CL!!!

2ne1's leader (and my personal favorite member) CL has such a unique swagga, I'd do anything for her to wear any of my pieces.



In the Philippines where everyone is aiming for the mayaman look, an outfit as gutsy as this can only be seen on Sex Bomb and Wowowee dancers.




This photo reminds me of the perks of going to the gym - something I haven't done in over a month!



In a Betsey Johnson peplum skirt and a Hellz Bellz shirt (With fellow 2ne1 member Minzy).



In a Phillip Lim vest. (Photo c/o Popseoul)


Of course she owes it to 2ne1's stylists Yang Seung Ho and Lee Hyun Jung but it takes a certain sumthin sumthin to pull off a look. I've seen a number of local artists attempt to do the exact same thing but to no avail. We have plenty of pretty faces but noone as refreshing and experimental... is this why everyone's sticking to the mayaman look?

Taping & A Movie

8 AM : Woke up earlier than usual today. (I'm an 11-hour girl, if I could sleep for a living I would and I'd be rich for it!)

9 AM : Left the house, ran to the shop to get into my tight rust dress - luckily it still fits despite yesterday's binging! - and checked on my prom darlings' dresses (all due for fitting today).


10 AM : Call time for the US Girls taping at Ecomoda in ABS-CBN's ELJ Bldg. I got there at 10 AM sharp. Good thing my shop is pretty near. And thank heavens Arlee drove me today.

10:30 AM : Hair and makeup. SO I can look like a TV-worthy homosapien.


Now onto the photos:








Sharing our Top Picks and Chesca trying on the Palabok jacket.






I am loving Chesca's flower detailed satin stilettos.



...And Iya's animal print heels! Ran to Topshop GB3 right after the shoot but they didn't have it in my size anymore. :-( These girls seriously have style, no wonder they're fashion TV show hosts.


On another note, they actually made me model a dress for the damn cameras. I realized I was asked to guest under false pretenses. I seriously hate that. But because I am a professional I had to do it anyway.



I was laughing most of the time. Couldn't believe what I got myself into. I'm a designer for crying out loud. I did it all for the love of Martin Bautista (whose dress they chose for me to strut in).



And because I didn't get to eat properly all day, I decided to take my man to Mr. Jones in Greenbelt 5 for some heavy chow before catching a flick.



The paperbacks we read while waiting for our grub. :)



MY honey chicken & biscuit entree was alright, Arlee was disappointed because the first 3 dishes he ordered weren't available and it took them 40 minutes to serve the food. Hmmm...


Anyway I am digging their vintage-inspired wallpaper in the washroom:




Saw Legion afterwards and people, I advise you to just wait for it on DVD or HBO. Not worth the Php190 we paid for in Greenbelt.


Now I shall retire for the night and remove all the gunk on my face. Goodnight folks!

Pampanga Love

Arlee and I took his cousin kuya Alvin to Pampanga yesterday. Didn't mind the drive at all because there's something about the rice fields and the green scenery along NLEX that relaxes me. Moreover, the road is so much smoother than SLEX so I can go much much faster!



Thank you my angel for going down to take pictures for me. :)



Waiting for Arlee to get back in the car. Lol.










Of course what is a trip without binging? Kuya Alvin started craving for Chowking - like most Fil-Ams do - I still wonder what they see in that place. It's all false advertisement the moment you step inside (not to mention their billboards)...


I saw this and got hungry:




But then I got this and wondered where all the color went:





Appetite not satiated yet, I swore to make it all up to my tummy as soon as we get to C.






Yummy yummy Panizza





Spaghetti with meatballs...


And best of all...


Gelato!



Then it was time to retire and Mimosa was the final stop for the night. Saw this adorable K9 pup at the Holiday Inn. I just had to take a snapshot. :)







Woke up this morning craving for bacon and scrambled eggs so I ordered room service.:





Then Arlee picked me up after checkout. We chilled by the pool and had nachos.





5 minutes later...


My nachos vanished! :D



Decided to drop by Fully Booked in SM Clark afterwards to check if they have 2010 Planners in stock and look for any interesting new reads... and to get frozen yogurts next door at White Hat. :)





Before going home, kuya Alvin treated us to authentic Korean cuisine.




Of course there is zilch ambiance factor but the food was delish!



I got home at 10 PM. Can't hardly breathe! Shooting with US Girls tomorrow morning and now I realize it was a bad bad idea to binge the day before a TV shoot (where one virtually gains 10 lbs.)! I hope I still fit into my tight dress come morning, wish me luck!

The Past 10 Days...

...Were spent celebrating life, love and friendship. My hibernation was thrown out of the window. Heck, Arlee's back from Florida and we only have so much time so here goes...


01/8/10 - Encore (where we felt older than water with all them kiddos dancing in their Topshop/Mango/Zara frocks) and Fiamma (where we finally felt at home with familiar fashion friendly faces and people from the same age bracket).






Sissybelles!


With Cathy Cavilte (in our own designs). Lol.



1/10/10 - Dinner at Masas and Sherlock Holmes movie night in Greenbelt.





Patrick and I (both fans of Zara blazers. Heck, I think EVERYONE who loves tailored jackets go to Zara for a cheaper jacket fix!)



1/13/10 - Home cooked dinner double date with the Gioskos power couple in their Belair home.



Dropped by Cafe Ysabel for their yummy yummy Strawberry Shortcake first!



My 12Twelve partner, lunch buddy and fashion soul sista. :)



Adoring the dress!


P.S.
Sorry we got to your house so late! One wrong turn led to another and huwowww what a nightmare the traffic was!



1/14/10 - Double Drinking Date with the beautiful Net and macholito Carlo at Guilly's and Quattro (yes, we are such QC folks. We drink anywhere this side of town!)




Check out Net's glove-detailed bag! Girlfriend is so creative and stylish: L-O-V-E!




What a fun night that was! Major laugh trip! Too bad the Bibingka stand was already closed when we got to Quattro though. :-/ Til you're next trip home mare and pare!

Cheers!

It was the annual Christmas/New Year gathering with the sissies last night. This year the venue was at Martin B.'s lovely studio--a space shared with the stylish and gorgeous Pam Q.--and beautiful their office definitely was!

I am probably still burping from all the good food I had (on top of all the equally good food I gorged on today) and still hung over from all the fun, laughter, wish portion, silly dancing and of course, Patrick and Regine's mowdel showdown. LMAO! :D But then again, what's a sissy gathering without the catwalk showdowns and silly dancing?!! Veejay you shouldn't have left early, now Patrick won by default!


Speaking of the showdown, Patrick begged not to post the photos... so sis, we now have reason to blackmail you! BE GOOD TO US! :P




STILL MISSING UPON PICTURE TAKING: The bucket of KFC that everyone was looking for because Patrick was late!




Binge, binge, binge!




Christina + Nicole = Bitchmates foreverrrrr! Dinner at Mr. Chow next week baby girl? :)



Why is my jaw so square here? Lol! Hola sissies Eric and Jerome!




Mowdel Showdown time bitches! This is about as far as I can go. All I can say is, Regine channels Joan Bitagcol and Amy Verbo so well! Girlfriend can ramp and sell clothes on the runway. Meanwhile, Patrick's fierce, distinct walk could get her a VS contract stat! Mga bakla, aminin!




I heart this mirror...




And this one too!




Smoke Breakers: Jerome and JM




Hot hot Nicole Morimoto




Veejayyyyy! :)



Heaven knows how much I love these bitches. Inside and outside of fashion, they've been there for me. Thank you sissies. *HUGS!!!*


Here's to another year of friendship, good beginnings for the coming year and ending 2009 on a good note!

Happy 2010 my lovelies! :)

Commonly Asked Questions

Call me mean but I find it rather annoying when I keep bumping into people with misconceptions about the fashion industry. So to enlighten the clueless folks, I've compiled a list of frequent misconceptions and commonly asked questions.


1. Dressing Up Artistas - Unbeknownst to many, these glamorous femmes don't usually pay for the clothes they wear on TV, events, award shows, concerts, etc. The stylist (whether their personal or the designated fashion stylist for the said event)-- or in some cases, the road manager does the job-- borrows or pulls out ready-made clothes or samples from designers. Sometimes they have a budget to rent out these pieces, often times they're pulled out for free with the promise of an "on-cam thank you" or a special shoutout after the segment. I can count with my one hand the artistas who actually orders clothes for them to wear on TV or any occasion. One of them is Kris Aquino, a most sought-after client for most designers in the country, because once she loves you the orders just keep coming and she pays well. And so when the clothes aren't sponsored, there is no need to thank the designer. So please quit asking me if my name will be heard on SNN. Kris pays whenever she orders. Which brings me to the next question...

2. Why Not Give Free Clothes To Be Greeted - I'm a businesswoman first, a designer second. I'm also not a fame whore. I'd rather earn money than hear my name on TV, thank you. :)

3. Artistas Rule The World - NOT! The real fashion makers-or-breakers are stylists, editors and creative directors. Showbiz-wise, the designers only really care about the A-list (whom the moneyed parties listen to a.k.a. our ideal client).

4. Ateliers Need Window Display - No, not really. In Paris and New York, ateliers are tucked away and unbeknownst to many unless you have an appointment or are a fashion insider. Ones who also sell ready-made pieces in their atelier/shop SHOULD have a window display but other than that, I don't see it as a prerequisite. I for one like my privacy and prefer only to entertain clients who have an appointment.

5. WHY NOT JOIN PROJECT RUNWAY - Because not every young designer wants or needs to. Fame is not everything darlings. Just because you're on TV doesn't necessarily make you an overnight sensation. If it did then EVERYONE would be in PRP. If you are already in business, sometimes it's better to just concentrate on your orders and current clients instead of going on a 2-month hiatus. But that's just my opinion.



So I hope this helps. And that is all folks!



Cza