The Luxe Dispatch: Norquain in the PH, Sosei, Anton Huang in BoF 500
LuxuryLuxuryA lifestyle defined by exceptional quality, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and sophistication, encompassing the finest products, services, and experiences that represent the highest standards of refinement and excellence.Go to Luxury Glossary never stands still: this week, Norqain made its Philippine debut at The Watch House BGC, showcasing a blend of Swiss-born adventure and precision. In hospitality, Sonu and Eva Shivdasani unveiled Sosei—wellness-led, design-forward, and sustainability-minded—and keeps us guessing about what barefoot luxury means in this century, almost three decades after they pioneered the experience.
And in fashion, Anthony “Anton” Tantoco Huang, SSI Group president and CEO, joined The Business of Fashion’s 2025 BoF 500, highlighting Philippine leadership on the global stage.
Norqain Enters the Market
Norqain’s recent launch at the Watch House in Bonifacio Global City marks a significant milestone for the family-owned brand. As one of the newer players in Swiss horology, Norqain offers this side of Asia’s most discerning collectors an intimate look at its blend of craftsmanship, innovation, and adventurous confidence.
The spotlight was on two striking pieces that define Norqain’s modern Swiss DNA. One of which was the playful yet impeccably refined Freedom 60 Chrono Ice Cream “Enjoy Life” Special Edition. Interesting here is the creamy, pastel-toned dial inspired by vintage ice cream parlors, balancing whimsy and sophistication in a stainless-steel chronograph case.
Equally captivating, too, is Wild ONE, a feat of engineering and aesthetics. Made from the brand’s proprietary NORTEQ carbon fiber composite, the ultra-light and shock-resistant case reveals a meticulously skeletonized movement through a beautiful sapphire crystal, offering both durability and visual intrigue.
Limited in production and rich in character, pieces like Norqain’s Wild One, Freedom, and Independence are fast becoming collector favorites worldwide.
Norquain is available at The Watch House, BGC Central Square.
Anton Huang Named To Business of Fashion’s 500 Class of 2025
Anthony “Anton” Tantoco Huang, president and CEO of SSI Group, is named to the Business of Fashion’s 500 Class of 2025 in the Executives category, which also include Pascale Lepoivre, Chief Executive of Loewe, and Patrice Louvet, President and Chief Executive of Ralph Lauren.
The list draws from 528 peer nominations and is evaluated on leadership, creativity, innovation, and impact across eight categories; the community now spans 1,613 members in 98 nations, serving as an index of people shaping global fashion. Read more about it in Robb Report Philippines’ article.
Sonu and Eva Shivdasani Reveal Plans For New Brand, Sosei
Sonu and Eva Shivdasani—the duo behind Six Senses and Soneva’s “barefoot luxuryLuxuryA lifestyle defined by exceptional quality, craftsmanship, exclusivity, and sophistication, encompassing the finest products, services, and experiences that represent the highest standards of refinement and excellence.Go to Luxury Glossary”—are back with a new hospitality brand: Sosei. Revealed in an exclusive interview with Travel and Leisure Asia, the project signals a fresh chapter after the couple sold a majority stake in Soneva earlier this year.
Expect the Sosei playbook to blend wellness, regenerative sustainability, and meticulous design—familiar Shivdasani signatures—across both remote escapes and select city addresses. Early scouting includes Japan, fitting for a name that means “rebirth,” the Arctic Circle, as well as mountain estates in Europe, and hints at Japanese hospitality and wellness woven into the DNA.
If Six Senses set the template and Soneva refined it, Sosei looks poised to test it in new geographies and contexts, from mountains to megacities without losing the sense of place that made their earlier properties cult favorites. Consider it luxury’s next revolution, authored by two of the category’s most influential hoteliers.