Tina Maristela Ocampo Turns the Tables

Still the talk of chic town is the beautiful, unique tablescape during the Metropolitan Museum's tribute to Pitoy Moreno held at the BGC recently.

- MILLET M. MANANQUIL

It was a very non-traditional setting that could only have been conceived by someone who truly thinks out of the box.

That tablescape artist is Tina Maristela-Ocampo, whose fearless creativity as a fashion model, retail maven and lifestyle tastemaker is well known—rather, legendary.

The table did not have the very predictable flowers and candles. Tina requested Kai chef Gilbert Pangilinan to use only transparent plates and glasses, so as not to block the visibility of the only centerpiece—the long table runner made of paper carrying fashion sketches culled from Pitoy's sketchpads and archives.

The result? Guests perusing the details on the runner in between bites of the food, which was so delicious and beautifully presented as well. (Think of crab meat with roe in the shell, on top of a seemingly sculptured rectangular ice plate embedded with tiny leaves.)