Anne Curtis celebrates Christmas with Anko

ACTRESS Anne Curtis discussed collecting Christmas ornaments — and one special one in particular — as she brought a little bit of holiday cheer to Anko TriNoma, which was celebrating Christmas early with an event on Oct. 10.

Before greeting media guests and Anko Club members, Ms. Curtis led teachers Ferlina Villanueva and Kristian Valenzuela around the store to pick up their winnings (a P10,000 shopping spree) from a contest. Ms. Villanueva, nominated for the shopping spree contest by Mr. Valenzuela, has an annual outreach program with her fellow teachers to bring food, toiletries, and health essentials to a home for the aged.

On a more personal note, Ms. Curtis — the Fil-Aussie actress is Anko’s official Philippine endorser — told the media in a short press conference about her holiday preferences and wishes.

She talked about decor: “Our house is very neutral. When we celebrate, we like to have pops of red, pink, and a little bit of green.

“I like to collect Christmas decorations,” she said, adding that she collected espresso cups and Christmas ornaments from around the world. “I wrap them individually because they’re made of glass,” she said about storing decor after the holidays.

However, there’s one special ornament that always appears at home: one for her daughter. “When it was Dahlia’s first Christmas, we had a special Christmas decor just for her that had the year ‘2020’ [written] on it. It’s just a reminder every year during Christmas of that special moment we had with her.”

Ms. Curtis also talked about gifts and themes she’d like to have. While shooting in Australia for Anko, she spotted their candy cane decor: “I feel like that’s probably something that I will be adding to my tree.” She also mentioned the store’s candy cane pillows: “I think it’s great to put on your sofa.”

As for other gifts she’d like from the store, she said, “There’s a silk pillow that’s pink and red. It’s great for the hair, and you have that feeling in your room that it’s really that Christmas feeling.” She also pointed to the store’s collection of snow globes: “It does something about your inner child when you see that snow globe.”

Christmas dinner with her husband, James Beard awardee Erwan Heussaff, is a favorite tradition. “Noche Buena with Erwan is always the best. If we don’t finish everything, we have it for Christmas morning. It’s a lot of really, really good food, a mix of Filipino, and sometimes, a little bit of French.”

Her holiday non-negotiable, which also doubles as her Christmas wish? “That’s time with my family. No work.

“Unless meron kang (you have an) entry for the Metro Manila Film Festival,” she said of the yearly film fest which falls in the week between Christmas and New Year.

ANKO NEARS ANNIVERSARY
On matters of business, Rachel Turner, country manager of Anko Philippines, told BusinessWorld reasons they have to celebrate beyond the holidays.

Anko, which is Kmart Australia’s in-house home and lifestyle brand, arrived in the Philippines in November last year, through a joint venture with Ayala Corp.’s Ayala Malls. The brand currently has three stores: in Glorietta, TriNoma, and Alabang Town Center.

“Our stores have shown that accessibility and convenience matter deeply, which is why our upcoming locations at Ayala Malls Manila Bay and Ayala Malls Feliz will let us reach even more families in the south and east,” she said in a text message to BusinessWorld.

“This first year has taught us so much about the Filipino customer and the importance of being where families naturally spend time together,” she said. — JL Garcia