On Neutral Ground

I still can't get over Cary Santiago's bridal show—have yet to schedule an appointment with him :o  But he wasn’t the only one who presented his collection of pretty neutrals. Check out how the guests interpreted the night with classy monotone shades:

Camille Mathay softened up her black dress with a skin-tone purse and light peach pumps.

Jessica Tan-Gan and Puey Quinones toughened it up with strong hues of black and brown.

Designer John Herrera went for romantic goth with his pick of striped bowtie and cross pendant.

Nicole Hernandez (with Randy Ortiz) played with prints.

Metro Weddings’ Trisha Juico (in Patrice Ramos-Diaz) used bronze accessories for subtle highlight, while Michelle Alejandro kept in simple with a Cary Santiago creation.

Juana Yupangco (with husband Enrique) showed her support for Santiago’s fascination for birds with a parrot graphic on her dress.

Jocelle Evangelista looks like a radiant bride in a soft tulle gown by Sassa Jimenez.

Jewelry designers Nicole Whisenhunt and Joyce Makitalo played with pink tones to complement their smooth skin.

Tessa Prieto-Valdes in a serpentina dress by Sassa Jimenez

Among the show’s sponsors was leading premium vodka brand Antonov, which treated the posh crowd to its Antonov Vodka Apple mixed drink, a tempting new drink with a twist of apple.  

Antonov Vodka Apple is a clear Vodka-based mixed drink infused with apple extracts and carbonated water.  This premium-vodka cocktail is 5% alc/vol, ready to drink, and set to be the beverage of choice for the trendy drinking crowd.

A Night to Remembe

rIt takes a lot to convince me to go out at night and attend events, but I would never say no to a "Cary Santiago" show.  It was held last night at Marriot Hotel in Resorts World, and I rushed to the venue right after work.  The show was breathtaking, as usual!  Would love to write about it more, but I should get some sleep.  Here's a summarized version of the collection in "digital film."  Enjoy the video ;)

Over the Holidays—Swooning Over Cary Santiago

Amidst the holiday rush and work last month, I sure am glad I was able to make it to Cary Santiago’s most recent fashion show hosted by Metro and Metro Society magazines. After all, who, in their right, fashionable mind, would say no to a one-man-show of Santiago’s?

I first saw Santiago’s laser-cut designs about two years ago, in a show hosted by Metro magazine as well. Since then, I’ve been a fan. I think everyone is. If this first show left me (and most of you) in awe, then this latest one will make your jaw drop! I invited Sydney Go (good friend and industry colleague; she now freelances) to watch the show with me, and we found Bebeth Timbol (one of my best buds) right before the start of the event—who happen to be part of the Marketing group of ABS-CBN Publishing. She got us good seats:

Well, not really "seats," but we were at the DJ's booth. Nice, eh?

Celebrating the disco era of the ‘80s with then hotspots Stargazer and Euphoria in mind, the Isla ballroom of EDSA Shangri-La Hotel was filled with partyphiles, both young and the young-at-heart—all came in their renditions of the “disco glam” attire to pay tribute to the “Disco King” and “King of the Night Life,” Louie Ysmael. But nothing and no one was more dazzling than the featured designer’s 25-piece collection.

Boudoir dressing in neutral tones, with his trademark laser cut patterns, spiced with Swarovski crystal embellishments for holiday flavoring, is present in Santiago’s luxurious set of cocktail dresses and gowns. For the pieces with cut-outs, models were dressed in nude-colored swimwear/lingerie for a sexy, peek-a-boo look to keep everyone guessing. Here are some of my faves:

My eyes were locked in at the show, looking at the models from head to toe. The shoes are gorgeous; all high-heeled platforms with the designer’s staple cut-out and graphic patterns. Some, even with Swarovski crystals too. Apparently, the renowed designer has ventured into shoe design with Maldita. I can’t wait to visit the Cesar Gaupo Store in Greenbelt 5, and try on these babies. It may take some time before I get to own a Cary Santiago dress. But his shoes will suffice, for now.

P.S. Here I am with Syd. From what I remembered, she was supposed to attend her yoga class that time but chose to watch the show with me. She said, "O, malakas ako sa yo." I then replied back, "Hindi ako malakas sa yo, si Cary ang malakas!" We then laughed together, hahaha... But LOL aside, the event was truly one that shouldn't be missed—I heart Cary! :o