Imaginary Buyer: Picks from Manila Fashion Festival

MANILA FASHION FESTIVAL, now on its second season, begs to differ: there is the traditional showcase, but the catch is, the designs are available for purchase, stat. MFF is a vehicle by Art Personas and epitomizes the business of fashion via a fashion/trunk show in-one.

Here I make a case imagining: what if I have the checkbook to stock your next favorite must-have in my dream Dover Street Market-esque Sari-Sari Shop.

1. Renan Pascon proposes for the sartorially-adventurous individuals who looks up to cult of Rick Owens. 

The outerwear pieces stand out -- perfect for a quick December holiday in Japan or South Korea. #burgiz

2. Chris Diaz shows two men's looks that are dark, brooding enough for the eccentric preppy-fiend. 

My picks are from his button-down shirts category.

3. The styling of the men's looks at Rhett Eala suggests sporty updates in the oft-ignored menswear category, here he puts the high in high street-gear like jackets and sweaters. 

4. Mark Tamayo gives us somber sophistication, one is by way of dressed-up tops and bottoms combo, punctuated by mandals. 

His strength has to be in tailoring. Picking the button-down shirts and zip-down tops, skinny trousers and, please, the mandals.

5. Last but not the least, and because we can pick our own Pikachu of 'em all: Ziggy Savella. 

His touted runway comeback (after a three-year hiatus) with a collection of louche daywear and pajama-dressing is another seal of approval: yes, you can wake up like that and nonchalantly head out to KFC.

The separates are so good: the wrap-around shirt, the floral robe, the polka dots double-breasted tie-up jacket.

Because I could not remember seeing a dope boiler-suit by a Filipino designer, this had me drooling:

Bonus: The model is Philippe Escalambre

This is highly-merchandisable.

Special citations: 

a. New to the roster Esme Palaganas is suggestive of what a hopeful romantic Jenna Lyons-pegged librarian, or literature teacher, would wear on a Saturday dinner or Sunday brunch. E.P. might as well stand for eyeful perspective.

b. Not every women wants to be a sexed-up dominatrix or Norma normcore in luxe basics, there are some out there who wants to be one ~simply~ lady-like sprite, so thinks Vania Romoff with her stylist group's Qurator-stamped dainty parade.

Question: Why are they calling it Fall/Winter when we only have humid-hot and hell seasons here? 

Aspirational, perhaps. Maybe there are *real* international buyers in the audience.

Special Treat: Inside Céline HQ

In WSJ. Magazine's extended profile of the Céline's brand-new maison in Paris, Phoebe Philo is not only the fashion brand's creative director but also a guerrilla interior architect.

 Sleek studio lighting system as thoughtful office lamps

How Filipino islander's life is this seagrass wall!

The renovated 17th-century hôtel peculier is to become the true home-base for the LVMH-owned zeitgeist-setting fashion and accessories brand and is to be utilized as a showroom and the Paris branch of the design studio. The main creative powerhouse shall remain in London, where Philo and her family are based.

Here's CEO Marco Gobbetti sounding off about London versus Paris:

“The advantage of having [her] studio in London is that it keeps a bit of distance between Phoebe and Paris. It prevents the brand from becoming too bourgeois. We have this London street inspiration that is very good nourishment for Céline.”

But Celine is not even burgiz, it's for the RITZ.

Lectures on fashion by Fran Lebowitz

I can't remember where I first had an encounter of the name Fran Lebowitz. Maybe I had, in one of those ELLE back issues I bought from Book Sale. 

ELLE U.S. on its website had an interview with the celebrated author. I can tell she's loud and can be surly. Or as we like to call it, opinionated -- like my favorite, the Queen of All Media of the seven thousand one hundred seven islands under the Republic of the Philippines, no less than Kris Aquino.

I love her for saying this:

They (Brooks Brothers) discontinued the shirt I liked. If I had only known this—I mean, if you're going to discontinue an item that thousands and thousands of people buy, announce it. Say, 'We will no longer be making our excellent Brooks Brothers cotton shirts that we made for 5,000 years. We're going to change them in some awful way. We're alerting you so you can buy a lifetime supply.' Shirts don't go bad, they're not peaches.

On real estate:

I wish that real estate were cheaper and clothes were more expensive. But that's what young people want: $2 T shirts that fall apart in the wash.

My middle-class budget is teary-eyed:

People care more about trends now than they do about style. They get so wrapped up in what's happening that they forget how to dress, and they never learn who they are because they never learn how to take care of anything. So much of what my generation was taught regarding clothes was how to make them last. How to wash and care for them.

Dry clean is an oxymoron:

I dry-clean as infrequently as possible—not only because it's psychotically expensive, but also because who knows what it does to the clothes? Dry…clean. These words don't go together. Wet clean—that is how you clean. I can't even imagine the things they do at the drycleaner. I don't want to know.

Ah, the phenomenon that is men wearing shorts:

To have to sit next to grown men on the subway in the summer, and they're wearing shorts? It's repulsive. They look ridiculous, like children, and I can't take them seriously. It's like any other sort of revealing clothing, in that the people you'd most like to see them on aren't wearing them. And if they are, it's probably their job to wear them. My fashion advice, particularly to men wearing shorts: Ask yourself, 'Could I make a living modeling these shorts?' If the answer is no, then change your clothes. Put on a pair of pants.

I was entertained. 

In other news: HBO has cancelled LOOKING

HBO announced that the series about a group of gay men and close friends living and coming of age in San Francisco will not return for its third season. 

It left us far too soon.

Apparently, the viewership of about 2 million per episode is a tad too low compared to GIRLS, which averaged 4.6 million viewers per episode.

But(t).. here's a pampalubag-loob statement from It's Not TV, It's HBO:

“After two years of following Patrick and his tight-knit group of friends as they explored San Francisco in search of love and lasting relationships, HBO will present the final chapter of their journey as a special. We look forward to sharing this adventure with the shows loyal fans.”

I know dudes - @LookingHBO seasons no more, but think about it - @andrewhaighfilm is gonna direct the movie? @andrewhaighfilm!!!!!!!! :-) x

— russell tovey (@russelltovey) March 25, 2015

Updated to add: 7 reason We'll Miss Looking [via: OUT.com]

The LOOKING film should be very good, or sad, or both.

R.I.P. quintet One Direction

It started with Zayn Malik and his man-bun missing the Manila-leg of their On The Road concert series allegedly due to stress, and ended with his announcement of retirement from 1D. 

I am not a die-hard fanatic but the most important millenial boyband's LSS-inducing songs have been part of my post-college ~real~ life as twen-teenager. #guiltypleasure

Updated WIKI entry

His statement in full:

"My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22 year old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world."

Fair, but .. ugh. 

Dat face: No longer in 1D, always in our minds.. 

.. and hearts ..

.. and souls.

It is obvs he has Middle Eastern features but I just learned today he is specifically of Pakistani descent.

So matz feelsz.

The Business of Birkenstock

In a grand documentation by New Yorker, we get everything we would want to know about the ubiquitous Birkenstock. The fashion geek in you will be happy -- or jealous as if you had wanted to have made the tedious work instead.

No wonder the Birks resurgence has reached the Philippines because we like something basic yet interesting on our feet.

The timeline:

Foundation

1774

• One Johann Adam Birkenstock was registered as a shoemaker in a town outside Frankfurt.

Late 19th century

• His descendant, Konrad Birkenstock opened two shops in Frankfurt and made shoes -- no sandals yet.His innovation was to make shoes with insoles that were, rather than normally flat, actually contoured and thus provided better support.

Evolution

Early 20th century

• Konrad's other important innovation: flexible rubber insoles that were to be inserted into industrially-produced shoes, and they have a name for it: Fussbett, or “foot bed.” 

• His son Carl also got into the business of foot health and health-oriented kind of footwear. . 

The Sixties

• Birkenstock the company began making sandals.

• Lore has it that Carl's son Karl is the scientist behind a "blend of cork and latex to produce a material that was light, resilient, and supportive", which he came up by baking in the family kitchen.

• The Madrid was born. Birks sandals number one "had a contoured cork foot bed and a buckled strap that crossed in a band at the toes. It was an exercise sandal rather than a fashion item: the shoe was supposed to feel as if it would fall off unless the wearer constantly gripped the contoured toe bar, toning the calf muscle in the process."

Comeback

October 2012

• Phoebe Philo at Céline sent her models down the runway wearing Arizona-style sandals lined with mink. 

An homage to Birkenstocks, these furry ones were then aptly called by fashion fanatics as Furkenstocks.

2013

• Vogue posted on its Web site a praise story about the no-heels titled “Pretty Ugly: Why Vogue Girls Have Fallen for Birkenstock.” 

2014

• "Nearly twenty million pairs of Birkenstocks were sold."

And that's the Die Renaissance des Birkenstock as the foot-healthy, somehow-fashionable classic.

Harvey SPECTRE -- NOT!

While SUITS' Harvey Specter is a great suit guy, James Bond is still the undisputed GQ poster man.

The creator of the 007 series has tweeted the 1st official teaser poster of SPECTRE.

Here is the official #SPECTRE teaser poster pic.twitter.com/3cn3iM6tf1
— James Bond (@007) March 17, 2015

James Bond. In a turtleneck. Or in the UK, roll-neck.


Or is it a tactical turtleneck / Tactleneck?

Sterling Archer-esque? 


Is James Bond, Sterling Archer?


as played by Roger Moore in Live and Let Die


as played by Daniel Craig

Or is Archer, Bond?


Or Steve Jobs chic?

And then they were eight

Today came the announcement of the eight finalists of the the 2015 LVMH Prize, which at stake are a grant of 300,000 euros and a year-long mentorship from the conglomerate's stable of fashion experts (both creatively and commercially).

The Magic 8 are:

• Arthur Arbesser, 

• Coperni by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, 

• Craig Green, 

• Faustine Steinmetz, 

• Jacquemus by Simon Porte Jacquemus,

• Marques’ Almeida by Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida, 

• Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh, 

• and Vetements by a group of (seven) designers headed b Demna Gvasali.

As much as I am man-fatuated with Jacquemus and the Coperni guys (they could win this one given that Arnaud Vaillant has been actively focused on and vocal about the label's growth strategic management), I am rooting for someone whose trajectory and work I have started following since 2013: Faustine Steinmetz. 

Three things:

1. Steinmetz is into hand-weaving.
2. She and her team create the otherwise- mass-produced basic everyday pieces (e.g. a pair of jeans) from scratch, like couture.
3. Etsy-esque luxury has been shaping up as the next big thing in this commerce-driven world. Meaning: something investment-worthy.

"Five words which sum up your label?

Handmade, basic, comfortable, classic, traditional."

In the same vein as last year's instance with HBA and Miuniku as runners-up (each got a funding of a hundred thousand euros plus mentorship), a special prize is deserved by the French woman.

After the deliberation of a jury of the industry's luminaries, the winner (or winners) will be announced on May 22nd at the Louis Vuitton Foundation.

R.I.P. Manuela Pavesi

Last Saturday morning, while on a snack break, I saw a Fezbook post by Style.com on the passing of eccentric chica Manuela Pavesi. 

Photo by Scott Schumann 

Missus Pavesi is known among them fashion insiders and fanatics as a photographer 


and, most notably, for her post as fashion coordinator of Prada, the right-hand woman of Mrs. P.

She is credited by former Prada merchandiser and now designer Jonathan Anderson as his main encouragement for starting his own brand.

Manuea Pavesi was 65 years old.

Remembering Manuela Pavesi - STYLE.com
Remembering Manuela Pavesi - STYLE.com
Remembering Manuela Pavesi - STYLE.com

Earthquake post in 3, 2, 1..

Boy was that a really strong one, ate officemate, who was doing her daily 'tidying up her desk' ritual, exclaimed, "Baba na tayo (from the second floor to the ground floor)!"

An intensity 4.2 quake hit Polangui, Albay at 8:09 this morning. | via @phivolcs_dost
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) March 16, 2015

Polangui, Albay niyanig ng Mag 4.2 na lindol, 8:09am. Intensity 3 Iriga City, Int 2 Daet Cam Norte at 1 Mulanay Quezon | @erwinaguilonINQ
— RadyoInquirer990AM (@dzIQ990) March 16, 2015

Polangui, Albay is around 30 kilometers away South of where I work-- Pili (City).

My girl crush is now a lady; plus: Top 3 Best Dressed @ #JustJulia's Debut

Julia Barretto celebrated her debut on Tuesday night with much fanfare -- which includes the attendance of her feuding relatives, minus her tita Gretchen Barretto.

Aunt Claudine was there.

Afraid! But in vanity fair-ness, classy.

Here’s my Best Dressed List for Julia B.'s 18th, in no particular order:

1) Best Yin and Yang: Laureen Uy and Julia's stylist Liz Uy in VANIA ROMOFF


2) Ethereal Teen Queen: Kathryn Bernardo in MARTIN BAUTISTA


3) This is how to get away with a dainty killer look: Coleen Garcia in BOOM SASON and sporting a lob (long bob)


As for the safe looks of them Star Magic guys in attendance, Lapo Elkann 

can provide some advice:

To Elkann, black tie is a state of mind, not a mandate. "When I look at the Oscars," he says, "I always see the actors dressed all alike—and very few of them are, how you say, really elegant." 

Not the worst (hello!) but I know KC Concepcion can do better than have some ink creeping on her chest.


Finally, here's (naturalmente) the debutante #JustJULIA in a vibrant creation by MICHAEL CINCO.


Photos via: STYLEBIBLE.com

Valentino + Zoolander Coup

Over at Valentino Fall/Winter 2015-2016 Women's show, as soon as what seemed to be the last look of their impeccable collection,


out of nowhere, *surprise-surprise*  appeared Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson),


and, (of course) not to be singled out, Zoolander (Ben Stiller), Derek Zoolander, himself, sashayed down on the runway.


Zoolander and Hansel took to the finale their versions of the best 'Blue Steel' look.


This is to confirm that Zoolander 2 is slated to be shown in February 2016.

Apparently Derek and Hansel have come to terms on #Zoolander2 😗

A photo posted by Ben Stiller (@benstiller) on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:47am PDT

The genius behind this move could be no less than Mama Anna Wintour. She's involved, obvs.

How to Get The Attention of your Designer Crush in 3 Easy Steps

Or How I Became This Close > < to Simon Porte Jacquemus


1. Post a photo in a popular social media account, i.e.



2. Caption with something you learned from your more than 10 years of formative English classes

3. Wait..

.. Ta-dah!

jacquemus is apparently the tumblr presence of the label's press arm.

Given that the fashion brand is still relatively small in its operations -- but its re-inclusion to the 2nd Annual LVMH Prize could soon changed its course, I would like to think the adorable Prents man himself, 

via: CANDY magazine

last night, liked my post of a photo of him.

Kilig mats!

TbT Photo of the Day: Lola Karl Lagerfeld

Isn't there already a published book of the mouthful of things articulated/expressed/quipped by the incomparable Karl Lagerfeld? 

The Yoda (I call her Lola) of the fashion world, other than designing clothes and accessories for Chanel, Fendi 

Mr. Lagerfeld and the five Fendi sisters, in a 1983 photograph. Credit via Fendi

and his eponymous line, Karl Lagerfeld, with more than 3 collections a year, is also a photographer, publisher, condominium interior designer (what could be the latest entry in his LinkedIn profile) and cat person to his pet Choupette, as he cited while pointing out why designers are not artists, in an article from The New York Times:

"I don’t think that most of the designers have a very quick sense of humor. They take themselves very seriously because they want to be taken as artists. I think we are artisans. It’s an applied art. There’s nothing bad about that. If you want to do art, then show it in a gallery. ... I’m a designer, I do photos, I do books, I’m a publisher, but I don’t have the self-proclaimed label “artist.” I hate that. Very pretentious. If other people say it, it’s very flattering, but if you start to say it yourself, you better forget about it."

Helmut Lang must have heed his sagely advice way back when.


He can be a Civil Registrar: 

“I said, ‘Hervé, this name is not possible, it’s too heavy"

Hence from his actual surname, Peugnet, it has become Léger, from the French word for “light.” And the rest is bondage dress history.


On being his own Stresstab:

“I don’t believe in it. It’s a job, one should not become hysterical.”

Lola doesn't look back:

"No, no, no, no. This is one of the sicknesses of our period, to look back. No, forget about it. Fashion is now and tomorrow. Who cares about the past? But at Fendi, they like to tour the past."

He has green thumb:

"It’s nothing going back to any roots. It’s planting new trees."

Maybe a reason why he's showing in SoKor on the same day as the Costume Institute Gala:

"There’s no history. I don’t even have archives, myself. I keep nothing. What I like is to do — not the fact that I did. It doesn’t excite me at all. When people start to think that what they did in the past is perhaps even better than what they do now, they should stop. Lots of my colleagues, they have archives, they look at their dresses like they were Rembrandts! Please, forget about it."

French DuoLingo 101:

"I don’t believe in waiting for inspiration. The French say, l’appétit vient en mangeant, the ideas come when you work. I work a lot for the garbage can. I have huge bins next [to me], for whatever I do, 95 percent goes to the bin."

What retirement?:

"No. I would die on the spot. Chanel died in the middle of a collection when she was in her nearly 90s."

Gushing! UNIQLO + LEMAIRE

Japanese exquisite basics mega-brand UNIQLO is teamworking up with LEMAIRE (the label formerly known as CHRISTOPHE LEMAIRE) under former Lacoste and (most recently) Hermes womenswear design director Christophe Lemaire and his partner Sarah-Linh Tran (my newest fave chicah g!rl).


Chicah, right?



I am saying it here first: her personal *and hair* style will soon be shoved into the spotlight.

As per Style.com,

(the) aesthetic of pared-down structure and louche ease, which designer Christophe Lemaire brought to the house of Hermès as creative director from 2010 to 2014, will likely translate nicely to the Japanese retailer’s aesthetic. 

That can be read as: This will be fucking amazing!

The men’s and women’s clothing collection will launch this fall.

Who wouldn't be enthusiastic about a former Hermes designer-approved clothing at affordable price points?! 


For UNIQLO stores location in the Philippines, click here.

A Comprehensive List of French and Male Designers

The VOGUE.com article Carven’s Announcement Is the Latest in Fashion’s Game of Musical Chairs: The Next Generation of Paris Garçon Designers has inspired me to repurpose the list.

Other than the new design duo at Carven, there's a new herd of design darlings who are 1) male and 2) Prents. Leading the pack is 
1) Guillaume Henry (formerly: Carven; new employer: Nina Ricci) 


2) Julien Dossena at Paco Rabanne, 

prior to which he was at Balenciaga under the helm of a certain Nicolas and co-founder Atto post-Balenciaga with two fellow alums.

3) Simon Porte Jacquemus (of the eponymous Jacquemus label), who was a sales associate at Comme des Garçons.


and 4) Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant  of Coperni 


While Meyer is solely focused on the contemporary Parisian label, Vaillaint remains to be an assistant to the embroidery and embellishments director at Balenciaga.

I can see the talent in patternmaking in their clean, modernist wardrobe for their woman.

***

Salability will surely follow as the character in each of their works is clearly high on the agenda.