Thursday, March 22, 2007

Libertine for Target

Next on the spotlight for Target's Go International line will be Cindy Greene and Johnson Hartig, the designers behind the label Libertine.

If you're not familiar with the above duo's work, let these pictures from their S/S '06 collection do the talking!












My verdict? A little bit of punk, a dose of pop art and a sprinkling of vintage goes a long long way!

(Photos courtesy of style.com)

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

2007 Philippine Blog Awards

Guess what! Look who made it as finalist under the Fashion & Lifestyle Category of the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards:

Beautynomics.Com
Bryanboy: Le Superstar Fabuleux
GIBBS CADIZ
Manila Fashion Observer (YAY! THIS IS ME!)
Nostalgia Manila

Jeez, I know I nominated myself (hahaha) but I swear I made it to the Top 5 without force or coercion on my part! Thanks for this PBA guys!

Saturday, March 17, 2007

JG4B

That stands for Jasper Goodall 4 Bikini. But its actually a collaboration between leading graphic artist Jasper Goodall and designer Louise Middleton to create this range of super-luxe swimwear.

According to Louise, "The JG4B collection is totally unique...It's couture swimwear, and produced to a very high standard, which is really important to me. I want people to see women wearing JG4B and say, 'she looks like a Pirelli girl - she looks so damn hot', and they do."




Actually, its not about looking hot that gets to me, but the prints that remind me of my Lisa Frank days! Hahaha! Think about it though, who wants to look like all the other girls in their summery florals, cutesy pastels or nautical striped swimwear?

"Melt"
"Voodoo"
"Bubblegum"
"Love Bug"
"Into the Blue"

Somebody ought to bring this haute/hot UK label here to add variety to our usual summer fare!

(Photos courtesy of jg4b.com)

Come Out and Play!

With the city crowd raring to hit the sun and surf given the summer heat, I thought it wise to present you with a fun and very "now" beach cover up - THE PLAYSUIT!

Topshop Bandeau Jersey Playsuit
Topshop Jersey Playsuit
Cupidon playsuit by Ba&sh

Actually, I found the best summer playsuit right here in Manila! Its a really fun blue and gray halter neck playsuit from Grab, and its available at Chocolate Clothing. Its made of a velour-ish bordering on terry cloth-ish type of material but it will look great worn over a bikini I promise! Its about Php2,000 and it just looks so playful and sexy! Now if only I had spare cash lying around, then that would have been MINE! But priorities (i.e. savings) come first!!!

Now if you want to look more sophisticated, then tunics will rule your world!



But if "Glam" is your middle name, then go for these long fluid dresses that Uli Herzner presented for the season finale of Project Runway 3. This girl just knows how to DO resort wear!



(Photos courtesy of topshop.com, my-wardrobe.com, instyleswimwear.com, newsday.com)

Friday, March 16, 2007

Smashbox O-Glow

Eat your heart out Ponds! Smashbox has something new that might just make you blush in shame.

The product, called Smashbox O-Glow, is guaranteed to give every girl a rosy flush! You heard that right. Every girl, from the darkest damsel to the fairest, whitest princess can now have that charming blushing schoolgirl look all day every day. Its practically like love at first sight. The folks at Smashbox think of it as "instant chemistry as your complexion is transformed from so-so to oh-so-glowing!"



What makes this product different from the other blushes in the market today is that this is the "first intuitive blush". It comes in a clear gel, but it "reacts with your personal skin chemistry to turn cheeks the exact color you blush, naturally in just seconds!" And like I said earlier, its not only possible for those with rosy white skin, because "O-GLOW works on every skin tone, from the lightest to the darkest, to give everyone a naturally gorgeous glow."

Before you think its just another hype, there's a science behind this. According to the Smashbox website, "When applied, your skin's moisture activates the energizing Goji Berry-C Complex™. It creates a microcirculatory effect, producing a rosy flush that lasts all day. This revolutionary silicone-based clear gel works on every skin tone and is microcirculating and skin energizing to keep cheeks naturally flushed for hours. O-GLOW's unique Goji Berry-C Complex™ formula is full of antioxidants like vitamin C, pomegranate seed oil and marine plankton for added healthy-skin benefits."

If this tagline won't hook you enough, I don't know what else will - "The completely natural looking, preservative and fragrance-free formula glides on smoothly for a healthy, glowing blush that's you, only prettier". Who doesn't want to be prettier for just $26.00? That's what I call Hope in a Tube!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Elie Doesn't Do Daywear

Elie Saab, the Lebanon born designer, is best known for dressing the likes of Beyonce and Halle Berry for their red carpet specials. After all, he's the master when it comes to making hot stuff for these sizzling sirens!

For A/W '07-'08, Elie shows again that he doesn't do daywear. Because his strength is in dressing the "Ladies of the Night".








"My First Prada"

So you love Prada. You've always wanted to have one of 'em gorgeous goodies. But no matter how much you scrimp and save, they just remain so darn elusive. But well, maybe not anymore. Because you can start aiming for something that should well be within anyone's reach. The Prada Shielding Balm SPF 15/Lip/Tint. It comes in tiny tubes, which contain softening shea butter and SPF 15, as well as the perfect amount of pigment, all in a thumb-sized, easy-to-apply package.
This environmentally protective and healing sheer moisturizing lip balm provides innovative treatment. Miuccia Prada, a trailblazer as always, wouldn't have it any other way:
· Prevents and/or treats chapping, dryness, irritation
· Helps keep lips moisturized, soft and soothed
· Provides soft, sheer color enhancement
· UVA/UVB sun protection
· Contains antioxidant Vitamin E and panthenol
· Leaves lips looking plump with a buffed finish




And Prada won't be Prada without the amazing colors. You can actually choose among seven tints:
• Tint 01, dewy pale beige.
• Tint 02, velvety nude rose.
• Tint 03, lustrous soft peach.
• Tint 04, buffed clear berry.
• Tint 05, creamy chocolate.
• Tint 06, soft red.
• Tint 07, pale pink.






Prada Shielding Balm SPF 15, $38 for a box of eight .05-ounce tubes (that just comes out to $4.75 or about Php230 a tube tax exclusive). Available at Saks Fifth Avenue stores, (212) 753-4000, and the Ritz-Carlton, (800) 241-3333.

(Photos courtesy of style.com and neimanmarcus.com)

Friday, March 09, 2007

Wanna See Kate's Designs for Topshop?


Here's the breaking news from vogue.co.uk:

It's the one we've all been waiting for...Kate Moss has unveiled (and modelled), her first ever fashion line - for TopShop - and you can see it in the new issue of Vogue, available to buy from Monday, along with a long-awaited interview with the model who has cleverly avoided being quoted anywhere since early in her career (see the high street shopping advice she shared with Vogue in 1996, below). "I'd talked to lots of people in the business about designing my own thing," says Kate. "Everyone said I should do something but I didn't want to be a designer designer and have to do shows and all of it." But don't think that means she wasn't involved completely in the creation of this soon-to-be-the-biggest-of-them-all brand. "You only have to watch her pick up the items and appraise them to see that not only has she been intimately involved, but that she is very good at this," says editor Alexandra Shulman who conducted the interview and the shoot. "Every outfit she pulls on looks sexy and cool - the poppy-print chiffon minidress, the tie-back tuxedo-waistcoat evening dress, the striped busboy jacket with tiny matching shorts, even the flared satin glam-rock trousers." As well as looking as good as anybody could in her designs (though we'll all be doing our best to emulate her), Kate tells the story of her collaboration with Philip Green (involving helicopter rides and the closure of the Oxford Circus TopShop flagship), describes life with her daughter Lila (involving a meeting with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie), and Pete Doherty - and gives a glimpse of how life is as one of the most rabidly photographed women on the planet. "There are degrees of privacy," she says. "If I'm taking Lila to school, that's not OK. Once I was walking down from The Mercer in New York down the street (because otherwise I don't walk anywhere) and this woman paparazzo who was following me fell over a fire hydrant and her whole tooth went through her lip. I leant over her saying, 'Are you all right?' and she was still taking pictures. I was, 'You know what? You are sick in the head.' And she was really surprised that I had stopped. Like she thought I was going to leave her bleeding?" Buy Vogue, £3.70, from Monday. (March 9 2007, AM)

As for the Topshop folks, they say we can all "Look forward to the most perfect jersey, gorgeous jeans and even a few cocktail dresses. Quintessential Kate." I'm palpitating in excitement!!! The collection is due to launch on May 1st. In the meantime, you can also subscribe to Topshop Style Notes and video podcasts to keep you updated on the developments!

(Photo courtesy of topshop.com)

Thursday, March 08, 2007

The Eccentric Aunt and the Young Sophisticate

John Galliano, no doubt, has a thing for theatrics. The imagery, the artistry - its a feast for the senses! The fashion editors and buyers who trooped to Paris to see his collection certainly were entertained!

And I can imagine a crazy, eccentric rich aunt sort of character clapping her hands in delight upon seeing these looks. I also can't help but be reminded somehow of Ms. Hannigan (from the movie Annie) don't you think?


But if you look past the theatrics, the clothes are stars all on their own. Despite the garish make-up and the costume-y hair, here are very pretty dresses that are surpisingly wearable, any Park Avenue Princess worth her "title" will find something "nice" for all those parties she just has to attend!



Even this dress, that might look at home in a bordello, is very dainty and charming if you just put a proper slip underneath

As for the genius who designed all these, Mr. Galliano cuts quite a rakish figure (pun intended) don't you think?

(Photos courtesy of style.com)

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Miu Miu meets Hermes and Other Thought Bubbles

Hermes, the Greek god with winged feet, instantly came into mind when I saw this shoe

Quite interesting huh? I didn't like it at first because I liked this one

But why go for a standard spectator pump? The same way why go for a standard cardigan when you can get this charmingly crazy cardigan/leotard which I seriously freakingly like?

Although I cannot for the life of me imagine wearing it on its own. Maybe with a full skirt or wide leg pants? Anyway, one can always cover it up with a proper coat right? Hahaha!

(Photos courtesy of style.com)

Hulog ng SK-Y

I am the luckiest girl in the world! Not only am I marrying the love of my life, I have the sweetest in-laws to boot!

Uncle arrived yesterday from Vancouver for his month-long vacation. Lorr and I picked him up from the airport last night. When he was finally settled in the car, and after ranting about the uncomfortable plane ride, he said that he was supposed to get me S-K-Y at the Hongkong airport, but didn't know which product I needed. He tried calling me but his cellphone wasn't working there.

I got buzzed there for a minute. Then he said he also couldn't find the product that Auntie wanted. Awww, then I realized he meant to get me SK-II...

Its the thought that counts Uncle Henry! A million thanks!!!

For My Anonymous Reader from Singapore

I was writing a reply to a reader's comment/query and I found myself unable to stop writing. I figured I better make it a post instead!

Here's to you and your envy-worthy shopping adventures my dear Anonymous reader from Singapore!!!
___________________________________________________________

Hi Anon! You officially made me palpitate with excitement! Jimmy Choos on sale! Waahh! I think I'm going to go crazy there! One word - Jealous. You really make me jealous!!!

I'm happy you find value in all my musings! About your question, I always like going to the following locations for local designer stuff that I swear are quality goods. This might just be the kind that will still be worth something over the years:

1. Atelier Debbie Co
2nd floor Jupiter Place
136 Jupiter Street, Makati

Debbie Co's clothes are classy and sophisticated. But she can definitely do fun and quirky just as well! I really love this girl! Because she is petite herself, she knows what is best for similarly framed girls like me. She just gets it you know. Sometimes I go to her with no concrete idea in mind, if not a thousand and one ideas swirling around all at the same time. And I always end up leaving with the perfect dress!!! Not to mention, her construction is faultless. My sister Nicole had her senior's ball dress made by her for their ball this weekend and Nic is one happy girl! Considering that the first fitting got her really worried because it didn't come out as she envisioned. She explained to Debbie how she wanted her dress to be and come next fitting, VOILA! It was PERFECT!!!

The shop carries a ready-to-wear line as well, and she does alterations no prob! But if you see something that you like off the rack, and it doesn't come in your size, you can have it tailor made just for you! Apart from her own stuff, local designer products abound in her atelier -- from clothes (Crise de Nerfs by Mel Orlina plus some other labels), to shoes, bags and accessories (such as the D! jewelry line)!

TIP: Do try on the ready-to-wear items hanging on the racks. They always always always look better when worn! I sometimes see girls pick out an item I would have glossed over, but once they fit it, it really looks fab! I swear I wish I picked it out myself!

2. Souk Gallery
The Ramp
Crossings Department Store
Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Ortigas Center



This is designer Richie Ortega's store. She carries both local and imported labels. While the stuff for sale are ready-to-wear, she makes tailored dresses and gowns as well. Very reasonably priced too! My future sister-in-law Leslie had her prom dress made by Richie and it was really well-constructed! She also happens to make exquisitely beaded items that are so fab, they are stocked at Lane Crawford and Harrods under the label "When I was Five".

(Photo from anton.blogs.com)

3. Ishq Boutique
Ground Floor Astoria Plaza
Escriva Drive, Ortigas Center

Candy Reyes and Yael Buencamino started as bag designers way before bag designing became the "in" thing to do. I knew Candy's sister Krie from work, and I remember going to Bel-Air just to check out their new bags upon her prodding. But really, it didn't take a lot of convincing because we would seek them out even after they moved to a little shop in Makati Avenue. Ishq finally found a home in Astoria Plaza, and evolved into a boutique that carried the works of local clothing and accessories designers (both up-and-coming and established!), side by side their one-of-a-kind bags.

Along with Richie Ortega of Souk, I believe they are the pioneers of "off-mall retailing". What is admirable is that they supported local designers by providing them a venue to display their wares -- when this concept was still unheard of. After these girls got a lot of press, a lot of young retailers got inspired and you can see a proliferation of quaint little boutiques popping up in the metropolis.

TIP: There's a store right by Ishq called TONIC that carries shirts by Team Manila.

4. MiaBella (SOON TO OPEN THIS MARCH!)
Serendra, The Fort
Taguig City

Eileen Co (we call her Chico) and her friend started out with bags (Cole Vintage) as well, but have branched out to clothes and shoes that they themselves design. If you want laid back, easy breezy feminine pieces, their clothes are just that! They used to consign their stuff in boutiques across the country, sold on-line, and participated in bazaars, but Chico is opening a store in Serendra this March called MiaBella. I have yet to see the items they'll have in stock, but I'm sure Chico would have done well with the merchandising!

Now, I have never dared venture out of my local designer comfort zone as I really tend to stick to Debbie Co, my personal favorite. But do check out these stores/locations I have heard of that carry items made by local designers:

Dona Consolacion Building
122 Jupiter Street, Makati City

This building houses several boutiques (Nullah, Tilka, AB Fit Jeans, etc.) carrying both local and imported goodies.

Store for All Seasons
Conservatory Building
605 Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City

If you like funky, edgy pieces, this is the go-to store! They stock shirts, clothes and accessories made by local streetwear designers. I hear they've got witty shirts with graphics like "I say chuk chak, You say chenes" or something like that. Fun, humorous stuff I'd think. I'd like to check out this store sometime soon actually!

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Yoga-tta Get These!

I am officially hooked on Bikram Yoga. I love the feeling of sweating out on my clothes till no inch is left dry. I love the feeling of my heart thumping until it feels like its going to explode. I love stretching out and feeling the pain of exertion. I love the feeling of anticipation when I can eventually stretch beyond my limits. I even love being nauseaous and pukey, stopping to take deep breaths, and jumping back in. I love the feeling of the cool breeze lightly touching my skin when the windows are finally opened while I am in my corpse pose. I love stepping out of the studio and not feeling tired after an intense 1.5 hour session.

Is it weird when you feel excited about going to yoga class days before? Is is strange when you check out Nike, Puma, Adidas (love the new S/S '07 Stella McCartney Yoga line btw) and the lululemon website for nice yoga outfits (investing in yoga clothes is a commitment to take this seriously!)? Is it crazy when you feel like Bikram Yoga is working for you even if you've only done it twice so far? I could have sworn my legs are slimmer and my friend Carissa swears her eyes are clearer!!!

Anyway, sorry for my bitchfest yesterday. I want to treat you today with something meditative, something that connects mind, body and spirit, something that can calm all our frayed nerves: YOGA CLOTHES and ACCESSORIES!!!

From Lululemon:
This particular mat is special because its made out of 100% cotton to provide an anti-slip, super absorbant surface for all hot yoga types. According to the website, this is an "Excellent choice for Bikram yoga, yogis that sweat, or yogis looking for an alternative to conventional plastic mats." It can be used by itself, or placed over a regular yoga mat "to obtain a soft absorbent yoga surface".



From Nuala by Christy Turlington for Puma:
Knit-dancer wrap-around

Nartan Shoe

The Khaci Boot in brown...

and black! (Not for Philippine weather btw!)


Yoga bag from Orla Kiely - love the vintage print!!!


Outfits from Stella's new Yoga line for Adidas!


And I've seen plenty of great stuff from Nike! Just check out the site because its all in flash! Btw, heard there's a Nike Sale in SM Megamall this coming weekend! From 50%-70%! You might be able to score some great finds there!

(Photos courtesy of lululemon.com, puma.com, zappos.com, orlakiely.com)
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