Building and curating a massive style portfolio

Before the proliferation of malls in Manila, most Filipinos would shop in downtown areas where shops faced the streets. Back then, Escolta was the place for shopping. They could buy almost anything and everything here. Then, there was Avenida (Rizal Avenue), which grew in prominence after the former had lost its retail novelty.

Back then, one of the popular stores in downtown Manila was Rustan’s, a general merchandise store founded by Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco and his wife Glecy. The couple would sell goods and trinkets they collected from their travels, displaying them in their living room in San Marcelino. Eventually, the small shop evolved into the full-fledged department store we know today.