Fashion Diary 2

Another boring fashion diary.

Going to Sunday service

Shirt: Lanvin

Bag: Adidas tote

Pants: True Religion jeans

Shoes: Giordano Concepts

Arts Lounge event

Jacket: Plantation

Shirt: Comme des Garcons Homme

Pants: Bo Parcon cropped pants

Shoes: Don Protasio gladiator shoes

Grocery shopping

Hat: Topman

Shirt: Yves Saint Laurent

Pants: Yves Saint Laurent

Shoes: Litmus

Going to a birthday party

Hat: Topshop

Shirt: Jil Sander

Pants: reworked pants

Shoes: canvas Converse

Break from work

Shirt: Missoni

Pants: Dries van Noten

Shoes: K-Bond

Cocktail and dinner for a friend at Sugar Palm

Shirt: Giordano tee under Y's Yohji Yamamoto top

Pants: Balenciaga

Shoes: Converse

Busy again...

Contrary to popular belief back home that I don't do ANY work, I spent last Friday and Saturday working. We had to clear the Arts Lounge space for the next exhibit. By the way, we raised $26,000 all in all for the 2 charities we are helping. The next day, Sunday, I had to go back to the Arts Lounge to supervise the arrival and transfer of the new artworks. I checked the drawings and they are wonderful! Kinda dark in subject though because they are all portraits of people who died in the infamous Toul Sleng prison during the Khmer Rouge. we open the new exhibit tomorrow and that is the reason why I've been neglecting my blogging duties. So, yes, it's all work for me.

Croissant and Green Tea

1. Breakfast and lunch for the past days. Been sick so it's a diet of croissant and green tea for me. I like it because I feel so light.

2. Today I had a brief chat with Lyka Bergen. The diva seems fun. I was surprised he came from Iloilo, too!

3. I miss chatting with Kawadjan. Busy yata sa lovelife ang supermowdel ng Thailand.

4. I miss, miss, miss, miss M. Hug you!

5. I miss B.

6. Busy with preparations for the next exhibit which is goin to be on Tuesday. As I'm writing this I'm in the Arts Lounge supervising the removal of the logs of coconut we used for the previous one. Loven, who got the logs for free, said he placed some of it in my room. Hehehe!

7. He gave me FRUITS postcards which he got from Phnom Penh.

8. Cecile Zamora van Straten emailed. She's so chica. There's a sale at Eairth I learned from her.

9. My friends went out tonight. : ( And I'm not there!

10. I might take a short vacation end of August. : )

Why smoking seems so appealing and fashionable.

I've never tried smoking in all my life and I don't think I'd be starting now but everytime I have a photoshoot I always end up suggesting to have the model light up a ciggie. There's something fashion and glam about it. If you're that chica I guess you're allowed to smoke.

I don't know if it's right to say this but I think there are just some people who look good smoking cigarettes and have ' it ' written all over them. A fine example:

Fashion writer Martin Webb seems to have that certain style of making smoking so appealing and fashionable. At least in the pictures I've seen of him with a stick.

Even his wife Yoshiko has ' it ' . She looks fasyon!

I read somewhere that they spent one of their Christmas in the Philippines. That's nice to know.

I was recently interviewed by The News Today and they asked me who I think is fashionable. I said Ann Demeulemeester and Martin Webb. You all of course know who Ann is. Martin...I'm a fan of www.ashadedviewonfashion.com, the style blog of the very stylish Diane Pernet and Martin Webb is the contributor from Tokyo. The blog is like a virtual clubhouse where Ms. Pernet's cool friends report from all over the world about fashion, parties, culture, personalities and happenings. Can I contribute about Cambodia, too? : ) Hehehe. Btw, I've taken all his picture from there.

He also is a copy editor of several publications and writes for several magazines and newspapers. I think he styles shoots, too.

Anyway, that is where I usually see Martin Webb and I find his style very admirable. I think it's easy for fashion people to get so far out there, wearing the most outrageously uncomfortable and impractical fashion or they can go at the very extreme and not care how they look because caring might seem that they're too desperate to tell the world they work in fashion. You get my drift?

Now here comes a straight guy who looks fasyon and really owns his look. See below:

Suit jacket with torn jeans. Informal Formal?

He loves breaking fashion 'rules'. Isn't it a no-no to button the bottom button of a suit jacket?

Messy hair with an impeccably cut suit.

Trying on some jacket. Some would say he's very Dior Homme-ish but I think he goes beyond that.

He read that TNT interview and placed a link on his blog for Tokyo Numero.

He even placed a pix of me there. Hmmm...I hope the Japanese are not having nightmares. Hehehe.

Hong Kong Fashion Week F/W 2008

The kind people of Hong Kong Trade Development Council invited us for their fall/winter shows and exhibition. Sent us invites, passes and all. And since it was SALE season and it was around the time of my vacacion grande, it made perfect sense I drop by and check out the SALES, este, the shows, right? They even called us to confirm if we really are coming. I love the folks at HKTDC!

Good thing my good friend, the Queen of Hablon, Jaki Penalosa arranged the tickets and booking because I couldn't have managed it myself. Even my passes and ID for the shows was coursed thru her. Her daughter Aisha, a budding fashion designer herself following the steps of mamman, came with us.

One of the shows we liked so much is Fashion Fiesta, a group show of the different fashion schools in HK. It proved to be a popular show because a lot of HK celebrities and fashion editors came to watch it. There's even a performance of a pop group and they will also be singing for the Olympics. How do I know even if I don't have an effing clue who they are? Well, camera crews trailing behind, paparazzi's and several Marni balloon bags (I want one!), apparently, the du jour 'it' bag of the HK fashionistas. And generally, Hong Kong-ites are skinny but their fashion editors and fashionistas are even skinnier. I'm so obese there!

The Olympic fever has bitten them fashion people there and sportswear inspired stuff ala Stella McCartney for Adidas, Yohji Yamamoto Y-3 and, to even ballroom inspired outfits. Hey, dance is sports now! And you have designers churning out sci-fi inspired stuff complete with light chuva and all. See below. I like the equestrian outfits the most, whoever designed them, and you have to take my word for it coz i didn't take pix.

See that model in the middle? That's Jasmine Maierhofer and she's the fiercest model among the lot. I swear she owned the runway. And she's Filipino. Sorry but taub ang mga HK models sa kanya. Hehehe. She modeled for me during Philippine Fashion Week 2008. My ' first model ' , actually. Ms. Chuvaness (http://chuvaness.livejournal.com/419296.html) of chuvaness.com even wondered if she could fill in the shoes of top model turned photographer Joan Bitagcol. I think she can. She's very nice and friendly.

We bumped into each other after the show. That's moi, Jasmine and Camille Sison (Mega's Assistant Fashion Editor), who sent me this pic.

Anyway, i really shouldn't be comparing HKFW with our own but I hope the government and manufacturing pips out there would team up together to create something like it. Fashion is not just glamour and shows but it's also a business. More than anything, fashion is a business for them there. You watch the shows and after you go to booths and order clothes. A lot of buyers are there, from all over the world. Yes, Pinoys have the talent and artistry but it sucks when you can't sell your ideas. No venue to sell it. Buyers don't know where to find good talents. That's why I think there's no fashion industry in the Philippines. Unless you talk of brands like Bayo, Bench or Kamiseta, etc.

Is there hope one day where the likes of Ivar Aseron, Joey Samson or Inno Sotto being sold in stores around the world?

That I don't know.

Health! Happiness! Success! Oh, yessssssssss!

1. Saturday I was feeling shit. Got this cough and flu thingy. Friday's closing event went great and the excitement of the bids and all made me forget, temporarily, that i was feeling shit. Woke up Friday feeling sore. Woke up Saturday feeling worse. But I'm the type who would rather do something to forget my miserable state than mope and suffer. Thank goodness for work!

2. We raised US$26,000 for the 2 charities we support. It will definitely be a big help. I'm just so glad it's over now. On to the next exhibit.

3. I miss HK. No, I miss ang mga SALE signs sa HK. And infairness, kahit di ako nakabili ng marami ang saya saya to see the actual clothes of my fave designers. I learned so much techniques kasi I looked at the seams, turn it inside out, taking note of the cuts and folds. Hehehe! Kaya siguro the people at Marni were staring strangely at me. Hehehe!

4. I'm drowning myself with green tea and hot water. I can't stand my itchy throat. And my stomach hurts from all the coughing. I thought at first it was dyspepsia or diarrhea.

5. Last Saturday, we were supposed to a.) Go to the Shaolin show with friends b.) Go to the Singles party at church c.) Have dinner with Sarah and her friends from Malaysia. Eventually, I ended up eating an early lunch at Sugar Palm because Loven and I were so hungry. Sarah and her friends arrived much later. We had grilled tofu, fish amok, lime soup, crispy noodles, vegetable noodles, coconut soup, and the best selling grilled eggplant with salty beans. Needless to say we were stuffed. Then we had desserts at AHA. I'm lovinf the new Tiramisu there. Basta, it's unlike any Tiramisu I've tasted before. I call it deconstructed Tiramisu.

6. I learned a new mantra from Rachelle, Sarah's friend and training manager of Saujana, " Health! Happiness! Success! Oh, yesssss!" Say it like you're having an orgasm. Simply hilarious. Apparently, the good pips at Saujana chant it everyday before every morning briefing. Imagine that. I would slit my throat if ever we do that here in our hotel. I don't mind other people doing it as long as it's not me. Hehehe!

7. Sunday. Went to church. Then we finished Season 2 of Heroes in one sitting. I had to rest my eyes after, lie down in bed and process the whole thing. Around 10:30pm, I woke up, did a few sketches for some clothes I'm doing. Went to bed around midnight.

8. Today. Still sick. I hate the bastard who infected me.

9. Check out www.the-chronicles-of-e.blogspot.com, a diary of a recovering addict.

10. I love to have this kind of set-up to display my clothes. Hussein Chalayan at Dover Street Market.

Unraveling the spool

Finally, without much fanfare or drama, possibly intoxicated with some potent wine, or out of boredom or hunger, perhaps, Loven Ramos, friend artist extraordinaire cum jack-of-all-trades, has started a blog. It promises to be as personal and colorful as his artworks and will feature some of his witty musings on everything but the kitchen sink. Don't take my word for it, head to www.spoolartist.blogspot.com and discover for yourself what I'm talking about. Leave a message or two, just to encourage the newbie blogger and to make him feel welcome.

Welcome Spoolartist!

Marc

I was hoping it was Marc Jacobs and not Marc Nelson. He just passed by me. He was with his girlfriend (I presume), who's not Filipina. Mukhang Brazilian. Thank goodness there are only two of us Filipino here in the hotel. And we both don't like showbiz people. Showbiz gossip, yes, we like. Showbiz people, no. If he stayed in that other hotel I know with lots of Filipino I'm sure he'll get some buzz there. Good thing he decided to stay here where he'll never be bothered. Or baka popular na sya after Amazing Race Asia chuva nya? Hmmm... Popular ba na show yun? Unlike Rain, when he shot his Canon commercial at Angkor Wat, droves of Korean fans trooped the hotel lobby to catch a glimpse of him. Ngek! Eh he was so regular looking kaya although he does have a nice body. Funny him, he arrived in the hotel around 12 midnight and after checking in his room he requested to go to the gym. Kaya naman pala that body is ripped. Hmmm...maybe 12mn workout works better than day workouts? What am I thinking!?

On another note, I'm not feeling 100% good today. I have this stomach situation. Not diarrhea, not acid, not ulcer. I don't know what it is but it's not that painful. I just feel a little upsetting jolt inside. Basta it's making me restless and uneasy. Avoided drinking milk and eating complex food. I just had croissants and water today.

Or maybe this is just stress for tomorrows closing party of the Bill Bensley Auction exhibit? So far we've raised US$20,000 to help Shinta Mani Hospitality Institute and Hotel de la Paix Sewing Center. Hope we can double that amount.

Tired but happy

I'm back from a very short vacation. Went home to Iloilo for a week and another week in Hong Kong. The picture above was taken at the pier area at Central in HK. That was our second day there and the accumulated late nights to early morning parties and other shenanigans while I was in Iloilo is noticeable. And, who ever sleeps in HK when there's major SALE shopping (morning till night) and partying (Hello La Kwai Fong!)? So I'm still recovering from all of it. Give me time and I'l be back in my good old blogging ways.

Cheers!