Coffee With Noubikko: A Life Shaped by Fashion, Entrepreneurship and Cities Across Continents

Prague, Czech Republic – July 4, 2026  — Entrepreneur and media personality Noubikko looks back on a life lived across continents in the first installment of “Coffee With Noubikko,” a personal interview series exploring the people, places and experiences that shaped his journey.

Set against the quiet atmosphere of a café, the conversation moves from the fashion world of San Francisco to Seattle and Vancouver, and eventually to the rhythm of Prague, where an unplanned visit became the beginning of an entirely new life.

For Noubikko, the story is not about professional titles.

“I am not as young as you are, so the answer depends on which decade of my life you are asking about,” he says when asked how he describes what he does.

At different times, his work has included fashion, restaurants, real estate, media, community projects and business ventures that often began without a formal plan.

“The older I become, the less interested I am in titles,” Noubikko says. “People are more interesting than professions. Stories are more meaningful than achievements. And a sincere conversation is often more memorable than any formal presentation.”

San Francisco Was More Than Fashion

When people hear about Noubikko’s years in San Francisco in the late 80’s, they often imagine fashion shows, designers, models and glamorous events.

But the fashion shows are not what he misses most.

“What I miss are the people,” he says.

The shows brought people together, but the most meaningful moments often happened before and after the events.

Conversations began with clothing and design, then moved into relationships, ambitions, disappointments and everyday life.

“The fashion shows were an excuse for everyone to come together,” he says. “The true magic happened over coffee, over dinner and during conversations.”

Looking back, he describes San Francisco not only as a fashion city, but as a friendship city.

Among the people he remembers is the late Filipino designer Ito Curata, who attended several of Noubikko’s fashion shows.

“Ito Curata was not only a respected designer,” he says. “He was Ito. He was a friend.”

Ernesto Villaruel and dear friends such as Saysay Torillo, Nardo and Edna. Whenever Noubikko returned to San Francisco, Villaruel’s apartment was often one of his first stops.

“There were no appointments and no formalities,” he recalls. “Coffee somehow appeared. Stories appeared. And the hours disappeared.”

He also remembers people connected with the broader creative community,  Jessica McClintock, Halston and members of the Esprit circle.

“At the time, they were not legends,” he says. “They were simply people trying to create something.”

When the City Changed

San Francisco’s creative energy was eventually shadowed by profound loss.

The AIDS epidemic in the 90’s  took the lives of many people who had helped define the city’s fashion, arts and social communities.

“The city remained beautiful, but it felt different,” he says. “The familiar faces became fewer. The conversations became quieter.”

Noubikko does not remember making one dramatic decision to leave San Francisco.

Instead, he gradually understood that a chapter of his life had ended.

“The difficult part about loving a city is accepting that it will not remain the way you remember it,” he says. “People leave. People retire. People move on. And sometimes, they leave permanently.”

Seattle Taught Him to Slow Down

After San Francisco, Seattle offered a different kind of life.

The pace was slower, and the frequent rain encouraged people to spend more time indoors. For Noubikko, that created space to think, listen and observe.

In Seattle, he met fashion model Giulliano Russelli. Together, they established Moda Fashion Magazine and further developed the Noubikko brand.

But Seattle’s greatest contribution may have been the opportunity to slow down.

“People often believe that success comes from constantly moving and constantly doing something,”  “But sometimes, success comes from sitting still long enough to understand what has already happened.”

Vancouver offered a similar sense of calm and reflection. “Life does not always have to be dramatic. Sometimes, it is enough simply to breathe.”

Finding Prague After 26 Years in America

In 2001, Noubikko’s best friend, Saysay, while on holiday called him, come and see this place.  You can believe what Im seeing. So I went and saw Charles bridge and the Prague Castle.  I remember “The first words that came out of my mouth were, ‘Oh my God, I’m home,’” he says.

After living in the United States for 26 years, including four years in Seattle, Noubikko decided to move to the Czech capital.

There was no grand relocation strategy.

“I simply left,” he says. “People like to imagine that life unfolds according to a carefully prepared plan. Mine rarely did.”

Prague was very different at the time.

The Czech Republic had not yet joined the European Union, and the Filipino community was still extremely small. Noubikko recalls that there were only about 36 Filipinos living in the country.

“If a Filipino arrived in Prague, practically everyone in the Filipino community knew about it,” he says.

Prague had not yet become the major international destination it is today.

“Prague felt like a secret,” he says. “And I have always been fascinated by secrets.”

Becoming a Restaurateur by Accident

Fashion was not part of Noubikko’s original plan when he moved to Prague.

“In 2001, fashion still seemed to belong to cities such as Paris and Milan,” he says. “Prague looked different to me. It looked like an opportunity.”

So he bought a restaurant.

Then he bought another.

And eventually, another.

He would find older establishments, renovate them, improve their appearance, operate them and later sell them.

“Looking back, I probably spent several years accidentally becoming a restaurateur,” he says.

The ventures were not initially based on a complicated business formula.

“I was simply responding to opportunities as they appeared,” he explains. “Sometimes, people give complicated names to things that began with very simple decisions.”

Before Short-Term Rentals Became Popular

Noubikko also recognized the business potential of furnished apartments.

Long before short-term rental platforms became widely known, he was purchasing apartments, furnishing them and renting them to visitors who wanted to experience Prague as residents.

“Nobody called it a startup,” he says. “Nobody called it disruption. Nobody called it innovation. It was simply common sense.”

The apartment business helped him establish himself in a new country.

“Sometimes, innovation is simply noticing what people need before everyone else gives it a name,” he says.

When Fashion Returned

Although Noubikko believed he had moved away from fashion, the industry eventually found its way back into his life.

“The funny thing about life is that when you try to run away from something, the right path often finds you even faster,” he says. “I thought fashion was no longer my priority. Apparently, fashion disagreed.”

He soon became involved with Miss Czech Republic, reconnecting him with the fashion and pageant industries.

One of his restaurants also became a gathering place for models, photographers, actors, artists, filmmakers and young creative personalities. The restaurant was located near Prague’s well-known film academy.

“At the time, I thought I had simply purchased a restaurant,” he says. “What I had actually purchased was a front-row seat to the future.”

Many of the people who visited were only beginning their careers.

“Some of them would eventually become well known,” he says. “But back then, they were simply young people chasing their dreams.”

When Philippine Television Came Calling

News of Noubikko’s life in Europe eventually reached the Philippines.

The television program Pinoy Meets World contacted him and featured his experiences abroad.

“I was not trying to become famous,” he says. “I was simply living my life—meeting people, building businesses and creating friendships.”

Noubikko never considered his story extraordinary. He believed he was merely following opportunities and allowing curiosity to guide him.

“Apparently,” he says with a smile, “curiosity makes good television.”

A Life Measured in People

Looking back, Noubikko says that age changes the way people count the important moments of their lives.

“You stop counting events,” he says. “You start counting people.”

For him, the lasting value of San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Prague is found not only in the businesses he created or the industries he entered, but in the friendships and conversations that remained with him.

“History has a habit of turning ordinary friendships into extraordinary memories,” he says.

His story continues to be guided by the same principle that carried him from one city and opportunity to another: remain curious, notice the people around you and never underestimate the value of a sincere conversation.

“Fashion introduced me to people. Curiosity taught me how to appreciate them.”

— Noubikko