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Marni to Design a Spring Collection Full of Signature Print and Pattern for H&M

STOCKHOLM, Nov 29, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Regulatory News:

H&M (sto:HMB) is proud to announce a spring designer collaboration with the Italian brand Marni. Famed for its original prints and inventive spirit, Marni is one of fashion's most-loved labels, and its Founder and Creative Director Consuelo Castiglioni has created for H&M a spring collection for both women and men which capture the essence of Marni. Available from March 8, 2012 in around 260 stores worldwide and online, the collection features both clothing and accessories all at H&M's prices, meaning everyone will have the chance to enter Marni's world.

"I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favorite pieces in signature fabrics and prints. As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colours, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphic adding sporty utilitarian elements". Consuelo Castiglioni, Founder and Creative Director.

"We all love the collection here at H&M and we believe that our customers will do the same. Marni has such a modern touch with everything they do, mixing prints and accessories in a playful but chic way. It's fantastic to see how Consuelo Castiglioni coordinates her designs, matching new combinations of print and colour, with such incredible craftsmanship behind every piece. The collection will arrive in stores at just the perfect time, as a lovely statement for spring". Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Advisor H&M.

Marni is a label that sticks to its own path, setting its own trends for print, cut and silhouette that are always playful and elegant. Marni has remained a family owned-business as it has grown to become an international luxury brand with stores around the world.

Marni's collection for H&M has all the freedom and experimentation for which the label is renowned, with all-over prints in strong colours all intended to be worn together in layers that both match and clash. For women, the colours are vivid and the prints are bold, be they African inspired or simpler colour blocks. The silhouettes are all Marni staples, with full pleated skirts, dresses, cropped trousers and jacquard knit, and fabrics range from silk to crisp cotton poplin. To finish the complete look the collection also includes jewellery, shoes, bags and scarves.

For men, the colours and fabrics are softened for a relaxed take on menswear staples that is truly Marni. The use of print is subtle, often as a lining or as a contrast detail for shirts, the silhouette a modern and relaxed take on masculine classics. The Marni collection is the latest designer collaboration for H&M, which has previously collaborated with brands such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, and most recently Versace.

watch this video!!!



be still, my beating heart!!! as you can tell, i am very very VERY excited. marni lang naman ang hinihintay ko tuwing milan fashion week. like i always say, if i could afford it, i would wear marni every day. not prada, not vuitton, not even couture!!! marni!!!

date night at manila hotel

tonight was a rare night without any events to attend. so after office hours, what's a girl to do?? go on a date with the hubby! with all our separate activities during the day—and even at night!—we rarely get to spend some QT alone. without the computers ha. iPhone lang haha... and since my office is in the intramuros area, and i happened to have a 50% off voucher for mabuhay palace at manila hotel, we decided to go chinese.
if you love chinese food and have never eaten here, then you should. it's one of the best in town. and check out the decor. bongga! hindi sila nag-tipid! and i must commend them on the service—non-obtrusive, but when you call the waitstaff, they drop what they're doing and head to your table. anyhoo, chinese food is best eaten in a big group, but since there was only two of us, we had to limit our order. first, hot & sour soup, my favorite. yum!
we're trying to avoid meat, so it was prawns in orange juice. (actually everything looks kinda orangey...) sweet-ish and sour-ish:
and how can you not eat rice with this dish?? so kahit bawal, monday was made cheat day with seafood fried rice. omgeeee...
haaay i was so busog after!! we decided to have a look-see around the hotel. they've renovated a lot of areas, like their coffee shop café ilang-ilang, which you won't even recognize from the way it was before! super-sosi buffet stations, just like the other five-star hotels. and they've upgraded the rest rooms; now they're bright and modern. but i also like the way they've maintained the grand old-world feel. i love the signature humongous chandeliers in the lobby. i hope they keep these!
and check out the tap room! they've kept the dark-wood panels and moody lighting, but upgraded the upholstery. you don't see lounges like this in manila anymore, where there's a lone singer on the small stage, na hindi concert levels ang sound system, so you can still have a conversation. and smoke! (just sayin'...) and there's a real bar too. tonight it was a dude named joniver performing, who played mostly john mayer covers:
so if this is your kinda thang—quiet, laid-back, relaxed, and not see-and-be-seen—or you're just looking for a change of scene, check it out some time :-)

silent charity auction at marriott

early this month, i received a letter from marriott hotel manila inviting me to be one of the "fashion icons" to donate an item from my personal collection to be included in a silent charity auction, the proceeds of which will go to habitat for humanity. my first reaction was, meeee? a fashion icon?? hahaha... then my second reaction was, of course! i will be happy to participate! take note, other "fashion icons" who were invited to paticipate included tessa valdes, ruffa gutierrez, divine lee, phoemela baranda, daphne oseña paez, alyanna martinez, and others. and because i'm a notorious procrastinator, it wasn't until a few days before the event that i found something among my stash of stuff! parang nakakahiya to give something used, as if anyone will want to buy something pre-owned (and pre-loved ;-) by me, but i managed to find two designer leather wallets that i've had for years and never used! they were both still in excellent condition and untouched by molds, thank god. or thank those silica gels!

at the event last nov 24, the small items were hung on several christmas trees. here's my first item, a turquoise zip-up leather wallet by comme des garçons: starting bid for this was pretty low, only P3,000. and i couldn't believe the final bid: P12,500! huwaw! it was won by phoemela baranda who was there that night to host the program (which included the tree-lighting ceremony).

here's my second item, a black zip-up leather wallet by yohji yamamoto: starting bid for this was slightly higher: P4,000. final bid: P14,000! and it was won by the GM of the marriott! woo-hoo! thank you to the kind and generous souls who bidded for my wallets, kasi nakakahiya kung walang bumili hahaha... may your wallets always be full! good karma all around!

here are some of the items donated by the other "fashion icons":

bongga gown and matching headgear from tessa valdes:
gown with plunging neckline from ruffa gutierrez:
strapless mini-dress from divine lee:
limited-edition adidas jacket from phoemela baranda:
prada high-heel sandals from alyanna martinez:
mahogany chair from daphne oseña paez:
UPDATE: i just found out that the auction is ongoing till dec 25! check it out, this is your chance to give back :-)

promo! promo! promo!

Tory Burch is pleased to offer a special gift for its customers at the newly opened Tory Burch, Rustan’s Makati boutique. For every P25,000 spent on regular-price items, customers will receive a limited-edition gift—a tote bag in a fun Tory Burch cheetah print. The offer is valid from November 17 to December 4, 2011.

tory burch is also located at greenbelt 5

style weekend - nov 25

pls buy manila bulletin today (nov 25) for your free copy of style weekend for men (out every last friday of the month)! on the cover: the face shop celebrity endorser and k-pop phenomenon, kim hyun joong! don't hate me because i got to interview him one-on-one in seoul, korea!

also in this issue: driving the yet-to-be-released BMW M5 at ascari race resort in spain; fragrances, skin care, and business accessories for men; red and green clothes & stuff; ancestral homes converted in restos; LV's architect & interiors book; and red-hot anne curtis in the centerfold!

tribute to pitoy moreno

i say this is a long time coming. it's wonderful to do a tribute to a designer who has done so much for philippine fashion while he's still alive! and he's been named a national artist, for chrissake! i don't know how old he is, but he must be almost 90! ok, maybe mid-80s. at the area outside the ballroom, they displayed some of his creations, categorized into filipiniana, bridal, and formal gowns. i tried to include the little sign describing each gown and who wore it:

ternos:

bridal gowns:
i wish they would organize an exhibit, so that these gowns can be viewed by design students and young fashion designers. it's a must. they can observe the line, the technique, the craftsmanship, and the history behind each piece. here he is! still a rock star at his age!
i don't have good pictures from the show because i was seated waaay back—hello, row H, we meet again... of course, it was a "baul" collection, with pieces from the past: filipiniana, the brides, the artistas, the beauty queens, of course, and the ones he took with him on shows all over the world.
when the show was over and pitoy came out to take his bow, he managed to walk all the way to the end of the catwalk—by himself! it made the audience a little nervous tee-hee...
congratulations, pitoy, and to abs-cbn publishing and metro society, who organized the event! here i am with metro society editor in chief, raul manzano!

magis at dimensione

today i found myself wandering down bonifacio high street. and whenever i'm there, i pop into dimensione. and my eye instantly gravitated toward this bright orange chair! dontcha love it??
and guess what? it's made of plastic. and it comes in black too (just seen on the left). so you can put this out in the garden or by the pool for your sosi barbecue parties. but this is not cheap plastic ha—this armchair costs P65,950. it's by italian design and furniture company magis. so if you're looking for something to give the person who has everything for christmas, this might be it. the stuff i saw was fun, colorful, and unique. look at these stools that look like giant spools—they roll from side to side! price: P28,950.
here's one with cushioning. i wanted to try it out, but it was on a ledge. price: P75,950.
magis also has a line meant for kids called me too. but i want this coat rack for myself! price: P36,950.
this little blue chair is not as expensive—P15,950. you can also lay it down on its front side and it becomes a bench.
more cute stuff from me too!

philippine tatler 10th anniversary ball

bihira lang naman ako ma-imbita sa tatler ball. so when i am invited, i make the effort to get all spruced and go. out of the 10 balls they've held every year, this is my third time to be invited. feeling back in the A list! hehe :-D here's the hubby and me (in a rhett eala gown and mini-cape) in front of the giant letter T made of fresh flowers:
several tatler-ball veterans have told me that the cocktails is the best time to go. aside from the free-flowing moët champagne, that's when you can schmooze and see everyone's gowns! i was able to take a few pix, but there was so much more that i missed! as the evening wore on, the mezzanine of makati shangri-la got crowded and it was hard to see who was there. spot anyone you know??



dinner time! on tonight's menu: aged iberico ham, soufflé de manchego, fricasse of artichoke and sherry vinaigrette:
white seabass suquet barcelona styled in cocotte:
blood orange serbet with marmalade de naranja:
slow-roasted lomo de cordero, sautéed wild mushroom and saffron rice:
crème catalan, churro con chocolate and brandied cherry ice cream:
and of course this event is organized every year all in the name of charity. this year's beneficiary was habitat for humanity. there were several lots up for auction:

auction lot 1: boxing gloves signed by manny pacquiao. starting bid: P50k. winning bid: P210k.

auction lot 2: a parisian experience, which included 4d/3n stay for two with breakfast at shangri-la paris, a tour of hermès museum, gift from hermès, treatment and products from annick goutal paris. starting bid: P175k. winning bid: P380k.

auction lot 3: a tuscan adventure, which included 3d/2n stay for two with breakfast at fonte de medici, tour and tasting at tignanello estate, lunch for two at one-michelin-star osteria de passignano restaurant, and two business-class tickets to rome on singapore airlines. starting bid: P380k. winning bid: P650k.

auction lot 4: jaeger-lecoultre no.10 limited-edition watch. starting bid: P500k. winning bid: P1 million!

congratulations to philippine tatler editor in chief anton san diego and publisher irene martel francisco for another successful event! cheers!