Suzuki breaks ground on new Davao del Sur dealership

SUZUKI PHILIPPINES will add to its network of dealerships as it broke ground on the site of a new facility soon to rise on General Douglas MacArthur Highway, Talomo, Davao City in Davao del Sur.

Suzuki Auto Matina is Autocentrale Group’s sixth dealership, and will be built on a 3,000-sq.m. parcel of land. The facility will feature a showroom accommodating up to seven vehicles, and eight work bays to enable efficient and high-capacity servicing. The new dealership is expected to answer the rising market demand in the Davao region, and provide the community in the area with quality Suzuki service.

A virtual groundbreaking ceremony was led by Cebu Autocentrale Corp. President Brian Chua, Managing Director Deborah Chua, and Suzuki Philippines Vice-President and General Manager for Automobiles Keiichi Suzuki. “We in Suzuki Philippines are optimistic that the new Suzuki Auto Matina will attain its goals in the many years to come, and will definitely strengthen our presence with our growing market in Davao. This new dealership solidifies the team’s commitment to provide quality service and offer only the best of Suzuki’s top-notch products,” said Mr. Suzuki.

Suzuki Auto Matina is expected to open early next year. Currently, Cebu Autocentrale Corp. operates five dealerships: Suzuki Auto North Cebu, Suzuki Auto SM City Cebu, Suzuki Auto Mactan, Suzuki Auto SM Consolacion, and Suzuki Auto Cagayan de Oro. For more information, visit http://suzuki.com. ph/auto, like SuzukiAutoPH on Twitter, and follow on @suzukiautoph on Instagram.

NEW YORK — From models strutting inside an empty museum to designers absenting themselves from the catwalk calendar, this season’s virtual fashion weeks have been re-styled with a new look many expect will endure when traditional runway shows resume.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions forced New York, London, Milan, and Paris fashion weeks to go virtual in the past year, with brands rethinking how to keep the buzz of catwalk shows online. While many are optimistic of a return to the events usually attended by buyers, editors, and celebrities, digital presentations — which have opened up fashion week to a wider audience — are likely to stay on.

“Digital first is absolutely something that we will continue to see,” British Fashion Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush told Reuters.

While streaming shows is nothing new, the pandemic has accelerated a shift in an industry that in recent years turned to social media to target younger spenders.

Some labels, including Gucci and Tommy Hilfiger, sat out fashion week this season. Versace is presenting its collection after its usual showcase, Milan Fashion Week, ends.

“We will see physical runway shows from these very large brands who can afford to put on multimillion dollar entertainment events. But they may not be during the traditional fashion week and they may have audiences that are primarily made up of customers,” Lauren Sherman, chief correspondent for The Business of Fashion, said. “There’s been a real shift in the balance of power that was already happening... But now there’s proof of concept that if you want to ignore fashion week, it’s probably not going to hurt your bottom line.”

Foregoing the usual expensive catwalk events, most brands streamed pre-recorded videos on a fashion week platform. On show this season were plenty of bright colors to lift moods in an industry that saw stores, factories, and studios shut in the pandemic.

“A large part of fashion week outside of the shows was the community getting... together and feed(ing) off of that creativity and so, with that lacking, it’s not the same,” designer Rebecca Minkoff, one of the few to hold a live presentation in New York, said.

“But for those who are able to be creative and innovative, now is the time to figure out how you pivot and for those that do, I think there is great opportunity.” —