Education, values and planning for long-term family wealth

by WILL SOON FLOURISH – Wilson Lee Flores – The Philippine Star

Govern a family as you would cook a small fish

Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements.  â€”Elizabeth II 

This is a condensed version of the speech I gave at the “Baby and Family Expo Philippines 2013,” which opened on Dec. 6 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex, Pasay City. It was the organizer and Philippine STAR reader David Abrenilla, the chief executive officer of Mediacom Solutions Inc., who suggested that my speech discuss “Mastering the Harmony of Family Wealth.”

A few years ago at the Makati residence of billionaire Endika Aboitiz, SGV Group founder Washington SyCip told me that we ethnic Chinese are talented and natural entrepreneurs, but in the past our forebears failed to build enduring family businesses that lasted more than three generations.

SyCip told me that in the Philippines, only the ethnic Spanish Zobel family of Ayala Group and the Aboitiz family of the Aboitiz Group have succeeded. Now, many families are planning or preparing transitions in their business groups, such as the Henry Sy, Gokongwei, Andrew and Mercedes Gotianun, Manny Villar, David Consunji, Joey Antonio and other families. 

According to the Family Firm Institute, a research group based in Boston, only 30 percent of family-owned businesses are still operating by the second generation, only 10 percent lasts to the third generation, and three percent survives to the fourth generation.

In the US, more than 80 percent of all businesses are family-owned, but only 30 percent get successfully passed on to the second generation and statistics show that only 13 percent are successfully transferred to the third generation.

In recent years, I have had the opportunity to assist in resolving two bitter family feuds, each involving business clans with billion-peso assets. I assisted the first family by inviting Davao businessman James Gaisano to be the mediator, and he succeeded after one year.

The second family feud I helped untangle was that of my paternal great-grandfather’s first cousin, which had already lasted for half a century. I stumbled into this family feud because I had been doing research on our family’s two-century entrepreneurial history here in the Philippines.

Here are some of my suggestions to build multi-generational family wealth, based on my research and studies of business families past and present:

•Do not spoil children or heirs. The Waterloo or ultimate failure of not a few “rags-to-riches” entrepreneurs and professionals, even celebrities, was their having insulated their children or heirs from the harsh realities and complexities of life by spoiling them.  Spoiling kids will weaken them.

Do you notice that in families and throughout world history, so many of the successful entrepreneurs, professionals and good leaders are those who have undergone crises or struggled with disadvantages?

• Teach kids the value of money. Parents and family elders should early on communicate with children your values about money, why and how to save it, how to make it grow, and how to spend it wisely. Make kids understand that it is not easy to earn money, so money shouldn’t be wasted. 

• Educate and train children and heirs well. Invest in the best education and also hands-on training for children and other heirs. Make kids work first in other corporations as part of their training. Giving your kids a good education is more important to future family wealth than just giving kids money.

• Be fair to everyone. Life is not fair; not all children or grandchildren have equal talents, natural intelligence, drive or interest in the family business, but under the law all should have equal shares of the family wealth.

Whether as kids or adults, children, nephews, and grandchildren should be treated fairly to prevent emotional baggage and animosities that might erupt into future family squabbles. Those who work should be given more, out of fairness, but the reasons should be explained clearly to other relatives. 

• Promote tradition or a culture of meritocracy. Choose the leader and other managers of the family business based on qualifications, abilities and also commitment to the family business, not based on seniority or even gender. When not enough family members are available, hire non-family professionals. Have performance reviews for all, relatives or not.

• Write down or institutionalize rules for the family business. It is ideal to write down and institutionalize the basic rules and core values that will guide your family in terms of the business or wealth management. For example, set a rule on the role of in-laws, which some families favor and others do not.

• Prepare for clear succession early. A lot of family businesses have patriarchs who do not plan for the future and die unexpectedly, thus creating chaos, bitter internal quarrels or results in weak leadership in the next generation. Have estate and succession planning done early on and clearly, even family trusts.

• There should be only one boss and he or she should have authority. This rule of having only one boss is true whether for family businesses or non-family businesses. Based on my research, many patriarchs just appoint a son to be the boss of the family business but didn’t give the chosen heir the adequate additional stocks or shares to back up his authority, so in the long-term future the other kids or kin can gang up on the boss and take him out.

This was the case with my late father, who inherited the mantle of leadership over the family sawmill business from my grandfather, who died young. However, dad only had an equal percentage of shares as his one eldest brother, seven younger half-brothers and half-sisters, plus cousins who three decades later ganged up to oust him after an acrimonious legal battle, which went all the way to the Supreme Court.

• Separate the personal from the business. Whether in finances, vehicles, and resources, make it clear that personal needs or expenses should come from family members’ salaries or incomes and should not be sourced in an unlimited manner from the family business. This is one way to avoid abuses, misunderstandings, waste and dissipation of the family business resources.

• Plan the long-term future of family investments. There should be long-term and strategic planning on how to preserve family wealth, which is different from the continuity of the family business. Top investment bankers and lawyers should be consulted; all options here and abroad should be studied thoroughly.

Design Miami/ Welcome Cocktail

by Nathan Valentine, World Red Eye

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Miami Beach, FL – December 2, 2013 – To celebrate the opening of Design Miami/ at Art Basel Miami Beach, a group of curators, designers, galleries and VIP guests toasted the occasion at the Grove, the W South Beach’s lush garden. The welcome cocktail party was co-hosted by Craig Robins, as well as Pietro Beccari and in collaboration with Fendi, and included sips of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut to toast the ninth year of the design fair and its upcoming week of design magic.

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Marianne Goebl & Craig Robins

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Silvia Venturini Fendi & Craig Robins

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Steven Gretenstein, Uzay Ozince, Craig Robins, Carla Navas, Gareth Jones, & Colin Carby

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Brandon Grom & Anna Williams

Maria Bukhtoyarova, Alia Al-Senussi, & Marina Kurikhina

Maria Bukhtoyarova, Alia Al-Senussi, & Marina Kurikhina

Simon Haas, Nikolai Haas, & Djuna Bel

Simon Haas, Nikolai Haas, & Djuna Bel

Francois Uguen, Maria Wettergren, & Anni Kotov

Francois Uguen, Maria Wettergren, & Anni Kotov

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Maria Wettergren & Anni Kotov

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Kimberley Carson & Hofit Golan

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Micol Sabbadini & Remi Barbier

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Vanessa & Rodolphe Hill

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Benjamin Rollins-Caldwell & Charlotte Filbert

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Francois Laffanour

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Silvia Venturini-Fendi & Delfina Delettrez-Fendi

Robbie Antonio, Marc Spiegler, & Shohei Shigematsu

Robbie Antonio, Marc Spiegler, & Shohei Shigematsu

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Craig Robins & Pietro

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Ben Aranda & Pilar Viladas

Philippe Jousse, Pascal Cuisinier, & Florian Liberal

Philippe Jousse, Pascal Cuisinier, & Florian Liberal

Virginie Mouzat, Jacques Lacoste, Caroline Sarkozy, & Frederique Dedet

Virginie Mouzat, Jacques Lacoste, Caroline Sarkozy, & Frederique Dedet

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Cristiana Monfardini & Lorenzo Fiasche

David Vander Stricht, Caroline Van Hoek, & Alexis Ryngaert

David Vander Stricht, Caroline Van Hoek, & Alexis Ryngaert 

Till Weber, Connie Huesser, & Juergen Mayer H

Till Weber, Connie Huesser, & Juergen Mayer H

Thomas Erber’s Curious Curations

by Rachel Small, Interview Magazine

Starting the mid-16th century, sprawling assemblages of exotic objects known as Cabinets of Curiosities were stowed in the homes of European royalty. Divided into animal, vegetable, and mineral items, trinkets came from faraway places for the viewing pleasure of the nobility.

Today’s equivalent might be Daphne Guinness’s wardrobe or real estate mogul Robbie Antonio’s prolific portraits of himself. But with Guinness’s patronage of designers like Alexander McQueen, and Antonio’s commissions of only an elite caliber of artists, much of the prestige and allure is in the label, less so in the products themselves.

It was in reaction to overbearing, omnipresent brands that journalist Thomas Erber developed a new approach to presenting modern luxury. Curating his own contemporary Cabinet of Curiosities, Erber proffers a selection of art, fashion, and design pieces from independent artists and labels based around the globe—in a way, harkening back to the early caches of rare, wondrous objects.

“It’s an old concept, the Cabinet of Curiosities,” says Erber. “Creating a new concept that can mix all these fields, with a level of curation, then it creates a real wave.”

Essentially a pop-up shop, the Cabinet launched at Paris’s Colette boutique in 2010; two more took place at stores in London and Berlin. The fourth staging will be at SoHo’s Avant/Garde Diaries Project Space. Sponsored by the French music and fashion label Maison Kitsuné and featuring nearly 50 brands, the exhibition will showcase a mix of fashion items including a Maison Kitsuné flight jacket and a Nor Autonom head-engulfing hoodie. House of Waris and Bliss Lau contributed jewelry. A series of lucky rabbit’s feet keychains are a collaboration between Maison Kitsuné and Ambush Design. Brooklyn-based kink photographer Natasha Gornik, surrealist painter Nick Deverux, and nightlife maven Andre Saraiva are among the visual artists represented.

Handpicking local participants, Erber looks for a mix of superior quality and unmatched aesthetics. Then each makes a work specifically for the Cabinet. “Every story is a different one,” he explains. “I visit them in their studio, I see how they work. Sometimes I give the idea to the designer, sometimes we discuss an idea, sometimes the designer has his own idea, and I like it and it’s fine. Sometimes it doesn’t work.”

Erber’s experience as a music and fashion journalist reporting for Vogue Hommes, Jalouse, and Optimum, the latter two of which he helped found, gave him the connections he needed to get Cabinet off the ground. “I was a party animal,” he explains. “I created a great network of friendly, creative people all around the world.”

It served him well when he launched the first Cabinet. “In the beginning it was only friends,” he describes. But as prospects flooded in, the newfound curator had to be more selective. “I need to like them, because I want them to stay close to me,” he says. “I need to like the way they do their own thing.”

Yet Erber’s purpose is far beyond personal. “It’s a fight to preserve independence in the fashion business, the creative business,” he says. “If we can help each other, it makes sense.”

Julian Schnabel Retrospective Debuts at New York Auction Week

BY KATE SUTTON, The Hollywood Reporter

One of the highlights of New York’s Auction Week is actually set just over state lines, at the Greenwich, Conn., estate of publishing magnate Peter Brant and Stephanie Seymour. A playground for Jeff Koons’ Puppy (basically a 40-foot-tall, terrier-shaped topiary), the property is also home to the Brant Foundation Art Study Center, a nonprofit that mounts two major exhibitions every year. Building from works in Brant’s collection, recent solo shows have covered Andy WarholUrs Fischer and Nate Lowman.

On Nov. 10, guests like Debbie HarryChristopher WalkenBenicio Del ToroAndre BalazsCalvin KleinWilliam and Maria BellMichael Ovitz and Jane Holzer flocked to Greenwich to celebrate the latest exhibition, a retrospective of Julian Schnabel. The artist and film director emerged as one of the stars of New York’s early 1980s Soho scene, and then went on to direct such acclaimed films as Basquiat (1996), Before Night Falls (2000) and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007). While he’s now attached to Johnny Depp’s film adaptation of Nick Tosches’ In the Hand of Dante, Schnabel has been upping his game in the studio as well. The Brant Foundation survey encompassed everything from the artist’s drawings from the late 1970s to more experimental recent sculpture, as well as a spate of new portraits (with foundation director Allison Brant among the subjects.)

The brilliant blue skies were cause enough to leave the city, though they were quickly swallowed by a storm. “I was wondering how it is that the Brants always get the most glorious weather on these openings. A bit suspicious, really,” tastemaker/curator Clarissa Dalrymple laughed, as partygoers dashed out of the rain and into the elaborate buffet tent on the polo field. Despite the downpour, hostess Seymour stayed radiant, in a snugly fitted, flared Alaia ensemble. “I always wear Alaia,” she purred, prompting Jeffrey Deitch to admire: “And no one else wears it quite like her.”

Schnabel also was cutting quite the figure, having put aside the pajamas in favor of jeans and a blazer. He strolled the grounds with former model, gallerina and recent Playboy cover girl May Andersen, who was pushing a carriage with the latest in the Schnabel dynasty, the couple’s four-month-old son, Shooter Sandhed Julian Schnabel, Jr. (Andersen’s first child, Schnabel’s sixth.) Inside, the artist’s paintings were turning almost as many heads as the new family, with the side-by-side installation of the two, near-identical, 13-foot paintings Large Girl With No Eyes (both 2001), causing more than one passerby to do a double take. The paintings are shown together in a way that not only begs comparison, but also necessitates it. Complementing the wall works were pieces of furniture Schnabel had fashioned, including his own bed and a table he had made for artist Francesco Clemente’s studio.

While the crowd was thick with glitzy fellow collectors (Jean Pigozzi, Argentinean developer Alan Faena and Manila maverick Robbie Antonio among them), artists like Elizabeth PeytonJosh Smith and Alex Israel seemed quite at ease (Peyton even brought her dog along.) Larry Gagosian paused mid-tent to trade some kind words with artists Rob Pruitt and Jonathan Horowitz, whose dealer, Gavin Brown, was jokingly using his infant to cut through the line at the bar at the other side of the tent. As the rain-stranded went back for seconds, dealer Helly Nahmad put in an appearance, though not for long, as his companion, younger brother Joseph, was due back in New York to celebrate an opening of Richard Prince‘s joke paintings at his own fledgling gallery, Nahmad Contemporary. MoMA PS1’s Klaus Biesenbach (who came on the arm of Diana Widmaier-Picasso) also had places to be; that night, the Auction Week crowds would hit the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where Koons would be helping Lady Gaga launch her latest album, ArtPop (which features the artist’s work on its cover). 

Armani partners with Century Properties

By: Marge C. Enriquez, Philippine Daily Inquirer

GIORGIO Armani envisions a highly comfortable, warm, harmonious and sophisticated haven.

This November, intrepid developer Jose E.B. Antonio will try to outdo himself—yet again.

In 1996, he took a major gamble by building his first luxury condominium, Essensa East Forbes, at the then-undeveloped Bonifacio Global City. It was designed by the firm of architecture icon I.M. Pei.

The Asian Crisis had left the property market anxious and cautious, but Antonio’s company, Century Properties, weathered that storm and thrived.

In the past few years, it has collaborated with Versace Home, Donald Trump and Philippe Starck in building residential towers in Manila, and with Forbes Media for its commercial tower. The Antonios even invited celebrity Paris Hilton to design the clubhouse of Azure residences.

For the first half of 2013 (January to June), Century Properties earned P12.1 billion in pre-sales. Its presales target for 2014 is projected at P24 billion.

Where Acqua Iguazu by yoo has the fun and effusive Starck as design guru; Milano Residences has the bold iconography of Versace; and Trump Tower is imbued with the urban aesthetics of the Trump scions, the new tower will acquire the streamlined modernity and earth-tone sensibility of Giorgio Armani.

Flower in bloom

GRAND lobby. The Armani/Casa Interior Design Studio will oversee the selection of allmaterials, colors and finishes involved in the fit-out and design of the built-in or custom-made furnishings, to ensure the uniqueness of the designs. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN

The Italian fashion designer is joining the latest Antonio project called Century Spire through his interior design firm Armani/Casa.

The 60-story Century Spire will be the eighth tower to rise in Century City, an upscale mixed-use development on Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City. Century Spire will have office spaces, Armani/Casa-designed amenities and residential units.

Architect Daniel Libeskind, the creator of Ground Zero, the redevelopment project of the former World Trade Center in New York, has designed a building with a crown composed of three interlocking blocks that open to the sky, resembling a flower in bloom.

The design is said to be evocative of the country’s progress. The local architectural counterpart is Gabriel Formoso and Partners.

At the launch, Century Spire’s average unit price was pegged at P227,000 per square meter. The average unit size is 57.4 sq m. The higher floors will have 200- to 400-sq m penthouses and 200- to 350-sq m duplexes.

CENTURY Spire’s poolside, designed by Armani/Casa, reflects Armani’s signature understated elegance. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN

Armani/Casa will work on the Grand Lobby, Library, Pool area, Juice Bar and relaxation areas.

Signature fixtures

“It will feel like a building in Milan,” said Antonio, who also revealed that when Century Spire is completed in 2018, Century Properties will move its headquarters there.

Prospective buyers can get ideas on how to decorate their condo when they visit the model units in February 2014. Armani/Casa will furnish these mock-ups with its signature fixtures such as the bathroom line, Armani/Roca, and the kitchen line, Armani Dada.

The Armani/Casa Interior Design Studio is reputed for its comprehensive interior design services that include adapting to the culture, the geography and the architectural milieu of its projects.

CENTURY Spire’s crown has three interlocking segments designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN

Antonio says the deal with Armani was brokered by his son Jose Roberto—Robbie to friends—who handles the company’s branding. A dedicated collector, Robbie met Armani in the international art circles.

Giorgio Armani, president and chief executive officer of the Armani Group, said in a statement: “If the architect’s aim is to create remarkable spaces, then it is my aim to bring these to life through my interior-design aesthetic. I am very pleased to be partnering Armani/Casa with Century Properties, and I believe that the combination of Daniel Libeskind’s vision and my own will result in a truly remarkable place to live, full of elegance and wonder.”

Antonio has received accolades for his achievements, the latest of which is Personality of the Year by the Southeast Asia Property Awards. A self-made billionaire, he started out by marketing building projects. His first development was the 12-story Le Grand Condominium in Salcedo Village.

“It was 28 years of hard work,” he said.

Leveling up

Century Properties leveled up its strategy by venturing into international projects, starting with the I.M. Pei-designed Essensa East Forbes. The 13-year-old building looks better through time because of the travertine finishes.

“It’s the same marble that built the Colosseum in Rome,” said Antonio proudly.

ANTONIO against the silhouette of Century City. Century Properties has transformed 744,576 sqm of space into premier residential and office developments in and outside Metro Manila. PHOTO BY ANDREW TADALAN

Essensa is the only residential tower in the country that hosts 17 units occupied by a foreign embassy. Known for its generous cuts, Essensa’s average unit size is 290 sq m, which costs P50 million.

“The price has more than doubled because of its quality,” noted Antonio.

“We want to convey the message that Century Properties is about quality. Behind those brands is a specification of what a building should be. You can’t build a Trump Tower and have a glass of 1 mm. We have to follow their specifications manual. So when you buy a unit from our branded building, you are assured that what you are getting is of world-class standards,” he added.

While the government seeks foreign direct investments (FDI) through corporate investments or sovereign funds, Antonio said retail offers the biggest potential. “People buy units that cost $200,000 to $1 million. If you compile those, the sum is big. But it is not recorded as FDI.”

Last year, Century Properties raked in P21.4 billion in pre-sales. Only 26 percent of its buyers are based in the Philippines, while 74 percent are based overseas—foreigners, OFWs and Filipino expats.

Late participant

Antonio said the Philippines is a late participant in the luxury condominium industry. However, local developers are having a field day with brisk sales. High-end condos in Metro Manila are still 85-percent cheaper than luxury condos in other Asian countries.

Century Properties’ luxury projects comprise 24 percent of its pre-sales revenues. The buyers consist of entrepreneurs and empty nesters who either invest in quality or for status.

“The fact that the property is branded enhances its asset value after five to 10 years. If you’ve got a brand, you can sell it and people will buy,” said Antonio.

For instance, Milano’s unit price has appreciated by 33 percent since its launch in 2010, while 97 percent of the units have been sold. Trump Tower’s unit price grew 63 percent in two years, and 92 percent of its units have been taken. Acqua Iguazu by yoo (inspired by Starck) is 71 percent sold, and its unit price grew by 16 percent in a year.

Antonio, whose net worth is $255 million as of July 2013, is No. 35 in the Forbes List of wealthiest men in the Philippines.

Asked why he’s still spearheading Century Spire when he can just relax instead, the businessman replied: “I’m not handling this. There is a team. I’m just your friend.”

 

Getty Station Unveils François-Xavier Lalanne’s Sheep Station Exhibition

by Haute Living

This week the Michael Shvo and Paul Kasmin Gallery presented the opening preview and reception for François-Xavier Lalanne’s Sheep Station, the inaugural exhibition of Getty Station in West Chelsea. On Monday, September 16, top names from the worlds of art and design celebrated the work of the late artist with an outdoor event amidst the sheep sculptures and rolling grass hills constructed in the former filling station. Guests enjoyed cocktails and barbeque by Chef Daniel Boulud.

Kara Finnerty, Paul Kasmin, Clive Gillinson, Seren Shvo, Michael Shvo
Kara Finnerty, Paul Kasmin, Clive Gillinson, Seren Shvo, Michael Shvo

Sheep Station will showcase 25 of Lalanne’s iconic epoxy stone and bronze ‘Moutons,’ and mark the largest collection to ever be shown publicly in an outdoor presentation. The exhibition will be on view through October 20, 2013, with daily opening hours for the public.

Bethanie Brady, Ted Loos, Dan Tanzilli

Guests included Claude Lalanne, Michael & Seren Shvo, Paul Kasmin, First Deputy Mayor Patti Harris & Mark Lebow, Robbie Antonio, Corice Arman, Alexandre Chemla, Barbara Cirkva, Isabella & Theodor Dalenson, Paula de la Cruz, Todd Eberle, Stacy Engman, Richard Flood, Caio Fonseca, Walton Ford, Gerald Forster, Casey Fremont Crowe, Clive Gillinson, Tim Goossens, Wes Gordon, Brandon Haw, Jane Holzer, Deborah Kass, Pierre Lagrange, Dorothee Lalanne, Marie Lalanne, Peter Marino, Paul Mathieu, Sophie Matisse, Stavros Merjos, Richard Mishaan, Emberly Modine, Gigi & Averell Mortimer, James Nares, Richard Pandiscio, Holly Peterson, Randy Polumbo, Josh Rechnitz, Will Ryman, Peter Speliopoulos, Carlos Souza, Liz Swig, Rory Tahari, Eve Therond, and Diana Widmaier-Picasso, among others.

27 closets worth raiding

by Philstar Global

In 1922, a team of British explorers cracked the secret entrance to King Tutankhamun’s tomb, unearthing, in no particular order: a gold throne, gilt chariots, jars of perfume, overflowing baskets filled with gemstones and jewelry, a fleet of miniature ships (to lead him to the promised land in the afterlife), and numerous relics from childhood.

Todays royals or celebs, as tabloid mags anoint them would probably settle for their walk-in closets, thousand-dollar construction marvels with floor to ceiling racks and temperature-controlled sealed cabinets, as their burial site, with a personal assistant curled humbly at their feet, an iPhone glued solidly to her manicured hands. Instead of hieroglyphs, OOTD images paper the walls. Loubs and Blahniks, their jewels. It bags, their mementos.

Pyramids, after all, are so last millennia.

In The Bling Ring, the Sofia Coppola flick chronicling the felonious pursuits of a group of enterprising teens bent on robbing celebs, the closet of Paris Hilton is the modern day shrine” complete with stripper pole, lights and sofa pillows embossed with her likeness.

We tasked todays tastemakers to choose a closet worth raiding. Who has a closet worth a potential felony record? Read on and find out.

Ryan Gosling closet! Not because he is super hot and I wanna smell and feel him from his clothes; because I love wearing menswear. And he’s got that perfect style I like. Hoping to take home some of his stuff after the closet raid as my souvenir

Jessica Yang, model

I’d love to raid the closet of Gwen Stefani. She’s the ultimate cool chick in my book. She has two personas: rocker babe and now high fashion sophisticate

Michelline Syjuco,

artist

Angelina Jolie because she melds glamorous classic and rock ˜n roll.

—Rocio Olbes, designer

Nick Wooster. I consider him a fashion icon. I would love to see his shoe collection and what other unique styling elements he has hidden in his closet.

Roy Macam, photographer

“I would like to raid the closet of the Olsen twins because two is better than one. From the fur, the vintage gowns, the beat-up Birkins and their to-die-for estate jewelry collection, I want it all!

Janina Dizon, jewelry designer

I’d love to raid Vince Uy’s closet! I saw his walk-in closet the other week and I wanted to steal everything! His shoe collection is amazing!

BJ Pascual, photographer

Erin Wasson’s. I wanna count how many boots and hats she owns. I actually also wanna raid her home… Ha-ha!

Valerie delos Santos, model

Tilda Swinton’s and Stella Tennant’s. These two are my ultimate style icons. Androgynous, minimal forever.

Jo Ann Bitagcol, photographer

I wanna raid Eugene Tong’s closet, he’s the style director of Details magazine. Because I can relate to his personal style, mixing street wear and high-end pieces. Also maybe Pat’s, my partner in Proudrace, so I can get all my clothes back.

Rik Rasos, Proudrace designer

Chris Evans closet is one I would like to raid because I love him. I want to smell his scent on the clothes. I want to take a lot of his shirts home because I am pretty sure it will fit me. I would probably wear his boxers every night. I can style his button-down shirts to make it look more feminine when I wear them to work. Eventually, when he starts looking for his things and finds me wearing them, we just might end up walking down the aisle. I am very confident this will happen.

Candy Dizon, jewelry designer

If I were his size Tom Ford. He is perfection

Sidney Yap, stylist

I would love to raid the closet of Iris Apfel in the 60s. I have a high tolerance for mothball smell.

Joyce Makitalo, designer

I would like to raid Park Soo Joo’s closet. Because she has this unique style of dressing: playful, weird but still genuine. I want to steal all her clothes! I hope it fits me. Ha-ha!

Chat Almarvez, Ford model

Nigo/Tomoaki Nagao, founder and former creative director, BAPE. First, I will go to his closet, then on the way out, I will head on to his Warhol artworks and vintage tin can toys!

Ryan Vergara, photographer/Everywhere We Shoot

The Vogue closet. Just because it’s bound to have the newest, hottest and latest in the fashion world.

—Pauline Juan, Preview EIC

I have many but my topmost is Anna dello Russo’s wild collection of luxury from her hats, jewelry to shoes. I can live in her closet and be happy doing inventory.

—Lucille Dizon, jewelry designer

Lauren Santo Domingo. Love the way she dresses. It’ a good balance between edgy, cool and easy.

TC Alvarez, designer

I would love to raid the closet of Daphne Guinness. She’s not just a fashion icon, she is a curator.

—Meryll Yan, Mega publisher

I would love to raid the closet of Queen Raina of Jordan. I think she is so beautiful and her style is impeccable. Each time I see a photograph of her, I am intrigued and inspired.

Rajo Laurel, designer

Victoria Beckham! I love her style and I love her husband even more! Ha-ha!

Jessica Tan Gan, designer

Whose closet would I raid? If only to see what he has stashed from his travels, I would very much love to break down the wall of Eman Pineda’s closet. Or maybe Robbie Antonio’s, his collection of shoes, watches, portraits and all.

Dennis Lustico, designer

Alonso Mateo;s closet. That kid has amassed so many clothes, shoes and sunnies, it’s mind-boggling. The clincher? He’s only five years old!

Agoo Bengzon, Preview beauty editor

Anna Wintour. I want to see all the types of clothes she owned, the shoes and accessories. Her style is totally her own, is relevant then and especially now.

Ruby Gan, retailer

Definitely Tony Stark’s closet! Who wouldn’t want to have several versions of the Iron-Man armor? That would rock!

Val Weigmann, model

I really want to raid the shoe cabinet of Janina Dizon. I love her clothes too but my midsection is not at all suitable for peek-a-boos. I admire her taste and style sensibilities.

Patrice Ramos Diaz, designer

I’d like to raid Celine Lopez’s closet and steal only one piece of clothing: her Madame Gres gown!

Maureen Disini, designer

I’d like to raid my sister Liz’s closet. Not just so I can have some of my clothes back but because she has a lot of oversized pieces (and bags) that I can use and never, ever return. Plus it makes me feel happy thinking m still thin enough to be able to fit into her pieces

Vince Uy, Preview creative director

MUSEUM OF ME

by Michelle Parsons

For several years, real estate mogul Robbie Antonio has been working on his DREAM project.  He has spent countless number of hours examining great works of art and studying architecture design to such a degree that his interest and enthusiasm borders on fanaticism.  Aptly named “Obsession”, one part of the project will be an art gallery filled with 35 portraits of Robbie himself.  At a cost as high as $250,000 per painting, the walls will be lined with works by internationally known contemporary artists such as David Salle, Kenny Scharf, and Julian Schnabel.  Now referred to as the “Museum of Me” by the public and media, this gallery will only be ONE room of a 25,000 square foot home that is currently under construction in the Philippines, being designed by world famous Dutch architect and urbanist Rem Koolhaas.  Built in an exclusive neighborhood of Manila and at an estimated cost of $15 Million, the home (called the “Stealth” by Robbie) will be a series of boxes stacked together in an irregular pattern with a rooftop pool and waterfall.  

When word of Antonio’s dream project got out, it would be an understatement to say social media lit up.  This is exactly the type of story the public loves to comment on, and almost everyone (but me) seems to have a strong opinion about.  Words such as egomaniac, narcissist, elitist, vain and selfish were used the most often.  Some went so far as to say he is not in touch with reality or part of society, and that he was born with a “silver spoon in his mouth”.  He was also attacked for his business partnerships and friendships with Paris Hilton, LaToya Jackson and Donald Trump.  Some even suggested that he probably avoids paying his taxes and compared him to Imelda Marcus, the former First Lady of the Philippines who allegedly owned 3,000 pairs of shoes.  A small minority, however, defended his right to spend his money anyway he wanted while an even smaller group just described him as simply a “patron of the arts”. 

What interested ME the most about the public’s reaction was that not one of the comments I read was written by anyone who actually knew Robbie.  Yet practically everyone wrote with such certainty, and most were ready to convict him based on the limited facts that were presented.  This made me think of ALL the times I have also jumped to such a  quick conclusion about another, how easy it was for me to “label” someone that I had never met or hardly knew.   I know we are all guilty of this, but what bothers me is that so many people these days are so steadfast in their opinions that it’s impossible for them to be neutral or objective…. and almost no one is capable of giving anyone else the “benefit of a doubt”.  

Although I know next to nothing about Robbie Antonio other than what I reported above, and have no desire to defend him personally, why do we assume that someone who pays $20M+ on his house and art work does not also CONTRIBUTE to society just as much as anyone else?   Why do we judge someone based on the home they live in, the clothes they wear, the cars they drive or the number of charities they support?  In a capitalistic society where there will always be inequities in wealth, what should matter most is NOT how people spend their money but how they treat others.  How many times have we heard of a wealthy person who writes a big check to some charity to impress others (or get rid of guilt) and then goes home and kicks their dog or beats their wife and children?  Whatever good energy was created by his donation has just been cancelled out by how he treated his family.  Is this the type of person we want to applaud and support?  The amount of money someone has (or how they choose to spend it) will never tell the whole story of who they really are behind closed doors.  

Very few of us are capable of being a Mother Teresa, and I personally don’t want to live in a world where everyone was.  We are all here in this world on SEPARATE paths working on different things.  I don’t know what Robbie Antonio is working on in this life, or what his joys or struggles are.  I don’t know if he is a good guy or not.  I just think he should have the freedom and choice to contribute to society in his own way.  If there is a Judgment Day when we are done with this life, I believe that acts of kindness will be given greater weight than dollars contributed.