Daily TribuneAn annual charity fund-raising event started by Bea Zobel Jr. 10 years ago, it has since grown as more designers have joined it through the years, many of them making their designs available locally only during the holiday season.
Today, Saturday, and tomorrow, high society and discriminating gift-givers go shopping at the Designers' Holiday Bazaar (DHB to its clientele) at the activity center of Glorietta 2 in Ayala Center, Makati City.
An annual charity fund-raising event started by Bea Zobel Jr. 10 years ago, DHB has since grown as more designers have joined it through the years, many of them making their designs available locally only during the holiday season. The rest of the year, they focus on the international market. Hence, this is one shopping happening that members of Manila's social set look forward to.
According to Sofia Elizalde, her sister Bea "got together with a group of wonderful designers, such as Bea Roxas, Karen Santos and Maricris Brias, to put together a designers' holiday bazaar. Bea wanted it to be a fundraiser to help scholars that she was giving free education to.
"She invited me to join a few years ago as she loved that I was also giving free education to my dance scholars through The Steps Scholarship Foundation," Sofia shared.
Sofia was beaming with pride in the recent opening of DHB when Steps students presented a Christmas showcase to the delight of the mesmerized crowd. Children who were with their parents cheerily had their pictures taken, indeed proving that Christmas is for children and the childlike.
As the sisters Bea and Sofia have since been at the forefront of this most-awaited meeting of the best and most creative Filipino designers, it's no wonder that for its duration, one bumps into old friends, the cream of society, and since people had for the longest time not left their homes, nothing was more inviting than shopping at the Designers' Holiday Bazaar.
So, there, if you want truly beautiful and unique gift items, be sure to go early to the HBD where shopping indeed is not just a source of joy, but also of fun times with dear old friends and family. Not only will you help deserving ballet students of Sofia's Steps Dance studio, you will also contribute to the development of the Philippine creative industry, as your patronage of our very own speaks eloquently of our respect and admiration for Filipino artistry and ingenuity.
Again, salute to Bea and Sofia, and to everyone, have a merry Christmas shopping time at the Designers' Holiday Bazaar.
