Working together for a sustainable tomorrow

The Philippine office of the United Nations marked the 71st anniversary of the UN recently with an exhibit on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The celebration had a day-long event held at the SM Mall of Asia.

The event, a joint partnership of the UN, the Department of Foreign Affairs and SM, showcased the progress the UN has made in the past 71 years through an exhibit on its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The exhibit, titled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” was launched at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium to create more awareness about the 17 SDG.

Eleven life-size standees of personalities promoting each of the Sustainable Development Goals highlighted the event. These included CNN Hero 2009 Efren Peñaflorida (to end poverty); actress and national ambassador against hunger of the United Nations’ World Food Programme KC Concepcion (to end hunger and achieve food security); public school teacher Sabrina Ongkiko (for quality education); musician Noel Cabangon (for gender equality); actress Anne Curtis (for clean water and sanitation); environmental activist Yeb Sano (for promoting affordable and clean energy); TV host Daphne Oseña-Paez (for reducing inequality); host Paolo Abrera (for responsible consumption and production); celebrity Dingdong Dantes (for climate action); singer Gary Valenciano (for peace, justice  and strong institutions); and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon (for advocating the partnerships for the goals).

The United Nations’ 71st anniversary festivities were celebrated later during the day at the SM Mall of Asia’s Music Hall. UN resident coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country representative Ola Almgren and Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. led the symbolic football kick-off with Aly Borromeo, Phil Younghusband and James Younghusband as guests.

Birth of a Legend

A historical fashion event recently took place at the launch of Yves Saint Laurent: A Birth of a Legend photo exhibit at SM Aura Premier in Taguig City.

A joint partnership among the Embassy of France in the Philippines, Alliance Française de Manille and SM, the exhibit was brought to the country all the way from France to be part of its tour in Asia at SM Aura Premier and later at SM Megamall.

French Ambassador Thierry Mathou and his wife Cecile and Alliance Française de Manille executive director Patrick Deyvant led the embassy officials who graced the occasion.

Guests were welcomed by SM SVP for marketing communications Millie Dizon and SM Aura Premier AVP for operations Bernice Baculi.

The exhibit showcased 49 original photographs by Pierre Boulat about the creative work, anxiety and happiness of Saint Laurent during the preparation for his first collection in 1962. In 1961, Yves Saint Laurent was preparing to launch his fashion house with his partner Pierre Bergé. He was called “the new fashion genius” by the fashion editor of Life magazine Sally Kirkland after the last collection of Dior where Saint Laurent worked during his early years.

Yves Saint Laurent (or YSL and later Saint Laurent Paris) is a luxury French fashion brand founded in 1961. It is well known for iconic and modern masterpieces like tuxedos and suits for women. Saint Laurent also became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with a solo exhibition in 1983. 

French photographer and journalist Pierre Boulat has been one of the few photographers of Yves Saint Laurent since his debut at Dior. He opened a fashion studio in 1948 and worked freelance for magazines Look, Life and Time. He participated in the realization of the catalog for the exhibition of Yves Saint Laurent in the Metropolitan Museum of New York City. *

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)