Media Coverage

The Antonio family celebrity connections

Developer Jose Antonio, No. 25 on our list of the Philippines’ 40 Richest, is bringing glitz to Manila’s skyline by teaming up with celebrities and superstar designers, and his children are playing a big part in forging those ties. Antonio’s son Robbie spent five years in New York after grad school developing a condo project and making contacts that spurred Century’s expansion in the Manila luxury market. Here’s how he connected with each:

Antonio met Richard Hilton through a friend in New York who introduced him to his daughter Paris Hilton, and she agreed to design the Paris Beach Club at the Azure Urban Resort Residences.

He was introduced to Ivanka Trump to discuss a business deal in New York; then she had him meet her father, Donald Trump, and a partnership was formed for Century to build Trump Tower Manila.

Robbie Antonio met with Versace Home to discuss a deal in South America that later fell victim to the global financial crisis. When he approached the firm again, it agreed to take on the interior design of Milano Residences.

He “knew someone who knew” people at MissoniHome and persuaded the Italian firm to design the common areas at Acqua Livingstone Tower for its first condominium project.

Antonio lined up I.M. Pei and Pei Partnership Architects to design the Centurion in Manhattan. Pei had designed Century’s first luxury building in 1997; he was a friend of Jose Antonio.

Met the chairman of Yoo Design Studio, a partner of French designer Philippe Starck, leading Century to enlist him to design the common areas of its New Manila Tower.

Source: Forbes | June 20, 2012

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