Sparkling Creations

I attended an intimate press launch of Aura by Swarovski, a new perfume by everyone's favorite crystal.



It was held at M Cafe over a delicious lunch :)

It was a well-attended event, which was hosted by Ken of Midas Brand Management, and Jenny Yrasuegui and Celine Gabriel-Lim (their PR and Marketing arm)

Brand manager Mariless Villamar (an old colleague of mine) introduced the perfume to us. She's wearing a lovely Sassa Jimenez creation, BTW.

Also in attendance are the pretty ladies of Summit: Reggie Aquino, Eunice Lucero and Agoo Bengzon

Stef Cabal of Inquirer

Vicky Tensuan and Camille Sison of Blush mag

Fast forward to the rainy season: 

The city’s only perfume house, Art of Scent, welcomes another brand into its abode with the arrival of Aura by Swarovski. The world’s favorite crystal brand, Swarovski, together with Clarins Fragrance Group, has worked together in producing a special scent to crystallize the “gems” in sensual form. It is the aim of the two parties “to create a visual and olfactory aura of light, symbolizing the sparkle of a Swarovski crystal.”


Staying true to its sparkling personality, Aura by Swarovski is a fruity floral scent that certainly gives the wearer a fresh and feminine vibe. The light pink shade of the perfume is encased in a glass and chrome metal bottle that is embellished with a Swarovski crystal—what else, right? Along with the release of the perfume comes a mini collection of complementary cosmetics made up of lip gloss and highlighter that feature micronized Swarovski crystals and iridescent crystal shine powder.

A grand launch was also hosted by the distributors Midas Brand Management, with guests enjoying a private exhibit of creations made by established designers: 

Jun Escario presented a gown embellished with fine crystals sewn in linear patterns

Nicole Whisenhunt showed off a sparkling bib necklace made of crystals and semi-precious stones

Amina Aranaz-Alunan unveiled a silk-covered clutch with encrusted crystals. The bag designer shares, “I named the bag Aura after the perfume. I wanted to create something light but super feminine just like the scent. It is made of hand-twisted Philippine silk encrusted with Swarovski crystals and a mother of pearl clasp.”

Joey Mead hosted the short program, with brand manager Mariless Villamar introducing the first perfume of Swarovski and a speech, toast, and video reveal by Midas Brand Management/Art of Scent’s Ken Jeswani. An after-party followed shortly at Opus with the fashionable attendees:


*Aura by Swarovski is available at Art of Scent (Resorts World Manila) and SM Department Stores. The 75ml Aura by Swarovski bottle retails for P4,800, 50ml for P3,600, and 30ml for P2,900.

Birthday SALE

I got this invite from Amina Aranaz-Alunan below.  

It's actually a yearly event that I've been attending :)

Being a smart shopper, I went to their Power Plant branch last night to check out the goods. So when tomorrow comes, I don't have to waste time by deciding on what to buy.  I only have my lunch break to shop ;)

Here are some of the bags that are included in the special sale:

*Pardon the quality of the photos as I only used my mobile phone's camera :(

The satin clutch with the big bow is adorable

The mother-of-pearl handle is a keeper

approx. P9,500

I'm loving the red orange clutch :)

approx. P2,400

I love these leather bow clutches, P1,400

Mother-of-pearl bangle/handles with feather fringe detail

approx P12,500

Lovin' the intricacies of these crochet bags

Look at this one: a square flat bag

that comes out like this, when carried :)

approx. P3,600

I like these leather totes with round shell rings :)

P7,200

iPad case, P2,400 and laptop leather case, P3,400 :D

The striped canvas, mixed with beige leather, makes this doctor's bag an interesting piece.

approx. P5,600

Imagine these prices slashed at 50% off!

Isn't that a great deal? :)

Visit Power Plant mall on Sept 2 (Friday) and Greenbelt 5 on Sept 3 (Saturday) and get yourself one (or more) of these Aranaz bags ;)

Bags of Hope

The very first collaboration between Rags2Riches (RIIR) and Aranaz was a hit, leading to another exciting team-up. “This second collection still utilizes upcycled fabrics from scrap materials from garment manufacturers, but this time we mixed them with natural materials such as wicker. We continued using the rosette details which was a favorite from our summer collection,” shares Amina Aranaz-Alunan.

Launched recently, these eco-chic bags were presented along with School of Fashion and Arts (SoFA) student’s creations using materials such as “walis tambo” and “walis ting ting.” Ingeniously done, I was amazed at their works—both the students and Aranaz. Not only do they have an exhibit of the apprentices’ works and the exhibit of the bags, RIIR and Aranaz put up a silent auction on their one-of-a-kind bags. All of the proceeds were donated to the Redeemers Hope Orphanage, one of the establishments that was damaged by Ondoy. Plus, for the past month, 10% of all RIIR by Aranaz sales will go to funds in helping the victims of Ondoy rebuild their lives.

Check out the goodies below :D

Both the dress and the clutch got rave reviews from the attendees.

Rosettes get a bit more playful in this bright shade.

Becky Aranaz with RIIR’s Reese Fernandez, sporting a full rosette tote.

Pretty sisters Rosanna and Amina came in soft feminine frocks, which was obviously translated into the rosette clutches.

Ms. Philippines-Earth, Sandra Seifert, shows off a neutral-colored bag.

Cute little bows add a whimsical twist to this tote.

The rosette clutches are, obviously, a hit. There are so many color combinations to choose from.

“This collection also has a wider range of prices and sizes in order to cater to different needs, which would be perfect as gifts for the Christmas season. We have bags that start at 500 to P1600. Soon, we are hoping to come out with a follow up line of small purses that fall around P300.” Goody! :D So, visit the Aranaz shops in Greenbelt and Power Plant malls and start your holiday shopping now.

Bagging a Homegrown Brand

As mentioned in my previous post, The Filipino Zone in Greenbelt 5 celebrated Independence Day this past weekend through special window exhibits as showcased by the shops.  If Myth had dreamy clouds as their theme, Aranaz picked our good ol' sampayan (hanging clothes lines) as their props.  Visual Merchandiser Dustin Reyes is the genius behind this concept, and displayed the designer's favorite pieces using wooden clothing pins.  

It's a retro collection from days when Aranaz was just a young "bazaarista," with bags made in between 1999-2003. 

My, how they've grown.  I'm so proud of Amina.  She and I were a tag team, styling tons of shoots for Chalk magazine back in 2002.

How cute!  Aranaz exquisitely-beaded bags and clutches were used as fascinators at the event.

Here's a close-up shot.

And while you're there, might as well check out the special "Rags2Riches and Aranaz collaboration" collection of bags made by the women of Payatas using retazo (fabric scraps from clothing factories).   They were handpicked and were given extensive training in producing these limited edition Aranaz bags, so you can be assured of top quality and craftsmanship that only Aranaz bags can deliver.  Plus, you're helping the women of Payatas, too!  Here are some of the bags that I'm eyeing.  They might be out-of-stock, limited edition pieces or made-to-order, so do inquire ;)

This is my fave clutch yet.  Pretty rosettes make me feel girly.

Another version of the rosettes, in tote style.

Can't you tell I'm a gal who loves colors? :)

Bigger rectangular totes in colorful complementary combinations.

*Aranaz RIIR photos were taken from their launch/exhibit last March at Greenbelt 5.  

*Aranaz has branches in Greenbelt 5 and Power Plant malls.  For inquiries, visit http://rags2riches.ph.