THE SUNDAY DRILL
At 32, Patrick Cuna is 15 years too young for what he does at the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), for which he has been designated acting global director for retail development and strategy at the headquarters in Paris. But he was born to do the stuff he does at the French multinational holding company specializing in luxury goods.
When he was 10, he and I were in Hong Kong together, taking a walk through the Landmark in Central, during which he would point at the names of the stores and ask me how to pronounce them—“That’s right, loo-ee vuh-taan… No, it’s zhee-vaan-shee, Yes, yes, the w is pronounced as v, so it’s low-eh-ve.”
At 10, or even when he was younger, he would be a kid in a candy store, except that the candy story was usually the lobby of a five-star hotel or, well, a luxury mall like Landmark. By the time he was in college, he was interested in fashion and I would send him out to cover fashion shows.
It was inevitable that he would intern at Louis Vuitton here in the Philippines, in which he did so well he was hired on the spot beyond the internship. Later, he moved to Paris to take up higher studies in luxury management and marketing and so ended up working for LVMH, where he now travels up to seven times a month for work, usually around Continental Europe.
But it’s Sunday. Let’s not talk about work, so what does Patrick do when the day, meant for rest, is slow and easy? Listen in on our conversation.
What is your idea of a perfect Sunday?
My idea of a perfect Sunday here in Paris is going for a run along the Seine, then a rose latte at Café Nuances, followed by brunch at Hotel Brach, and finally an afternoon stroll in the Marais. I also love to paint, so Sunday gives me a lot of time to indulge that side of me. Otherwise, I love hosting friends in the apartment and my favorite part of it is doing the tablescapes.
Best word to describe Sunday
No word captures the Sunday vibe more than tranquille.
Book you recommend as a Sunday read
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari would be a great read on a Sunday. It’s about what it really means to be human based on the author’s investigations of the past, his observations on the present, and his explorations or imaginings of the future. It was first released in Hebrew.
Best Sunday companion
I love spending Sundays with Kenzo, our Shiba Inu. If I could, I would have loved to spend my Sunday with Ludwig II of Bavaria.
What is the most extravagant thing you could think of having or doing on a Sunday?
If I could, I’d take a jet to London, have afternoon tea at the Savoy, and head back to Paris before dusk on a Sunday.
What would be the perfect topic for Sunday brunch conversation?
There is no perfect topic for Sunday brunch. Just pure gossip is enough.
Best movie or series that once made your Sunday
The Devil Wears Prada, always.
A quotable quote about Sunday that's made for you
“I shall see,” said Louis XIV.
What does “wear your Sunday Best” mean to you?
Two words, Loro Piana.
If you were to write a book about the Sundays of your life, what would be the title?
Fully Booked.
Best Sunday ever in your memory
Two best Sundays in my memory—First, playing mahjong with my late paternal grandmother Pacita; second, sewing with my late maternal grandmother Nunilon. Watching my uncle Rachy (Cuna) create floral installations in our ancestral house in Manila is also a great memory.
Worst Sunday in your life
The worst Sunday in my life was getting stuck in an airport due to multiple flight cancellations.
If Sunday were a flavor, what would this flavor be?
If Sunday were a flavor, it would be Cherry Garcia for me, the first ice cream ever named after a rock legend, Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. I would also always associate my Sunday with dim sum.
Where in the world would you like to be next Sunday, if you could just go there by magic?
I would take a flight to Mauritius and get some good sun.