A Purveyor of Trends and a Maverick in Business: CEO Awards Honoree Jappy Gonzalez

H&F Retail Concepts, Inc. Founder and Managing Director Mark “Jappy” Gonzalez is one of the 21 honorees at the CEO Awards 2025.
Jappy Gonzalez, Founder and Managing Partner at H & F Retail Concepts Inc., is a key figure in redefining the landscape for luxury retail in the country. He introduced retail shops of Commes de Garcons, Y3, Lanvin, Balenciaga, and Off-White to the Philippine market on top of curating a fine selection of luxury goods in his stores Homme et Femme and Univers.
The Business Manual honors him in the CEO Awards 2025, a celebration of visionary leaders who are reshaping business landscapes by pushing boundaries and setting new standards of success.
A Curated Approach to Retail
In a space where hype and trends often take center stage, Gonzalez opts for a highly selective approach, carefully curating the brands and pieces carried by stores like Homme et Femme and Univers. Leaning toward the avante-garde and the most innovative and cutting-edge luxury labels such as Maison Margiela and Dries Van Noten, Gonzalez has cultivated a sense of exclusivity and sophistication that resonates with his discerning clientele.
Gonzalez has an innate understanding of what excites his clients. The brands he brings into the Philippine market often challenge conventions and celebrate creativity, resonating deeply with his target audience. He is aware that this particular market segment does not simply want products. These customers crave experiences, stories, and authenticity. This insight is reflected in the personalized service, store design and layout, and exclusive collaborations Gonzalez’s shops offer.
Building a Demand for Luxury in an Emerging Market
Filipinos were still developing their appetite for high-end fashion when Gonzalez entered the luxury retail space with the first Homme et Femme store in 1995. Rather than capitalizing on mainstream luxury brands, Gonzalez chose to introduce globally respected yet unconventional names, educating the market in the process.
Gonzalez had no desire to cater to fleeting trends. Instead, he wanted to establish a lasting appreciation for understated luxury. He positioned Homme et Femme as a destination for fashion connoisseurs, not just shoppers. By cultivating an aspirational yet accessible image, he helped foster a growing community of Filipinos who value fashion and luxury as an expression of individuality.
Long-Term Vision
Instead of merely focusing on immediate sales, Gonzalez poured his energy into building a sustainable and enduring business. Luxury retail is as much about relationships as it is about products, and Gonzalez acknowledges this. Through maintaining close ties with his brand partners and establishing loyalty and trust among his clients, Gonzalez laid the groundwork for a long-term business.
As the Philippine luxury market moves on to new heights, Jappy Gonzalez’s journey stands as a benchmark for success. His strategic foresight, talent for innovation, and deep understanding of his market have enabled him to successfully operate and deliver a lasting impact on the luxury retail sector. His qualities and market leadership make him a deserving recipient of the CEO Awards 2025.
The Business Manual CEO Awards 2025: Honoring Industry Disruptors
The Business Manual is proud to hold its second The Business Manual CEO Awards. With the theme “Honoring Industry Disruptors,” this year’s The CEO Awards honors visionary leaders who are reshaping business landscapes, pushing boundaries, challenging the norm, and setting new standards of success.
Criteria for Excellence
This year’s awardees have been selected from a pool of nominations that include business leaders from both startups and industry giants. Each nomination has been carefully assessed in order to determine if the nominee exhibits the following qualifications in order to be considered for the award:
Innovation, Adaptability, and Disruptive Leadership
- Measures the CEO’s ability to drive innovation, adapt to market changes, and lead the company like industry disruptors who challenge norms and leave a lasting impact.
Effective Management and Strategic Governance
- Assesses the candidate’s business achievements. This includes how the CEO steers the company toward revenue growth and how he or she scales the business (both locally and internationally).
Brand Influence and Recognition in their Industry
- Considers how the CEO has built the credibility and reputation of the company. It gauges how known and recognizable the company is and whether it has attained brand awareness within a wide range of audiences.
Personal Image and Credibility
- Evaluates the CEO’s reputation and how well he or she is perceived by business partners, employees, stakeholders, and consumers. This also includes how he or she applies ethics as a leader, as well as how his or her image contributes to both brand and company representation.
Contribution to Society
- Determines how a CEO has effectively led his or her company and its overall contribution—not just to its respective industry, but to society as a whole. This includes how he or she has implemented corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs or social causes, attained local and/or international recognition, partnered with government initiatives, or exerted efforts for the country.
For this year, The Business Manual’s esteemed panel of judges include:
- Eric Pike Caeg (International Council for Small Business)
- Jay Fajardo (Ideaspace Ventures)
- Mina Akram (Go Negosyo)
- Rhoda Castro-Caliwara (Women Business Council)
- Ronn Astillas (Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce)
- Consul Sergio Ortiz Luis (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Stay updated with the full coverage of The Business Manual CEO Awards 2025 via The Business Manual’s official website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.