Multimedia Editor
Pola Esguerra del Monte
It is absolutely tempting to spend a Saturday afternoon sprawled in bed, with social media as your only connection to the outside world. But retail giant SM believes that you need to wake up, get up, dress up, make up, and troop to their mall, because not only can your trade your disposable income with some rewarding retail therapy, now you’ll even get a chance to meet the season five winner of Asia’s Next Top Model.
Because SM is taking its tagline seriously, the Maureen Wroblewitz is all for you next Saturday, July 22, 2PM, at the 3/F Concourse of SM Makati. As the event is a meet‑and‑greet, she will accommodate requests for selfies.
The Filipino‑German 19‑year‑old made news prior to her win because of her experience with bullying, which she obviously turned around by being the competition’s first Filipina winner. This isn’t the first time she showed inspiring bravery. After she was discovered on Instagram when she was only 15, she “took a leap of faith,” her AsNTM profile reads, “moving from Germany to the Philippines to pursue a bona fide modeling career.”
This opportunity comes in the midst of a highly competitive retail landscape. Colliers International Philippines’ Research and Forecast Report for first quarter 2017 indicates that luxury fashion outlets in district and neighborhood malls have permanently closed, and fast‑fashion and food retail store are taking up space. Colliers advised developers to “gear toward a more lifestyle‑oriented tenant mix,” and future‑proof their businesses by “cashing in on the increasing popularity of online shopping.”
For consumers, especially young adults who follow the hit television series, seeing Ms. Wroblewitz in person is a good excuse to step out of the house and return to the mall. Maybe it’s also a chance for people to look up from the screen and see the real world outside social media.
Maybe a 19‑year‑old who got discovered on Instagram and worked to turn her dreams into reality can also turn around your Saturday, or your life altogether.
