Trying Hard Copycat

This is the print that I scored in my favorite fabric store! I can't wait to see how this will look as a nice full skirt or a dress maybe? Let's see!


Its not exactly the same as Patrick Robinson's but its pretty close in terms of "look" and "feel" right?




(Photos courtesy of target.com pressroom)

A Preview of Kate Moss Topshop

According to the Topshop site, the line is available beginning May 1 and customers can only buy 1 of each style and can buy no more than 5 items at a time.

But Vogue UK has the juicier scoop! Here it is in all its glory!

"ALREADY counting down to the launch of Kate Moss' debut collection for TopShop on May 1? We don't mean to throw a spanner in the works, but you'd better clear your diary for April 30 too: the flagship store on Oxford Street is holding a special launch event. The store will close early, at 5.30pm, for two-and-a-half hours of feverish preparation before unveiling a new window at 8pm - and opening its doors on Ms Moss' hotly anticipated collection for the first time. Every 150 people in the queue will be issued with a different coloured wristband, which will entitle their colour group to shop in the Kate Moss section for 20 minutes (though the kind security people realise you will require extra time to drag your haul through the tills). Purchases are limited to five pieces per person, but you will get a shopping guide and goody bag thrown in. The store anticipates being open until midnight - then there's time for a quick few hours' beauty sleep before it re-opens at 7am for the madness to start all over again. Hurrah! Don't fancy fending off the crowds? The collection will also be available at www.topshop.com from around 6am on May 1."

The Kate Moss Topshop Collection will be exclusively available in the US through Barneys New York starting on May 9. The
relevant question is, with all the hype, will they make it available for Kate Moss fans and Topshop habitues here???

UPDATE! The answer is YES!!! According to the EIC of StealThatLook.com, Jovi Cadorna of Topshop Philippines has confirmed that the Kate Moss Topshop collection will be coming to our shores. They will advise us when they have a definite date. So stay tuned! We'll keep you posted!!!

(Photos courtesy of topshop.com)

MiaBella at Serendra Piazza

MiaBella in Italian, means "My Beautiful". And when you go inside this brightly lit boutique in Serendra, you'll see that their items are beautiful indeed!

According to Chico and Loraine, the style savvy girls behind MiaBella, "We wanted a name that would capture the spirit of our collection. We aim to exude the woman in our clients. MiaBella brings its customers back to a time when anything and everything about a woman’s femininity is celebrated."


The girls are no strangers to fashion retailing, as they are also the brains behind the Cole Vintage line. MiaBella however, "...projects a more sophisticated look to provide clothes and accessories for the stylish woman’s needs."

They came up with the concept because, "We believe that there is a market of girls who are tired of having to rely on buying imported merchandise if they want something fashionable that is of good quality. We wanted to create globally competitive products that are manufactured locally."

If you are curious to see what's in store, check out MiaBella’s unique designs below! They have silk dresses, chiffon tops, and jersey wraps - some of the boutique’s classic pieces, that can be worn any time of day!

A sophisticated wrap dress by MiaBella PhP2,250.
A feminine yet laid-back look with a chiffon top by MiaBella PhP1,790 and shorts by Cole Vintage PhP495.
Eye-popping Sophie yellow polka dot dress with belt by Cole Vintage PhP1,790. Red faux snakeskin bag by MiaBella PhP1,790.

Chico guarantees, "Women constantly on the go will love our products! Our merchandise can be worn from day to night just by changing one's accessories so they're quite functional. We only make a few pieces of each design so we're sure that our clients won't see everyone else wearing what they bought. The best thing is everything in our store is affordable so our clients don't have to shell out that much money to look great."

And affordable it is! The girls say they have products that would suit every budget! True enough, note these price points:

Shoes are from PhP790 to PhP1390.
Bags from PhP530 to PhP1790.
Clothes from PhP495 to PhP3500.
Swimsuits from PhP1550 to PhP3500.
Accessories from PhP650 to PhP5000.

Not bad huh? For these...

SHOES...
St. Martin Cork Metallic Wedge by Cole Vintage, PhP995.
Nile silver faux snakeskin flats by Cole Vintage PhP790.
If you're not into metallics, it comes in in red, black and brown too!
Aruba Wedges by Cole Vintage PhP1,390. Yves black faux croc bag by Cole Vintage PhP990.

BAGS...
Seymour clutch with faux python trim and chain strap PhP990.
Gil faux python handbag with wooden handle by Cole Vintage PhP930.
Finn taffeta clutch by Cole Vintage PhP840.
Enzo bronze wicker clutch by Cole Vintage PhP1,190.
Damon bag with ring by Cole Vintage PhP1,290. Gil bag with wooden handle bronze and silver (in the middle) by Cole Vintage PhP930.

...and ACCESSORIES!
Earrings and bangles by D! PhP750 to PhP1,450. Here's a close-up...
Earrings by D! range from PhP650 to PhP950. These are really sparkly and pretty up close! The dainty cameo earrings (on the lower left side) are a must-buy! You can also choose from a variety of hoop earrings in various sizes, perfect for a night out in Dragon-i ;-)

For the beach-y girls (Heehee! I couldn't resist the pun!), you'll love their selection of bikinis, maillots, tunics and maxi cover-ups! Local beach wear brands such as Waicoco and Minx have exclusive designs available only in MiaBella!

These colorful bandeau bikinis with gold stripes by Waicoco PhP1,650 reminds me of Kate Spade's paper bags (but in a good way!), and comes in two colors:



And if you're into glam or want to look like a glamazon in a flash, you'll love these because these look great with a tan and chunky gold hoops and bangles!

Maillot by Minx PhP3,199.
Diana Chiffon top by Cole Vintage PhP1,350 worn as a cover-up.
Beach gown by Minx PhP3,499. (A maxi summer dress! I'm telling you! This is a winner!)

If you want to channel Sienna, you can do so with a dose of local flavor, wearing this floppy buri hat!Crew floppy hat by Cole Vintage PhP890. This can actually be rolled-up so it won't take up so much space in your beach bag and you don't have to worry about crushed hats and all that! Genius huh?!

So when you want to buy Filipino, go to MiaBella! Most of the products in the store are locally made. Only the accessories of D! from Japan, dresses from My Little Dress from Korea (which was only sold in Multiply before!) and jeans of BE from Hong Kong are imported.

MiaBella is at the 2nd Floor of Serendra at Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City Taguig. Store hours are:
1pm to 10pm Sunday to Thursday
1pm to 11pm Friday and Saturday

Cole Vintage products are also available at the following stores:
Mimi in Shangri-la and Rockwell
Crossings in Shangri-la and Trinoma (soon!)
What a Girl Wants in Ayala Center Cebu
Spruce in Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de Oro

For queries, you may call the store at 9013040, send an email to chico@colevintage.com and loraine@colevintage.com or visit colevintage.multiply.com for news and updates...

And when you happen to be in Serendra for lunch or dinner and such, don't just take a quick peek at MiaBella, immerse yourself in all the pretty things they have offer! I thought my friend Alisa was going to leave the store empty-handed (she never usually does) but on our way out, she spotted the Waicoco bikinis and that's what she'll be wearing while sunning in Boracay this summer! ;-)

A Meeting of Friends and Solemates

My grad school roommates/lifelong friends and I made plans to meet for dinner yesterday at Serendra Piazza. We haven't seen each other in months and it was time for a little get-together, minus one though since she's slaving it out on the sugarcane fields of Bacolod! (Hehehe! We miss you Rai!) We swear we didn't plan this, but this goes to show that we are more than friends! We are solemates!



(Alisa's brocade ballet pumps, Conci's fiery red French Soles, Tintin's black suede low-cut French Sole babies - check out the toe cleavage! Hahaha!)

NOTE: I made a side trip and checked out the newly opened MiaBella at the 2nd floor of the Serendra Piazza. They've got lots of drool worthy goodies at pocket friendly prices! Watch out for my feature on this must-visit store! Great job Chico and Loraine! =)

Legally Blond The Musical

Theater lovers and all those tricked* into law school by the movie Legally Blonde (Teehee! I know someone! And I'm sure there's plenty more out there!) will have a field day with:


This is of course based on the Amanda Brown novel and the 2001 film of the same name. It began previews at Broadway's Palace Theater April 3. Laura Bell Bundy (of Hairspray fame), stars in the production.


If you happen to be in the East Coast anytime soon, the show officially opens April 29, 2007. For more information visit www.legallyblondethemusical.com.

____________________________________________________________
*It was too late for them to realize that a lawyer will never be taken seriously while wearing a hot pink outfit, say in a Rizal or Muntinlupa court room...

Surfer Girls

The great thing about having 3 sisters and a brother is that there's never a dearth for reading material in our house.

So look at what I came across this time! My sister Trina's Surfer Girls magazine!


I don't understand a thing because its in Japanese! But the pictures and clothes are quite fun to look at!





Reminds me of my college days back in the 90s (Jeez, I am old!), when my friend Krissa and I dressed up like surfer girls in Roxy and Billabong shirts, surf shorts and jackets, and Reef and Old Navy flip flops! We stuck Quiksilver and Roxy stickers on our cars' back windshields too! Talk about posers! Hahaha! But those were fun and silly times, when we were young and life was carefree!

Back to work on Monday! Have a great week ahead y'all! =)

Patrick Robinson for Target and a Eureka Moment!

I was browsing through Teen Vogue and lookie here! Beginning May 6, 2007, Patrick Robinson's line will be available in Target! So before Libertine hits the shops in July, this is what Target has to offer. This collection's right on time for summer here if you ask me!

Here are more looks from Mr. Robinson's Target collection from styledash.com

I can't get over Patrick Robinson's prints. I'm not so much into prints, but I can imagine myself wearing such. It was said in the article that the designs were inspired by Greece and Rome, and prints were lifted from ancient vases. And guess what! I was in my favorite fabric store in Market Market yesterday and the store owner, Chester (who's expecting a baby next week! Congrats to the happy young couple!) showed me a bolt of fabric that sort of evokes the same mood! I'm telling you, this fabric store is a secret treasure waiting to be discovered! Every time I go there I see a great piece of material and I just see the potential! So I'm thinking of buying that fabric and using it for one of my sewing projects at FIP! Plus, maybe a nice shift dress or a full skirt for me? Hmmm! So exciting!

Congratulations Dad!

This post is long overdue and in no way related to fashion (although I must admit it was my dad who inspired me to wear military inspired items way before garrison belts, military jackets, camouflage shirts and cargo pants became a street staple!) but here's to the man who added a dash of daring to my otherwise classic leanings!

Congratulations Dad for being one of the three Command and General Staff College alumni inducted into the International Hall of Fame! (Previous inductees include Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf, Douglas MacArthur, George S. Patton Jr., Dwight Eisenhower and Dad's classmate Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhuyono). During the March 29, 2007 ceremony in Eisenhower Auditorium at Fort Leavenworth, KS, Daddy was feted together with Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, chief of the French Defence Staff and Maj. Gen. Sverker Gšranson, chief of staff of the Swedish Army. The award they received was a prestigious and visible means of recognition for international officer graduates who, through military merit, have attained one of the highest positions of military importance in their respective countries armed forces, or who have held an equivalent position of rank or responsibility in a multi-national military organization. To date, 222 members, representing 62 countries have been inducted into the International Hall of Fame. Twenty-six inductees have gone on to be the chief executives of their countries.

When I was kid walking down the halls of CGSC, I prayed so hard for my Dad to one day have his picture up there together with the photos of great men who made history in their respective countries. Now its a reality! I'm proud to be your daughter Daddy!

Required Reading and Airline Freebies

My youngest sister Nicole just came back from her vacation in the US and bought the May issues of our must have magazines - Teen Vogue and Vogue US! She had Seventeen as well. I saw a dog-eared copy of Gossip Girl on her desk, so I threw that in as another must-read! (Having a 17 y.o. sister keeps me young! Hahaha!) Yesterday, I also got the April issue of Yes! magazine (with Ruffa on the cover, featuring her bling blings!) and a special issue of Metro Weddings (to get ideas for our church wedding!). So let me do my homework and I'll submit it to you all real soon!


On a side note, Nic was so generous to give me her unused Shanghai Tang for Cathay Pacific pajamas and the Salvatore Ferragamo travel set from Singapore Airlines! I just love pajamas and airline freebies! See, I'm so low maintenance, I'm happy with these and the Hollister tops she got me! Thanks Nic! She decided to keep the Ipa-Nima for Cathay Pacific cosmetic kit (designed by former Hong Kong litigator Christina Yu) though, but I get the Darphin skincare products inside! Which inspires the question, maybe Philippine Airlines should come out with an Aranaz, Bea Valdes or an Ishq toiletry bag for their business and first class travelers hmmm?

The Great Singapore Sale: May 25 to July 22, 2007 + Much More!

I just came from a meeting with the local office of the Singapore Tourism Board yesterday and boy did they do a great job of selling Singapore!!! I found myself getting brochures and maps right after Rocson Chang and Liza Gonzales showed us a video of the Marina Bay Sands and the Resorts World at Sentosa! At that moment, I felt like I was right there at the Changi Airport waiting for my Singapore adventure to begin, instead of the reception area of their office! Suffice it to say, I want to be there now!

Well ok, maybe not now now because the best time for all shopaholics to visit Singapore is between May 25 to July 22, 2007! Why so? Because its time for THE GREAT SINGAPORE SALE!!!

I suggest you start booking your ticket ASAP. Make sure you have a strategic place to stay at to make the most of this shopping trip! For sure, you'll literally shop till you drop! The last time I was there, and it wasn't even sale season then, my last day was spent watching TV with my brother and sister in our hotel room because I was too tired to even walk down (and to think we were staying at the Meritus Mandarin, right on Orchard Road, just across The Heeren and a few steps away from Takashimaya!). Not even dinner at the Boat Quay could tempt me!!!

But if one month's notice to visit Singapore is not enough time to plan a trip, I suggest that you wait until 2009 when Marina Bay Sands opens! This development is set to change the landscape of the island state.

Owned and developed by Las Vegas Sands Corporation (think The Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas and The Venetian Macau Resort Hotel), and designed by illustrious architect Moshe Safdie, "Marina Bay Sands is a new type of urban place that integrates the Waterfront Promenade with a grand, multi-leveled retail arcade combining civic space, shopping, indoor and outdoor spaces endowed with city skyline views, daylight and plant life, providing an abundance and variety of activities. It is a place that is vibrant and dynamic, a place that transforms from hour to hour, from day to night, and is evocative of the great urban places. It is here that the imaginings of a global city become a reality."

The most exciting feature of Marina Bay Sands, in my opinion, are the three 50-story hotel towers containing 1,000 rooms each, crowned by a two acre Sky Garden bridging across the towers, offering 360-degree views of the city and the sea, outdoor amenities for the hotel such as jogging paths, swimming pools, spas, and gardens. What an architectural feat! The development also includes an iconic Arts and Sciences Museum on the promontory; one-million square feet of integrated waterside promenade and shopping arcade; a state-of-the art one-million square foot convention center; two 2,000-seat theaters; a casino; and a 4,000 car garage.




But if family fun is on the agenda, wait until 2010 when Resorts World at Sentosa, opens to the public. This development features these must-sees guaranteed to make the trip memorable for the entire family!

* Universal Studios theme park with 22 attractions and a "live" studio
* Equarius water park
* The world's largest oceanarium, containing over 700 million gallons of water
* The Asian Maritime Museum, featuring interactive exhibits highlighting the history of the oceanic Silk Road of the past.
* A fully integrated wellness spa
* A world-class casino, Singapore's second.
* An 8-hectare Quest Marine Life Park with snorkeling experiences, as well as the chance to swim with a Whale Shark and cage-dive in a tank of Tiger Sharks.
* FestiveWalk, an ocean-fronted experimental retail development facing Vivocity, including a daily pyrotechnics show.
* Six world-class hotels



So between next month and 2010, expect to see a lot of exciting events happening in Singapore! There's still plenty of time to save up and splurge on a vacation to remember!

TIP: If you are into Louis Vuitton bags, Singapore prices are said to be the cheapest in the ASEAN region!

(Information on Marina Bay Sands from msafdie.com, Resorts World from en.wikipedia.org)