Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Who Got Chicified?


Berry chose the winners. Prizes will be given out based on order of drawing (first pick gets her first choice, 2nd pick gets her choice, if not available, then her second choice, third pick gets the remaining item).


Congratulations to:


1 - Rlyn: Menca Mischka yellow tunic (please advise size)
2 - Rhea Nel: Substance Feres Clutch
3 - The Phenomenal Woman: Handbag Fund Pouch

Please expect an email from me, so that we can make arrangements for Chicify to ship your prize to your preferred address. Congratulations again!

Thanks so much to everyone who joined, and watch out for more contests here in the blog! 

Oh, btw, Chicify's Facebook Promotion is still ongoing until June 23, so check their page on how you can get your pick from Chicify too!

Assumption College HS 1999 Scholarship Program

Dear Readers,

I am helping Bea Ledesma & Inez Togle of Assumption College HS Batch 1999 spread the word about their class charity. 

Batch 1999 is trying to get as many students as possible to finish high school at St Vincent's Academy in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.


I have spent one summer in a military camp in Baloi, Lanao del Norte when I as ten, which is probably a couple of miles away from Kauswagan - a coastal town. I have to say, it's not the sort of place we all are accustomed to, and any bit of help to give the kids there a better chance at improving their lives through education is much appreciated. Sister Mercy of Assumption handles the program, which sees scholars with a better than average grade point through school.

It only takes a little over Php3,500 to send a child to school at St. Vincent's Academy for an entire year. (To put this in perspective, that's just about as much as your monthly cellphone bill, or maybe a pair of  Missoni x Havaianas)

According to Bea, "If anyone is interested in sponsoring a new scholar for the next four years, that would be pretty terrific -- it would be wonderful to keep adding more beneficiaries to the ACHS Batch 99 Scholarship Program."

You may choose to sponsor a child throughout high school, or you may partner with a friend or friends who'd like to sponsor. 1 child's high school education for 4 years is only Php14,000.

If you would prefer to give in kind, that would be much appreciated too. The school needs more than just money for students. There is much to be improved in St. Vincent. When Inez visited last year, there were some of the things she noticed they desperately needed:

1. A working clinic
2. More (up to date) computers
3. More reading materials in the library
4. Refurbishing the Muslim prayer room
5. Higher teachers' salaries
6. SRA (remember those little booklets we used to read in class to help us with our reading comprehension and vocabulary? Sr. Mary Cecilia says they need one of those).

To learn more about the scholarship program, please visit here: http://achs99.tumblr.com/

I have already pledged to help Bea & Inez by sponsoring a child, and I hope some of you will find it in your heart to help out in any way you can. 

If you are interested in donating books, computers, medical supplies, rugs for the Muslim prayer room or sponsoring a child, please email me at manilafashionobserver@gmail.com with the subject: ACHS 1999 Scholarship Program, and I will forward your details to Bea & Inez.

Thanks so much!

MFO Shoe Series: Kristine Dee


Jewelry artist Kristine Dee has come a long way from furniture. She trained in industrial design at  DLSU-College of St. Benilde, worked in her family's furniture company for a year, and then left for New York to take her Master’s in Industrial Design focusing in furniture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. To further hone her craft, she took up furniture making in Denmark Design School with her husband Sheldon. 

It was by accident that she stumbled upon the jewelry workshop at Pratt. She found it so fascinating that she signed up for classes in metalsmithing and found so much joy crafting pieces she designed herself.

After graduating from Pratt, she worked for a design studio that created home accessories for the likes of Banana Republic and MoMA. When she and her husband moved back to Manila, they put up their furniture company Duo Living, but rather than forget her love for jewelry design, it only intensified. Today, Kristine has made a name for herself in creating fine jewelry pieces that are testaments to her eye for form, line & function. The same goes for her taste in shoes - it runs the gamut from pretty & delicate to classic & functional to architectural & sculptural. The common denominator: great design.

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

About 60 maybe (only what can fit in my closet).

Here is the picture of our shoe cabinet.  Share kami ni hubby, of course, I get more space than him! 
To keep my shoe collection well edited, I give away what cannot fit in here. - Kristine

What's your shoe size?

Size 6 sometimes 6 1/2

Which pairs are your favorites? 

Top 1 : Dries Van Noten I bought 10 years ago in New York



Top 2: white Prada wedge sneakers

Top 3: new silver Birkentstock sandals ( if you consider these as shoes) just because they are so comfy

Top 4: Stella Luna black gladiator boots

Top 5: Alexander Wang heels (but they are too high to wear for a long time)

If you could only wear one pair of shoes, which one would it be?

Silver Birkenstock sandals :)

What are your favorite shoe brands?

Dries Van Noten, Alexander Wang, Birkenstock, Jeffrey Campbell, Prada, Stella Luna

Jeffrey Campbell Tick NS bought at SM Fashion Forum

Stella Luna bling sandals

Stella Luna party shoes

Stella Luna wedges

What's in your shoe lust list?

More Alexander Wang, more Dries Van Noten and more Prada

Where do you buy shoes?

While traveling, online, and locally at Stella Luna

Brogues from Giordano Ladies, one of her favorite stores

Frye boots

Cole Haan peep toe pumps which go with everything

Stephen booties bought from a store in Philly, which can be worn two ways

Via Spiga peep-toe booties

What's that one shoe you can't bear to give away or throw out?

10 year old Dries Van Noten shoes ( because they have lasted me for such a long time and still in good shape)

Monday, May 30, 2011

AVA on The Glamorous Girl Next Door


AVA.ph's The Love List trains its eye on The Girl Next Door, no, make that The Glamorous Girl Next Door:


Why just be the girl next door right? Be the glamorous version! Here's the 411 on achieving that Glamorous Girl Next Door style:

H&M A/W 2011 Collection

Here's one for the books! H&M's Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection debuted On the Radar, in the Philippine Star last Sunday. The first H&M released photos to be published in the Philippines, I bet you. Hmmm, come to think of it, I actually think might be the first writer from the Philippines invited into an H&M showroom ever.

In case you missed the Sunday paper, you may view the photos and article at Philstar.com and the full collection for men & women here:





H&M Singapore opens on September 2011. The H&M flagship will be in Orchard Building at the corner of Orchard & Grange Roads, beside 313@Somerset.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Weekend Outfit

Our Saturday play date started at Go-Go Bambini on Dempsey Hill, where we met with our friends Sara, Bob and Peyton for an hour of going through tunnels, sliding down slides, and swimming in a pool of balls:


I couldn't resist diving into the pool with Berry, because when I was growing up, my mom didn't allow us to play in them. Because it was a pool of germs daw. Well, true, but at some point in time, it has to be done.



When Berry got hungry and started asking for a snack, we decided to rest for a bit, and then headed off to PS Cafe, our current favorite place for brunch. Berry had fish & chips. She loves this. PS Cafe's burgers are so good too. Dada & I are burger people, and this could even be better than that of Spruce's. Will do a more detailed post on PS Cafe soon!


By the time we were done with brunch, Berry changed into a new outfit na. Oh, and I also got to wear my new shoes from Renegade Folk. They sent me the pair I blogged about, so happy! Thank you Bibai! The leather is really soft, and I love the tassels.

Me: Old Navy chambray shirt, shorts & belt from J.Crew, loafers from Renegade Folk, 
Celine luggage tote, bangle from Vita Fede
Berry: shirt from Zara c/o Auntie Lorr, Baby Gap leggings, Saltwater sandals



Dada also brought the Vita Fede bangle I bought from AVA.ph! It's so pretty (see photo above). Actually, Dada brought a lot of the stuff I had Johnny Air-ed from the US, plus gifts sent to their house in Manila, so it felt like Christmas in summer! Will share them with you soon. 

In the meantime, thank you also to Sassa Swimwear for the swimsuit you sent me, and Anne of Bop Baby Bop for the adorable clips and headbands you sent Berry. We got it na! She was so excited, she tore off the gift wrap before I could even take a photo =)

Friday, May 27, 2011

Prada Bing, Prada Boom

I haven't bought sunglasses for a while now. I think my last purchase was my Balenciaga, which was what, back in 2009? I don't have Prada frames yet, so I was thinking maybe this one would round up my little collection of sunnies:


This frame also comes in pink, and will look cute with light colored swimsuits for summer. While colored frames are hot these days, I dunno, it's still not me. I guess I will still go for classic dark frames, I am just loving how feminine this is. Like a Barbie frame, but more elegant, heeheehee!


Up to now I still have 20/20 vision, but these retro frames make me want to wear eyeglasses. The Prada print on the inside is a nice touch, like there's something fun hiding behind the staid black frame. Actually, there are guy versions of this eyewear too, which come in solid black or tortoiseshell:


Cool no? These styles should be available in Manila too, from Prada's Fall/Winter 2010-2011 Collection.

Lover The Label: "A Dance for One" SS2011 AW2011

I might as well put my heart on my sleeve, and say it once more, I Love You, LOVER!









For more of Lover the Label, visit their website.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Vancouver 2011: Little Lawn Daisy

Fallen cherry blossom petals on grass, so dreamy and romantic. I feel like I should be wearing blush sandals with a silk chiffon dress, carrying a straw basket filled with freshly cut flowers 
from a nearby meadow

You know how ads or packaging for weedkillers would have little lawn daisies (actually, the proper name is daisy fleabane) on them? Well, I always thought it was a shame to kill this type of weed because they look so cute. Like tiny little flowers on grass.


Apparently, Berry likes them too. When Angkong plucked out a daisy from the grass and gave it to her, she was so thrilled, you'd think she was 16 and her crush gave her a dozen roses, hahaha!

Gap parka from Ate Carissa Carale, Zara jeggings from Auntie Kaye Yao, 
 Trumpette boat shoes from Uncle Toni and Tita Sarj

She wouldn't let go of it, and held on to it until we got home. So precious. She also held it ever so gingerly between two fingers, like a dainty little girl and not the "Destructa" (our nickname for her because she's in that stage where everything she comes across turns to smithereens) that she can be.

I also think Berry's look suits our lovely backdrop. Pretty in pink and red. I was the jarring image in grey and black leather. This was the same photo that came out in Style Bible, my look "inspired by downtown NY and French girls".

Striped top from Saint James (French), a cardigan from J.Crew (bought in Prince St.), 
a Hoss Intropia leather jacket (Spanish, but the showroom is in downtown NY) with J Brand jeans (uhm, got this at Barneys but downtown girls shop there too), Isabel Marant scarf (French), Celine luggage (French) and clog booties from No. 6 (Centre Market Place in Little Italy)

MDG: Madonna x D&G Eyewear Collection


At around the same time last year, when Madonna & Lola announced that they were coming out with their clothing line Material Girl for Macy's, it was also reported that Madonna teamed up with design duo Dolce & Gabbana to launch an eyewear collection called “MDG”. 

The trio came out with a collection composed of six pairs of sunglasses of various shapes and designs, all with an MDG logo etched on the temple:







If you are a huge Madonna fan, then this is the closest you can get to having her with you 24/7, apart from her music of course. She did have a hand in designing these sunnies.

So, which one's your fave? *Cue Madonna's Crazy For You*

The MDG Collection is now available in Manila. Dolce & Gabbana eyewear is exclusively distributed by Branded Lifestyle, Inc. and available at Adora, Greenbelt 5, LS Pascual Optical Power Plant Mall.
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