, RJ 100.3 FM, 90.7 Love Radio, 939 KCFM, 96.3 WRocK, 101.1 YES! FM, MOR 101.9 My Only Radio For Life and Focus Media Audiovisuals.

Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the guest of honor in the occasion, gave her greetings and message to the crowd. In attendance, also were watching the show are some members of the cabinet; former presidents Joseph Estrada, Fidel Ramos and Corazon Aquino; CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, several senators led by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; several congressmen led by House Speaker Prospero Nograles; and friends of El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde from the business, entertainment, media, legal, and religious sector.

On its first anniversary — held at Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park, Manila on July 30, 2009 — their major guest stars were Bianca Araneta; Julia Clarete; Cheryl Cosim; Daphne Osena; Pia Guanio; Kenji Marquez; Derek Ramsey; JM Rodriguez; and Audrey Tan-Zubiri. But they managed to give away prizes to the live audience — mostly refrigerators. The high point of the event was when the cast members released doves — plenty of them.

Corazon Aquino passed away on August 1, 2009 at 3:18 in the morning. The cause was advanced colon cancer and  she had been hospitalized more than a month. Her son Benigno Aquino III said that the cancer had spread and she was too weak to continue therapy. She was 76.

However, Arroyo’s fortune turned around in 2009 when the gruesome Maguindanao massacre happened.

The following year, Sen. Benigno Aquino III won the presidential elections. In a bid to reach a convenient outcome for their case, some members of the Ampatuan family opted to cooperate with the Aquino administration, which was building an electoral sabotage case against Arroyo.