Philippine Fashion Week: GUESS

I am currently a beauty columnist for CollegeFashionistaUK. One of the best things about this internship is being a style guru along with other awesome and fashionable girls. Last Saturday, I was given the opportunity to finally meet some of them as we were all given tickets to the GUESS fashion show.

The runway was pretty awesome as it set a modern and electric tone

 - there were hanging, glow-in-the-dark lights! It felt like a party!

But what made it even feel more like a party was the MUSIC. Guess' DJ was DJ SANYA SMITH.

 Oh, she is so good at mixing beats! 

The show started with all the models walking out and strutting their outfits.

Guess' clothes are very urban and street. They had a lot of flared pants, animal prints, and sheer tops.  This isn't really my style so I didn't fall in love with the clothes but what I loved were the heels which mostly came in pumps and Mary Janes. 

The show ended with all the models walking the runway! I loved the scene of the fashion show so much even though the clothes were just kind of bland.

The best part of the night was being with the other style gurus!

It was fun experiencing this with my fellow CollegeFashionista writers! We're missing the style gurus from SoFA though. Looking forward to more meet ups with them! <3, D

Starstruck

Bryan Boy is one of the world's most famous fashion bloggers. Besides his fierceness and entertaining humor, the best thing about him is that he is Filipino. It just goes to show that you can make it in the fashion world no matter where you are from.

Picture from Bryan Boy

The fashion gods have given the Stylish Fascinators an awesome opportunity to meet him THIS YEAR!!!

Katrine met him at the Teen Vogue Haute Spot during New York Fashion Week last September.

While Deanne met him during Fashion Week in Manila this October.

Meeting Bryan Boy AND having a picture with him was a dream come true because he's such a big figure in the fashion universe.We're so amazed at how the same things can happen to us even though we're miles apart. Perhaps the fashion gods have something in store for us? Well if you're listening to us, we'd be willing to do anything for you!!!

<3, D and K

Nightwalker

Hi, everyone! First off, I would just like to say thank you all for supporting and checking out our blog. I'm so happy with the response. Definitely check it more often for more posts in the future but for now this will be short and sweet.

For my birthday this year, I decided to gift myself with a pair of shoes but which one? I’ve been debating for a long time to get these certain pair of shoes that have been haunting me everytime I go on tumblr and on my favorite fashion blogs. They've been constantly on my mind and every night, I would be looking at them imaging what I could wear them with. Finally, after asking my friends which pair is better, I decided on the Nightwalker and here they are! Aren’t they just fab?

They're Jeffrey Campbell's and they're actually really comfortable. They're also easy to walk with. I know they look killer but on the inside, they're soft because of its padded lining sole. Tough on the outside and soft on the outside, just the way I like it. I've been having a big shoe phase so recently I've been buying mostly shoes whenever I go shopping. This is the 2nd pair of heels I bought last month but these are my favorite for obvious reasons. I've used them only ones so far and I got alot of compliments that night. I am so happy with them and I can't wait to wear them more often. The only down side about them is well...I tower over everyone whenever I wear them. Lol but what else is new? i love them and they're definitely worth scoring.

K

Our Sweet Escape

One of my best friends, Manica Tiglao, left for New Zealand today to have her adventure. Since we practically can't live apart anymore, we decided to spend a few days with just each other. We've been dying to go to Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay for a long time already so we decided to escape the craziness of Manila and treat ourselves to a deliciously refreshing lunch.

Lunch started with freshly baked whole wheat sesame bread and the accompanying dips of basil pesto, white cheese, anchovies, and mushroom pate. While they were all flavorful, my favorite one would be the basil pesto because it just goes perfectly with the warm bread. Once I had my first bite, I couldn't stop myself from going "Mmmm!" It was the best way to start the meal.

The salad was quite interesting, too, because within the greens, Manica and I spotted petals of red roses! I never imagined eating those! It was especially delicious because of the toppings that included mango, egg, pineapple cucumber, and - the best one - nuts. The crunchiness of the nuts complemented the greens as they were drizzled in Sonya's Secret Dressing!

After that, we had pasta. Two kinds of sauces were available: sun dried tomato and chicken cream. I preferred the sun dried tomato because it wasn't heavy and it was more exciting. Toppings included fried salmon belly, mushrooms, capers, and black olives. Before this, I wasn't into the last two toppings but when I paired them with the sun dried tomato sauce, it was just an explosion of taste. Now, I will always look forward to capers and black olives! The drink, freshly squeezed dalandan juice, kept our palettes fresh and clean. 

Dessert came. Our favorite part of every meal. We had the homemade chocolate cake which had just the right amount of sweetness and sin! It was delectable especially after drinking the tarragon tea. Dessert also included sweet potato and banana rolls. 

After that heartily healthy meal, we walked around the place to take in the fresh air and the beautiful greenery. Every inch of the place was breathtaking in a simple way. I remember telling Manica that when I have my own house, I would love to have a garden like this. Excuse us for we took a lot of pictures.

The interiors and landscape of the place are also very quaint and charming. The chandeliers in the restaurant gave the rustic vibe of a bygone era and the signs posted around the gardens were homey.

As for our outfits, Manica and I went for a minimalist look. We were both in dresses and flats and we accessorized with a statement bag. Manica's dress is from Forever21 and her bag is Prada. My dress is from Topshop and my bag from Marc by Marc Jacobs. I love how she and I can wear the same things but still exude totally different styles. 

That day was great. Manica, you're on the plane right now and I hate you for leaving me (hahaha). But I love you so I'll also say this: I'll miss you tons but go have your adventure! <3

A Live Food Adventure

I have never said no to food. Even though I’m dead tired at the end of the day, if my friends ask me if I want to eat with them, I would say yes. Even if I just ate already and my friends invite me to check out this new restaurant, I would go with them. I love food and eating in general and whoever said sex is better than food is wrong. Nothing will ever outrank food on my list. Call me a glutton or whatever. Food is food and that’s the truth. So last week, when my friend invited me to go with them to try this Korean restaurant for our school’s newspaper, obviously I said yes! The catch was that they we’re there to feature the Korean delicacy of....a live octopus. Yes. Live. That made me worry a bit but it still gave me an even more incentive to go.

The name of the restaurant that we went to is Sik Gaek and it’s located in Woodside, Queens just 30 minutes away from school. Walking towards the restaurant, we could already smell the food that awaits us. I haven’t really eaten a full meal that day so I was really excited to eat already. As soon as we went inside, I immediately saw the aquarium full of the live octopus and other sea creatures that will soon be in our belly.

The restaurant is so cozy making it the perfect place to just hang out and chill with your friends. Service is fast and the waiters and waitresses are always willing to answer any questions that you may have. They served us eggs right away and we asked them why they do that. They said it's because the protein in the egg helps with the spiciness of what we were about to eat. Now, i'm not really a fan of spicy things that it was good to know that I will be well protected. Lol

After serving us eggs, Kevin (our waiter), fished out the octopus that came with our order. Apparently, before serving, they take out the intestines first then cut the octopus into little pieces. You would think they would be dead but this wouldn't be anything special if there was no catch. Even though they cut up the octopus into small pieces, its tentacles were still moving and the suction cups were also still working. It was hard for me to eat them because it was hard to get them out of my bowl. When I got it out of my bowl though, I drenched it in sauce and I have to say, it wasn't bad. It was chewy and since i drenched it in sauce, it tasted like the sauce. It was better than I expected but I don't think it will become one of my favorites anytime soon though.

L-R: Kevin, Darryl, Laura, Me, Mike, Ariella

Next up was the short rib hot pot and boy was it a feast. Just like what my friend said, it was as if they dumped the whole ocean in the pot. It had shrimps, clams, razor clams, oysters, conch, squid, mussels and so much more! For the size of their serving, the price was definitely worth it. Our group consisted of 5 people and we still weren't about to finish the pot. The hot pot could definitely have served a party of 10 and there could even still be some leftover! It was insane. By the end of the meal, we were all definitely stuffed. We didn't think we can eat anymore but when our friend suggested we get bubble tea in Flushings, of course we all said yes again.

The bubble tea was good. The food was good. The company was good. At the end of the night, I was happy and stuffed. Would I go back again? Most Definitely and I highly recommend everyone to do the same.

As for the outfit, the weather was finally turning around after a full week of rain so I was very excited to dress up. I refuse to give up on my shorts just yet and so to compensate for the lack of material covering my legs, I wore a white oxford shirt underneath my chunky knit mustard sweater. I was feeling very preppy today so I decided to go with the whole preppy chic look. I accessorized my outfit with some black flats, crystal and black beaded necklace and a brown bag then I was good to go. Very comfy without looking sloppy. My favorite combination.

K

Fashion Watch Thursdays

I've been reading a lot about the Fashion Watch event that happens in Makati Shangri-la every Thursday afternoon. As if my mom read my mind, she asked me if I wanted to go to one of the shows. I excitedly said yes and found the time to have my date with her even though I am currently swamped with school requirements. Yes, fashion over school. Always.

Fashion Watch, an event sponsored by Preview Magazine and Style Bible, showcases the latest collections of the country's prestigious and sought-after designers. Every Thursday afternoon, they feature the collections of two designers. It takes place in the Lobby Lounge of Makati Shang - the perfect venue for elegance, luxury, and fashion. No tickets are required to reserve a table but you have to EAT - and honestly, what's a better incentive than that?

For P600, fashion show watchers are entitled to the Fashion Watch canapé set of smoked salmon on pumpernickel bread and cream cheese canapé, foie gras terrine on toasted brioche and fig jam canapé, and the “Fashion Watch” cocktail, a concoction of lychee, rum, and sparkling wine.

But I've been eating a lot lately (emotional and stress eater here), so that obviously wasn't enough for me. For an extra P300, I upgraded it to a Classic Elegant Afternoon Tea set which includes: raisin and lemon scones with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam, selection of finger sandwiches: goat cheese and watercress, smoked salmon and dill mayonnaise on pumpernickel bread, roast beef, caramelized onion and seeded mustard aioli, chocolate financier, strawberry tartlet, walnut brownie, and lemon cheesecake. All of that high tea food left me feeling MORE than satisfied!

While happily munching on my food, I also enjoyed looking at the outfits of the other guests. Boy do they dress up! I spotted a few fall trends: animal prints, brights, and harem pants. I also spotted a few celebrities such as Gretchen Barretto and Inno Sotto. 

The first designer to showcase his collection was FRANCIS LIBIRAN.

In Libiran's collection, the women were clad in elegance as they showcased cocktail dresses in shiny fabric and swooshy and sheer maxi gowns while being adorned in statement gold jewelry - necklaces, bangles, and earrings. The two ends of the color specturm - neutral and jewel - were represented. There were also some models in flattering pantsuits paired with cropped tops such as the one in deep blue. The men perfectly complemented the women as they walked on the runway with dapper suits and bow ties. Overall, Libiran perfectly captured the modern fashionistas and fashionistos with his minimally-styled yet head-turning designs.

Next up was the collection of DENNIS LUSTICO.

Lustico, in his spring/summer 2012 collection, played with details and appliqué. Noticeable were the pieces that were adorned with buttons in a non-classical way. He also used lace appliqués and netted fabric. The first look gave a strong impact as the model strutted a off-white cocktail dress with a flesh-toned blazer. Other notable pieces were the ones that included flouncy skirts, maxi skirts in sheer fabric, and two-toned dresses. Lustico had only 20 looks but his collection showed us that quantity doesn't matter for the quality of his collections was very feminine yet very sharp - a great concoction of style that makes a woman garner the respect she deserves. 

As always, I tried to go for a simple yet elegant look. The overall theme of my outfit was the classic black and white color combination but I tried to inject a bit of fun by wearing hot pink nail polish and accessorizing with a colored ring from Italy. 

That Thursday was well-spent. I enjoyed and I'm considering watching another show or two. After all, it is great practice for my future fashion journalist career. Hopefully.

D