Monday, November 28, 2011

Worst Flight Ever

I have a hard time sleeping now, so I might as well share with you my horrible flight experience with a certain airline earlier tonight. 

Flying with children is no joke, more so when I'm seated far away from my son and the nanny.  I was booked a business class seat (which they insisted even if I asked for an economy seat) by the company who invited me to cover an event. I thought of bringing my son and opted to buy economy seats for him and the nanny, as it was a very short flight.  It's not practical to spend so much for a short trip, in my opinion. 

Unfortunately, my son didn't want to leave my side, but the flight attendant insisted that I move him back with the nanny since a passenger was complaining about the little one (who was very quiet and well-behaved at that time).  I knew my two-year-old son was going to cry and make a scene, so I tried to talk my way out of it—to no avail.  So, while I was in the economy area with the nanny, trying to pacify the little one... my friends overheard the flight attendant and one of the heads talking trash about me behind the closed curtain.  

Things my friends overheard were:
"Bakit kasi isang business class ticket lang binili nya?" (Why did she buy just one business class ticket?)
"Sino ba kasama nya sa likod?" (Who is with her at the back?)

My friend asked the flight attendant to come over to where he was seated.  He told her nicely that it was very rude of them to talk about me, and that everyone can hear what they were talking about.  I'm not sure at what point in their conversation did she answer back, but her defense was that I was being hard on her.  Okay, granted that I was, I don't think any passenger deserved to be talked about that way, right?

He even asked if he can file a complaint, and the head came out and gave him their IDs and a feedback form.  I personally think that they were very arrogant to have given their IDs. The fact that they gave them could only mean two things:
1. they were confident our complaint won't reach their head office
2. they think they didn't do anything wrong

I will definitely raise this to the company, not because I want revenge, but I think they need to know how their front liners are doing at work.  

Don't get me wrong though. My flight from Manila to Cebu was a dream.  All the flight attendants were so attentive, seeing how my son was crying almost the whole time before we took off—we were delayed, hence my son was very agitated and bored.  You know how two-year-olds are :(  One of the senior ones even approached me and asked how I was doing.  A simple question like "How are you?" can make all the difference.

This flight back to Manila?  Not one apology from the two of them.  But one of their co-flight attendants came back and apologized on their behalf.  So the whole company is not to be blamed here.  I just hope that these two will be reprimanded for what they did.  Maybe being an FA is not the right job for these two.  

Friday, November 25, 2011

Black Friday Sale

Forever 21 Philippines joins the Black Friday sale with its yellow tag deals like these:


Two for P950 (comes in 2 colors for the polka, and 2 plain ones)

2 skirts for P624




4 lipgloss for P325

Visit the store today to get first dibs on Sale items, plus "Buy-1-Take-1" specials. 
Oh, and if you're interested in the Moshi Moshi handset, check our promo out :D


See ya!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

I'm Back

I'm still settling down here in Manila, so much post-event stuff to do.  In the meantime, please click on the photo below to find out what happened in Cebu :D


Thank you, Cebu :D

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Busy Bee

Pardon the silence here in my blog this week. Forever 21 SM Cebu opens this Friday :o See you all bright and early (9:30AM) as we give out P500 vouchers (with a minimum purchase of P2,500) and goodies to the first 250 to line up at the North Wing of SM Cebu.


See you all there :D

Monday, November 14, 2011

Not So Private ;)

I won't be here for this sale - sniff! - since I'll be in Cebu preparing for our 3rd store.  Forever 21 opens this Friday!!! Dizzisit!


For the ones residing in Manila, why don't you check this out?


Fresh off the runway from Philippine Fashion week 2011!

In support with the local fashion industry, we are showcasing top designers such as - Jerome Salaya Ang, Maco Custodio, Michelline Syjuco, Norman Noreiga, Joel Escober, Duerr Manila, Tina Daniac, Khakai Villanueva, Aries Lagat, Lizanne Cua, Seven 107.

This 3-day event will be held in 14-D Amorsolo East, Rockwell Makati City. From November 18 to 20, 2011 from 10am to 8pm.

RSVP : 0917-816-8180/ 0917-855-7210 (guestlist,date,time)

Mode of Payments: Cash/ Debit and Credit Card (applicable charges may apply)

Friday, November 11, 2011

The Attendees

In between Oliver Tolentino's show
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I was able to hang out and chat with friends.  Here are some of them:
The first person I bumped into was Michaelle Torres, who's the EIC of Metro
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Kat Holigores in Louis Claparols
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Malu Francisco of SSI
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Maureen Disini who's wearing her own design—which reminds me, I have to set an appointment with her soon! She's with Andrea Wei.
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Liza Ilarde of Style Weekend and Mela de Luna of Metro in Eric delos Santos
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JR Isaac with Charmaine Palermo
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Charmain and Annie of Metro
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Tippi and Ito Ocampo
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Lexi Schulze
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JP Singson
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Karylle
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hot momma Denise Laurel
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Leah Puyat
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Kaye Tinga - I just had to take a shot of her lovely red gown by Oliver Tolentino.
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Director Wacky Valdes shows how much he loves Samsung
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And my last shot:
Me with Bebeth Timbol, who's wearing Oliver Tolentino
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What I'm wearing: a fully beaded (hand-sewn) dress by New Yorker and shoes from Forever 21.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Native Son

Oliver Tolentino’s experimentations with our indigenous fabrics have caught the attention of Hollywood stars, like Cee Lo Green, Macy Gray, Vivica Fox and Sophia Bush. His LA shop is fast becoming a fashionable destination for celebrities.


Tolentino came back home recently to stage his very first gala show, hosted by Metro and Metro Society magazines together with Samsung.


His Metrowear Icon show, held at Sofitel, featured a 75-piece couture collection, incorporating native fabrics such as piña, abaca, raw silk cocoon, and jute: “I'm trying to promote our fabrics so these great skills that have been passed down for 500 years continue into the next generation and keep our skilled kababayans employed,” he says.
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Old Hollywood was his inspiration—pieces that are classic in cut and style, but full of drama through the use of ruffles, appliquĂ©s, and printed fabrics, to name a few. “Old Hollywood was something that inspired me as a kid in the province. We didn't have boutiques so I'd watch old movies with my mother and I was always interested in the fashion. She'd buy me international magazines at Clark and I'd look at the celebrities. Since I'm now dressing up people in Hollywood, I wanted to modernize the look.”
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Spring was definitely in the air, as his collection included rosettes, floral hues, and floral-printed fabrics that give off an enchanted, fairy-like aura. To add to the mood, models moved with ballerina-like, graceful steps that were feminine and alluring. Male models, in turn, came out dashing in their barongs. “The fabric is a more luxurious version of the piña. The embroidery is a little more elegant and refined. I lined them and cut them like a suit. I loved the way they looked on the guys when they walked out,” Tolentino explains.
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It was a couture collection that showcased the perfectionist in Tolentino, with each piece crafted meticulously. Tolentino obviously gives his all when it comes to designing clothes—this collection was three months in the making.
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Style Kit: How and when did you start making clothes?
Oliver Tolentino: I started as a boy with sketches of dresses in all my school books. When I was about seven, I would stay inside while the other kids played and watch my mother's seamstress. I started altering my brothers' hand-me-downs so it would be like new clothes for me.


SK: When and why did you leave for the US?
I expanded into the US in July 2009 because I always dreamed of having a shop in Hollywood and dressing celebrities. Since I still have my Makati shop and videoconference with clients here, I don't feel like I've left.


SK: Filipino fabrics like piña, abaca, and raw silk cocoon are obviously your favorites. Is there a story behind your love of these fabrics?
This question always surprises me because I'm a Filipino so it's not unusual for me to have worked with piña before. I believe that if we Filipino designers don't promote our native fabrics, then who will? Eco fashion is a hot topic around the world right now, so it's just added enjoyment for me to be able to work with our native fabrics and it's such an interesting thing to do. I have tried to take our "old" fabrics and modernize them and show that couture can be created from them. I was so surprised that a friend of mine told me after the show that he was disappointed I didn't use piña in my Metrowear Icon collection. I informed him that over half of my collection was piña, abaca, raw silk cocoon, water lily, and jute! I took that as an extreme compliment that I had used our native fabrics in such a way that they looked like luxurious international fabrics. That has been my goal and for a Filipino not to recognize our fabrics, that's high praise for the end result of my efforts.


SK: Your American business partner, Andrew Caruthers, shared with us that you traveled all the way to the provinces and met with the people who make these fabrics. Could you share with us how the experience was like?
My business partner, an American, Andrew Caruthers, and I both have met with the Fiber Industry Development Authority in Manila and also DTI in Aklan about how to promote Philippine fabrics in order to support weavers in Aklan and the embroiderers of Lumban. DTI Aklan toured us around the different weavers and we observed how piña is made—literally, as someone pulled the leaves from the pineapple plants and stripped it down before us. I gave advice on the types of fabrics I'd like to see from them. Since then they have produced new fabrics that are extremely creative and high in quality.


SK: We hear that you intentionally veered away from black, red, and white gowns for this Metrowear show. Why is that? Is it because you want to promote colors?
While everyone knows I love colors, that's not the reason. The reason was that I wanted to challenge myself. Black, red, and white are such popular evening gown colors because they capture the eye and dazzle. For this collection—and I wonder if people who attended noticed—I excluded black, red, and white. That forced me to create couture pieces out of colors that are more challenging to create "wow" pieces from. It was just something I wanted to see if I could do, especially in Manila, and it was a rewarding challenge. The show director kept saying this was his first show ever not to close with black gowns or white wedding gowns.


SK: We enjoyed Kuh Ledesma’s walk on the runway. We’d love to know what is it you like about her.
Firstly, almost everyone in the fashion industry in that room knew that Kuh Ledesma does not walk for anyone! She never has! This was her first time and that was the shock factor. Then to see her have so much fun with it and pose on stage was a treat. Kuh is someone special to me because everyone knows she has discriminating taste. I was touched when she agreed to be a part of the event, and then was surprised myself when she agreed to walk. If nothing else, I'll always have that Kuh Ledesma honored me by walking for the first time in my first Philippine gala!
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*For inquiries and appointments: Makati boutique, including ready-to-wear, is located in the Colonnade Residences building at corner of C. Palanca & Legaspi streets near Greenbelt 1, 856-7088. Los Angeles boutique: 9003 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA. (310) 858-0555. Visit Oliver Tolentino’s website at http://www.OliverTolentino.com; facebook page: Oliver Tolentino; and Twitter ID: DesignerOliverT

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Fashion Reveries

Not too long ago, we shared a restaurant during lunch time with Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Kaye Tinga. Both mentioned they were working on a fundraising event, which turned out to be the annual Red Charity Gala, which was to raise funds for the Philippine Red Cross and the Assumption High School Batch 1981 Foundation.


When you have two very stylish organizers like Prieto and Tinga, it is no surprise that this year’s gala shouldn’t be missed. Dubai-based designer Michael Cinco graced the prestigious event this year as the featured designer, showcasing a 40-piece collection at the Makati Shangri-la hotel.
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Cinco seeks his inspiration from his travels. The latest of which was a trip to Greece, including stops at Athens and Santorini. Most probably enamored with the wonderful sunsets of old Greece, Cinco started his collection in neutral hues such as light gray to bolder hues like yellow, orange, red, and brown. We love the extra detail that went with the collection, such as an overload of bangles and shoulder accents that seemed to look like body armor. A great contrast, if I may add, Cinco’s feminine silhouettes.


Pieces were designed to fall delicately on the body. Some were figure-hugging, others, voluminously flowing. All are delicately and intricately fabricated with Cinco’s trademarks of crystals, embroidery, and embellishments.
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Cinco ended the show with a bridal set and his muse, Georgina Wilson, wearing a mermaid-cut gown with sheer lace-work sleeves that gave off an illusion of white embroidery on her arms. A triple layer of the hemline added delicate volumes for that dramatic entrance.
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Michael Cinco is now preparing for World Fashion Week in New York as the Philippine representative this November. We’re pretty sure his collection will win the audience’s hearts as it did us and Dubai.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Toy SALE

I just came from Toy Kingdom's warehouse sale last night, and bought a lot of toys and books for our little one, and gifts for the holidays, too ;)
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It's definitely worth the trip, so go shop this weekend ;)

Thursday, November 3, 2011

I'm Back

Apologies again for the prolonged weekend hiatus, but I just got back from Korea last night.  It was a short family vacation trip with another family.  As always, I make sure to have photos with all the Forever 21 stores I passed by:

This is in Myeong-dong
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And this is in Sinsa:
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I will try my best to share my shopping finds when I can.  In the meantime, how was your long weekend? :) How was PFW? :D

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