red-hot night, part 2

so many parties, so little brain cells left to kill with all this binge drinking! last wednesday night was capped with the launch of absolut raspberri. it's the seventh variant from our favorite vodka and after a taste of the juice from the attractive red bottle, well, we just might replace our current fave flave, kurrant. it was held at the tree, which is located at bonifacio global city. with the way the place was dressed up, we didn't know if the tree was an actual establishment or an actual tree. the open-air affair was closed off by red walls, and had several air-conditioned red tents with red sofas, bars and mini stages scattered throughout, as well as a main one where the dawn was performing when we arrived. and since attire required was "rebellious red", a lot of, er, interesting characters came out to play...

and because we went home at 5am and are still recuperating two days later, we're gonna have to miss all of tonight's parties: opening night of philippine fashion week, hed kandi, DJ tiësto... have fun!

red-hot night

we know there were a million events last night, but thank god, we were only invited to two: "murano debut" and "absolut release." murano is a car by nissan. wait, it's not a car, you say? it's a luxury mini SUV with the handling of a sedan married with the ruggedness of an off-road vehicle—or so they say. what do we know about cars? but the name is deceiving, kasi it's not mura, 'no, it's mahal! (try 2.56 million pesos.) the launch at ayala museum was organized by APM Events, owned by husband-and-wife team albert and liezl martinez (yes, the showbiz couple). their daughter alyanna styled a mini fashion show with clothes by debenhams and eyewear provided by sarabia. and because it was organized by a showbiz couple, the party was crawling with celebrities like diether ocampo... sigh... but as you can see he wasn't interested in us, boo... oh, and the car, you say? ok, here's your token shot. what do we care about cars?? (to be continued...)

the full "bejeweled" report today

the easiest way to do this report is by pictionary, i.e., heavy on the pictures, light on the text. the first thing that greeted us when we got to RCBC's 4th floor was this lovely vision of xeng zulueta, official makeup artist for shu uemura philippines, in her bubble-icious joey samson dress.
there was a tokyo lash bar where you could indulge your j.lo fantasies and dress up your eyes in red falsies.

there was an exhibit of several motorola razr V3i mobile phones and false eyelashes, encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies (real daw yan ha), designed by carissa oledan coscolluela. this is the best you can see from the display because, sorry to say, it wasn't lit very well. the plexiglass box was lit from the bottom but, er, someone forgot to light it from the top—the better to see that bling, my dear!the invite requested "dazzling glamour" attire and said "the women who best represent the qualities of each gemstone will be awarded the one-of-a-kind lashes and phones." so to be sure we would qualify for every gemstone, we wore our most dazzling and glamorous ensemble, as in each and every gemstone was represented in our fully beaded and sequined outfit. did we win? nooooo, of course nooooot, the prizes were given to high-profile personalities who get their picture taken everyday and who can promote the phones, a la paris, lindsay and M-K, hollywood-style. (dream on, try that in nokia country!) well, if you were ruffa gutierrez, some people would willingly throw diamonds and pearls at your feet (beauty queen pa rin ang dating, o 'di ba?).well, at least we got sauced at the moto lounge bar.see that lady in the extreme left? in the midst of all those best-dressed and most-stylish wanna-bes, that woman, helena carratala guerrero, is the one they should all look up to as an example. back in the 70s, she was the most original in everything she did (her style, her designs, her parties), and her label azabache, which was sold in SM (when it was still called shoe mart) was what the most fashion-forward women wore. now based in new york, helena told the fash pack that she's been working on a project in manila that'll be ready to launch in a few months. but more on that next time...soon the guests were herded into the auditorium for the demo of shu uemura international chief makeup artist, kakuyasu uchiide. we wished we sat a little closer because he was really cute (and straight—daw!).well, making up two models can get a little boring for some people, so we weren't surprised when some rows of seats suddenly became empty. but at least we got a better look at the phones and lashes.

then there was the after-party at embassy cuisine, but darling, what happens at the after-party stays at the after-party!

swell swag

so here's the swell swag from tonight's event, shu uemura, motorola and smart present "bejeweled":
a drawstring pouch with tiny samples of cleansing oil (which we can always use—it's the best makeup remover), whitening lotion and whitening essence, a mini lash mania kit (talk about mini—it looks like it has enough lashes for one eye), and a lovely little notepad, which will look elegant on any desktop or bedside table. then we got this at the after-party at embassy cuisine, a limited-edition lip salve by lucky luca in a delicious sheer red.
may we say that shu uemura always gives the best swag. what the hell is a swag anyway? well, we just think of it as free stuff (wait, we take back what we said—it's the academy awards that gives the best swag, but only if you make it onstage), but a quick google tells us that swag is actually an acronym (or backronym). well, an acronym with many definitions, most of them guesses probably, but who knows for what originally? some of our favorites: stuff we all get, shit we all get (usually refers to cheap weed), stuff we acquired gratis, souvenirs wearables and gifts, stolen while at gig (yes, we're guilty...), sent with a gift, so what another giveaway. then there are the non-free-stuff-related definitions like scientific/smart/silly/sophisticated/super wild-ass guess, sold without a guarantee, stolen without a gun, still wondering and guessing, slap whack and grab (i.e., masturbate), but the one that made us laugh was slut with a gut! are you a SWAG??

(the full "bejeweled" report tomorrow...)

do-it-yourself beach

last friday, dunhill launched its "the perfectionists series" with an exclusive "beach party" at a private residence in south forbes park. when you received the invite, you were supposed to RSVP to make sure you were on the guest list. the entrance was so strict that even the likes of borgy manotoc were not let in because his name was not on the list! but because he's borgy, a few calls here and there solved that potential drama. the bouncers even asked us to surrender any cigarets we had in our purse, but we lied and said we don't smoke because it's luckies or nothing for us, sorry! invite said "9pm onwards, show begins at 10pm," which no one believed anyway because when we got there at about 10:30, no one was there yet, not even the organizers—losers! fifteen minutes later, there was a long queue outside, so who's the loser now? most people came in the required "beach luxe" attire—minis, tanks, bikini tops, strappy dresses, flip-flops and pekpek shorts (we just found out that's what they call those super-short shorts!)—and they were all appropriately dressed for the faux beach scene. we've been to this house before and where the lawn used to be was now covered in actual beach sand! how very shangri-la mactan!
and just before midnight, when we were all pissed (meaning drunk, not pissed), the swimsuit show began. swimsuits below by loungeri lux, cocotini, minx and U swim, but sorry we don't know which is which!

top shop: irene's closet

fans of irene's closet will be happy to know that the shop has relocated to a more commercial area. you can now check out the creations of accessory designer irene pineda (left, wearing one of her marni-inspired neckpieces) at unit 107 simuangco building, 210 zodiac street, palm village, makati city. you can also view her designs at her website irenescloset.com. the fash pack loves her hand-crafted necklaces (and her mum even crochets each and every bead)! we shall update this post with pix as soon as we take a peek into irene's closet. come back next week!

UPDATE: the space is really tiny, but very cozy, and irene is usually there to attend to her customers, and admittedly our pictures aren't very good, but here's a glimpse... (coming next month, big expansion news about irene's closet. stay tuned...)


ANOTHER UPDATE: irene's closet has moved a few blocks away and is now in power plant mall, rockwell.

zara opens in glorietta

remember when we first spotted the zara sign in glorietta last november? well, today they finally tore down the black boards and opened their doors at the location formerly known as woman's ground floor. there was not much fanfare, unlike last year's power plant opening, just a handful of guests and press and a mini fashion show inside the store (siguro naubos na ang budget sa pag-gawa ng store, haha!). unless of course, they plan to have a grand launch eventually. a long time ago in a shopping center far, far away from our consciousness, the area where woman is now used to be a strip mall called north mall. if you are in your 20s and below, you probably won't remember. this was when glorietta was still known as quad (1, 2, 3 and 4), and the glorietta activity center was an open-air plaza where concerts and events were held, and makati supermart was still in makati (now it's in alabang, go figure). north mall had fairmart, cinderella, national bookstore and a fast food (was it mcdonald's?). the owners of fairmart (who are the same owners of woman) supposedly have the lease on that land for like a hundred years or something, so technically, they still own that part of glorietta (or something like that, we don't know the legalese). to make a long story short, rumors are rife that the woman/fairmart people are part owners of zara in glorietta (along with store specialists inc or SSI). are you still with us so far? fairmart also owned the lease on greenbelt shopping plaza, which is why ayala land could not tear down that eyesore for the longest time, but the lease recently expired and ayala wasted no time in demolishing it to make way for greenbelt 5 (which we heard will have an all-filipino-designer section with the likes of rajo laurel, randy ortiz and the YDG opening up there by next year; we shall see if ayala will stick to that concept...).

yes, summer's here, but where are the clothes?

last night, rustan's held its annual summer fashion show at the hotel inter-continental poolside (and lucky for them—rather us, the audience—it was a breezy, rain-free night. can't trust la niña these days). ironically, if you go to the makati store, you won't find any summer collections. the clothes you saw last month during the sale? same stuff. in fact, even less! there's actually a space next to H salon that is literally empty! what's going on here? while all the other freestanding stores (local and international brands) in glorietta are announcing their new collections! new arrivals! the shopping institution that is rustan's has been a letdown. having gotten used to the speed by which zara and mango deliver new merchandise every two weeks (sometimes every two days!), the filipino shopper has become demanding, discriminating and dying to get their hands on the latest thing. well, the fash pack can be a bit chismosa sometimes and we overheard that the rustan's execs want to get rid of the past-season stuff before putting the current-season stuff on the selling floor. well, being ex-merchandisers ourselves, wethinks that strategy will turn the customer off because she isn't interested in old things! christmas is over! winter is officially over all over the world! spring has sprung! slash the fall/winter collections by 50% and be done with it! clearance racks at the back, fresh, new merchandise in the front. it's a merchandising trick that has worked for most retailers, especially in the US, yes, even at rustan's counterparts like macy's, saks and neiman. they should try it here. it just might work.
bare vs covered-up
white shorts
printed dresses
fashion show directed by ariel lozada, hair and makeup by patrick rosas, styled by james reyes

ps: then of course, there was bryanboy's birthday party (a joint celebration with cosmopolitan editor in chief ianne evangelista) right after, but let him tell you all about it... after all, it's his party and he'll cry if he wants to!

R.I.P. oleg cassini

oleg cassini passed away last friday march 17 at the age of 92. read about his life as the designer with the longest career ever of any designer in america, covering seven decades, and most popularly known as the official wardrobe designer for former US first lady jaqueline kennedy back in the 60s. (and in our very own rustan's!) if a movie were to be made about his life, we think gary oldman could play him (based on the photo above, courtesy of the new york times).

post-bazaar report

people refer to the rockwell vintage bazaar as the sosyal bazaar. why? aside from the sosi location, while most other bazaars charge only a 50-peso entrance fee, here you have to pay a hundred bucks to get in! (but nothing beats ruffa's celebrity bazaar last saturday at market! market! where the entrance fee was 300 hundred bucks! someone even complained to inquirer that that amount is all they have to go shopping with!) then of course there are the vendors who are just as pretty as the merchandise... above, mediagenic couple norman and astrud crisologo of casa amarilla who easily had the most attractive booth. and if you were looking to score—hot buys as well as hot guys and gals—well, you came to the right place. the place was teeming with beautiful bodies and pretty-enough-to-model faces (as well as actual models—the PMAP [professional models association of the philippines] had a booth there). below, bianca valerio and nicolette bell sell shoes.

plus, may entertainment pa! on the first night (saturday) nyco maca and her band performed their infectious brand of brazilian/jazz/soul music... ...while the nimble planet zips group of cat juan and tals diaz mesmerized the audience with their graceful moves. wow, watch them here!

the fash cam: denim minis

it's been a while since we last posted pix of local fashionistas in their cute little outfits. the last time was winter; now that it's summer, it's a good time as any to put on that hot-weather staple, denim miniskirts. well, in these parts, it's an all-year, all-hours staple. check out the many ways to wear them:
jenni updates last summer's ubiquitous flippy mini with this season's menswear vibe—take note of the black-on-black four-in-hand.
leica dresses it up for an evening cocktail with a one-of-a-kind asymmetrical top and strappy heels.
these gals tone down the inherent sexiness of a mini by donning geeky glasses (but we don't think they fooled any guys at embassy that night ;-)
this is a very supermodel-on-her-off-hours look. we love the way ria just put everything together without worrying if they look good together, because they do—from the porkpie hat to the swirly-print slingbacks to the snakeskin clutch.
give a classic denim-and-white-shirt combo an edge with metallic silver accessories—check out the designer purse, the stiletto mules and the cocktail ring.
and of course, the best accessory is always a hot guy!

the counterfeit business is booming

today we went to greenhills with every intention of checking out the newly refurbished, renovated, revived virra mall, now called V mall (not to be confused with V bar, which changed its name to citrus bar, just about the same time V mall opened last december. hmmm, could the possible confusion be the reason why...?). for the longest time, entering virra mall was like entering a time warp. whenever we wanted to go on a food trip, we knew exactly where to satisfy our munchies because the food stalls on the ground floor never moved—hotdogs, soft-serve ice cream, cotton candy, chicharon, even kikiam! but after lunch at cibo, promenade (and dessert at beard papa—gotta have an americano with this!), we were sidetracked into the tiangge between shoppesville (another time warp) and theatre mall, and whoa! this is what greeted us:
bagwallet, ma'am! (yes, it's one word, like ma'amsir.) name the brand they have it. they were everywhere! the blatant display and sale of these fake goods were simply shocking (goes to show it's been a while since we've shopped in these necka the woods). out of curiosity, we had to ask. we went for a popular bag: the louis vuitton speedy 25.
they call this "doctor's bag" (which was stuffed full of paper. hello, the speedy is sold folded flat!). the salesgirl even showed us the original design in a clear book full of color-xeroxed pictures from some catalog (or maybe downloaded from the internet) so we could compare. price: 1,800 pesos. when we said "wow" she must have thought we found it too expensive, so she said, "may bawas pa, ma'am! magkano niyo gusto?" she then went on to explain the merits of this bag, that it was "quadruple A" quality, as compared to, oh, the black multicolor murakami speedy, which was only "triple." and as a way to prove the superior quality of the classic monogram, she offered, "ma'am gusto niyo sunugin ko?" ano?? bakeeeet??? "kasi po pure leather ito, walang maiiwan na marka." NOW we know it's really fake. leather daw o! so if you're a fake in the market for a fake, the going rate for a fendi spy is 6,000; hermès birkin 30cm is 5,000; celine boogie is 4,500. no sign of a fendi B bag yet.

does this look like plastic to you?

madame wear plastic jewelry?? in an interview with the international herald tribune a week ago, former first lady imelda marcos bragged about her plastic brooch, then proceeded to show off her collection of plastic baubles. plastic talaga si ma'am, 'no? we remember interviewing her years ago at her pacific plaza condominium when the topic of her gowns came up. she then asked her maid to bring out specific ternos, and they just kept on coming till the dining table was piled high with them! it was fascinating to see those beautiful ternos. call it living in the past or a having a good memory because she could remember the designer of every gown and when and where she wore each one. oh, and she served the best tuna-fish sandwiches ;-)