Gerry Katigbak: Timeless.....!

Monsieur Gerry Katigbak

Convention and conformation took a back-seat, as designers redefined contemporary Filipino fashion, side-stepping ‘safe’ and ‘expected’ to reveal clever applications and novelty in design. The established, as well as the emerging talents, are slowly but surely pioneering an evolution, which identifies the path-breakers who impressed with their Holiday Collection 2010 at Philippine Fashion Week.

Gerry Katigbak's highly crafted pieces set the fashion elite from wannabes and the amateurs. Precise construction and neat finish combined with innovative seaming separated him from the experimental and the hit & miss fashionist.The line is truly very Gerry Katigbak, having the ability to achieve flawless manipulation on every fabric.

His inspiration combined contemporary and classic, breaking every theory of balance and sobriety.Underneath the heady simplistic line lies superior craft and engineered construction, which, when combined, forms somewhat overpowering art, but individually, transforming to wearable fashion!Geometric shapes and overlaps are simple, yet effective textures form a forward yet balanced, detail-rich collection.

A comprehensive range of separates, fresh colour palette and strong panels are complemented by immaculate finish. Exaggerated collars with cutouts added playful sensuality, without being ultra-feminine, the inner lace in off- white complimented the tight fit trouser, making this a creative collection with laid- back charm.

 Katigbak's timeless designs warped maturity beyond fashion runways and gala shows. One look at the taffeta mini dresses in softly constructed ensembles and you know that along with grace, to carry it off, great panache is required. The understated opulence of everyday throw-ons like shorts A-line tobacco browns with rust raw silk is but a few of the many stunning designs that have made this designer an example of unstoppable refinement and quality.

Monsieur Gerry Katigbak a once again made mere muslins and chiffons create absolute magic with his layers of superimposed fabrics, making the collection exude a calming strength and class. Whether it is a colorful deep blue shawl added to a somber suit in brown or gray linen and wools or a sudden affinity towards the colour red,the whole concept epitomizes today’s alpha male who has definitely become creative and exciting in choosing his attire.

A man of today who strongly adds different ways to express his sexuality by absorbing dash of bright and fresh colors to his wardrobe, smugly thinks, that the days are over when colours like black, grey and brown were the stamps of a man’s masculinity while all other colours were shunned because anything that was not dark was too “girly.” To aid those who are still blissfully ignorant of what’s in and what’s out, with the help of Gerry Katigbak collection shows the successful men how to satisfy their fashion needs.
As a working man, an aqua,red, or beige added to a dark colored suit makes the perfect combination for a high powered lunch or meeting.Over sized collar on tapered suit with huge pockets are forever chic and all the rage.However, the latest and emerging trends are forcasted by great and seasoned designers like Katigbak.

 Low key and unpretentious,the masterly Gerry understood fashion's know-how, and his creations are made with sharp and precise techniques. His style mantra can be best described, as less is definitely more.

Simplicity in terms of silhouette and colour palette with most lines avoiding much ornamentation or adornment. Free flowing, sartorial jackets in relax fabrics, paired with roomy slacks are definitely the "IN" thing for this season. Gerry Katigbak-a cut above the rest.


Photo credits: Junjun Ablaza

BANG PINEDA: SUIT TO KILL- PFW/HOLIDAY 2010

              Bang Pineda's Holiday Collection 2010
              Sartorial Men's Line

SARTORIAL ASSASSIN
Imagine yourself wandering in a dark alley filled with smoke and stinky trash bins, and as you come near to dimly lighted post, a young man with naughty smile and a mock 45 caliber magnum dangling on his shoulder looking at you with dagger eyes and raising up a white bag with words-"BANG,BANG"....would you scream?..but wait...this assassin is sartorially dressed up to the nines...!

He is wearing a Bang Pineda's savvy outfit from his Philippine Fashion Week Holiday Collection 2010 at the SMX- a style DNA for men complete with the designer's aesthetics: tailored fit trousers, rock boots well- heeled and a crafted suit over the shoulder like some mob boss...a suit to a kill!
Much to the pleasure of the audience, the designer moved the runway and flooded the dark space they were showing in with focused lights, a move that evoked something of the atmosphere of fears and exhilarating moments as Pineda lift up to his canvas presentations recapturing the dark side of sartorial killing machines of high tailoring and fine crafted workmanship.


Another season, another set of runway shows, this time, Pineda conspicuously focused his collection by sheer impact and grasp to style scenario, making a transition from ‘fresh talent’ to ‘noted established’ one.




Surgically probing through the collections, he participated the Fashion Week / Holiday 2010,

and emerged as talent with creative brilliance in showcasing a unique platform, reflecting pivotal role of the event's stature and grandeur.

Bang Pineda presented one of the the glossiest high-production collection billed "Assassins", with a knack for combining the sartorial and the casual men's line in a tongue-in-cheek way, it made a kind of sense for his bastion of stylish values and personal attitude to men's line.

It was indeed high-spec/ high octane runway performance, there's no one left who does it with quite the bravura of Bang Pineda.
This season,the designer got it all under control, and at just the moment to take advantage of the fact that fashion is turning in the direction of his kind of dark, romantic, faintly noir aesthetic....where he deserves to be seen as a designer who has come of age.


He started things off with white pinstripe vests over looser front shirts and fit-legged trousers.
A mash-up of tailored suits but with a slight update: applique cut outs, neat-cut slacks and double-breasted suits.
Bang Pineda does a hell of a job twisting the classics by infusing contemporary look essentials—a pinstriped suit says more passion than power, and a wide band livens up a gray-day suit. and a muted black blazer hits a high note when paired with skinny pants. There are perfectly pitched mixes in black and white that are more innovative than traditional, that bring just the right amount of 'tude.

He is in the mood for your black and white combo- schizo style that fuses fabrics, lapels and collars together in a broad selection of precisely tailored outerwear.

And just as the individual pieces are cut-and-stitched jobs, so is the collection itself, producing a run of a crumpled-and-creased free charcoal suits and black vests

PHOTO CREDITS: OYEN RODRIGUEZ for BANG PINEDA

                                               

Be Prepared!!!!!! and Pardon the Novel...

So, I already had something prepared...no pun intended...for this post when I had a most intense situation occur yesterday. I had a photo shoot but was missing just one little item that I needed to grab at the mall. Taking NO thought to how I looked (meaning not ONE ounce of makeup, hair in some gnarly high bun and a cut up Queen shirt...that I just happen to LoVe!!!) I leave one son with the neighbor and grab the other to head out. En-route I get a phone call from the FaBuLoUs Miss Ruby Sue (couture hairpiece QUEEN!!!) telling me that she has met an amazing hairstylist (soon to be to the stars) and wants us all to have a power lunch to talk ideas and opportunities. I was thrilled and went along the rest of our journey with a big smile and this "new woman's" number. Get to the mall, shops are closed for still another 15 min. So, I plop down on an obliging, yet poorly colored couch, and decide there is no time like now to call this woman. I do and lo and behold she is in town and wants to meet...........now.........NOW?!?!?!?!?

Ladies, I am supposed to be a makeup artist and the LAST thing I was ready to do was meet a potential partner with how I was looking. Almost shooting myself in the foot I told her just that. It just wasn't a good time and I looked terrible. Needless to say she talked me into it. I grab Branson and RACE for the bathroom. I set him up on the counter with a pad of paper, a pen, and looked in the mirror to survey the damage. It was not pretty! I had blemishes along the jawline, no eyebrows, uneven skin, and bags from no sleep. I almost started to cry until I remembered that I was in the middle of writing a post about being prepared with certain makeup essentials. Believe it or not I nEvEr carry around makeup but have sometimes been in situations where I wish I had. I had just recently put together a small bag of essentials and then left with now makeup on only to use what I had once I got to where I was going. I would then come home and reevaluate adding more or taking useless things out. I was SOOOO grateful for this bag that I then wanted to cry just out of sheer happiness. I got to work. It wasn't breathtaking but it was enough to make me walk out of there in confidence knowing that she would not be horrified. We met, she was great, we meet next week where I can show her what I can REALLY do but all in all, everything turned out okay. I came home and added some MORE to "the bag" and now I feel that I have THE bag that all of you need to not just be passable in a snap but STUNNING!!!!!

#1 A GOOD concealer!!! Not just any that you don't normally use. Buy an extra one and plop it in the bag. I use Benefit's boi-ing concealer.#2 Either a liquid or loose powder foundation. I use loose powder from Beauty From the Earth. I like using the lose powder because I am usually in a hurry in these situations and i can fill my brush and get it done QUICKLY!!!#3 Blush! Nothing cheers up your face or puts more color into a "dead" face than a good blush. Choose a bright cheery color and you can't go wrong! Maybe add a small bronzer if you have room.#4 Any quad or trio of eye shadows. This will give you options. Try to use a dark brown or black for one of the colors so that it can double as a liner or brow fill in. Try to also have at least one brow color and one close to skin toned shadow for your crease and maybe a bit of contouring around the facial features (SuCh a great trick!!!). Try to stay away from too dark of colors to avoid having fallout or needing to blend like crazy. 

#5 Just a few brushes. One to put your foundation on if you use the powder (you can use your fingers for liquid application) this can also be used for blush and bronzer, and one to use for your shadows. A craft store find would be PeRfEcT since it wouldn't break the bank to buy another. A Maxine's Mop is always handy eh? =) If you are like me you may need a travel angled brush for your eyebrow application.

#6 Ready to go lashes and glue. This may sound unnecessary, but when you get the hang of doing lashes this technique takes all of three minutes. Just make sure the lashes are clean and pre-cut and throw 'em on! I prefer the demi whispies in black from Ardell because they are gorgeous but natural. It makes a HUGE difference!!!!!

#7 Any lip color. I love using the Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain #410. You can easily draw it on your lips for a healthy color without needing a lip liner and it will last!

#8 If you can't live without liner and shadow won't cover it for you, I suggest you buy cheap Wet'N'Wild pencils in whatever color you need. You can't go wrong with 99 cents.

#9 Fixers. Let me explain =). When you are needing to look fab, chances are your hair needs a little something too. SO, bobby pins and a rubber band or two are essential "fixers". Make sure and have a few large ones as well as smaller pins. Speaking of hair, sometimes we can forget to pluck once in a while and so a pair of tweezers can be a LIFESAVER! A safety pin can always come in handy, not to mention a small pencil sharpener for your liners. I also have a tester size LAMB fragrance tube so that I can feel glammed up as well. Chap stick can also help with an even application of your lip color so throw one of those in there too =). Oh, and I got my bag at Target =).Well, that is my bag and I must say, I am SO glad to know it's there in my purse if I need it. Put together a bag and tell me what YOU put in it, or tell me how this one worked out for you!!!

M•A•C Cosmetics Presents: Typography

M•A•C Cosmetics Presents: Typography
Makeup was the medium of choice for a team of 22 M•A•C Artists,
who showcased a type-inspired body painting exhibit

“Type design is one of the most visible and widespread forms
of graphic expression in daily life. It is still not noticed by all
readers of newspapers, magazines or books. Nevertheless letter forms
reflect the style of a period, and its cultural background.
We are surrounded by them everywhere.”
-Hermann Zapf
German Typographer
1918 – present

May 28, 2010 – Toronto: On Wednesday night in Toronto, makeup took centre stage at the Burroughs Building where 22 M•A•C Cosmetics artists from across North America came together to create a typography-inspired live art installation. The artists took type design, something that readers of magazines, newspapers and books don’t always notice, blew it up and hand drew it onto a typically unconventional medium of expression for typeface – the human body.

Body painting is a skill that takes years of practice to develop. For an installation like Typography, artists must paint with meticulous detail and choose the right products to use in order to ensure the models look perfect. “We're using various mediums along with the new M•A•C Acrylic Paint (launching in August), which is our primary product of choice due to its ease of use and incredibly long wear time.” – Tiffany Johnston, M•A•C Senior Artist and Typography Key Artist

Showcasing M•A•C artistry and creativity at its best, this traveling exhibit incorporates a live performance in certain cities. Toronto, being a major artistic hub, was the perfect backdrop for a multimedia installation that incorporated calligraphy and dance. Noriko Maeda used a laser light to “draw” across the backdrop of the stage, where two dancers (William Yong and Kristy Kennedy) performed for guests and played with the light.











Photo Credit: Vito Amati/Pimentel

Helmut Lang

I have recently become obsessed with Helmut Lang. Helmut Lang is an Austrian born designer who created his namesake label in 1986. In 2005, he left the label, which had been acquired by Prada in 2004. Two short years later, the label was re-launched by Creative Directors Nicole and Michael Colovos and become available to fashion lovers of New York in 2007 with a brand new store and concept. Lang is now available at top stores all around the world and of course, the greatest online retailer known to man – Net – A – Porter. The collection is described as utilitarian, with impeccable tailoring and design. Agreed. This collection pretty much sums up my style and everything I look for in clothing. Black. White. Grey. Amazing. Check out Lang’s collection here and here.

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss

Red is going to be huge for Fall 2010 - Chanel has your lips and nails covered with this collection...

Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss
51 Insouciance
52 Génie
55 Confidence
56 Imaginaire
57 Insolence
58 Émoi
60 Excès
61 Fatale

Le Vernis
Rose Confidentiel
Rose Insolent
Rouge Fatal

Rouge Allure
Confidentielle
Insolente
Fatale
Excessive
Émotive

Rouge Allure Laque
Phoenix
Dragon
Ming

TWO WOMEN & POLITICS

Stilletos and Women
These women are special not only for the positions they inherited, the authority they wielded or the accolades they amassed but also for being who they really are..... and what they stand for. Tough, resilient, focused women with an unwavering commitment to excellence, they influence the world around them and make a difference to the lives of others. Be it in the boardroom, public arena or on the marquee, these are women that made the journey to the top with their own unique blend of compassion and strength, and are determined to turn their big dream into a tangible reality.


The axis of power often lies in the hands of celebrities and the rich and famous.....but sometimes it is found in the most usual places.... politics.

                  Imee Romualdez Marcos: Beauty & Charm


Power is an intoxicating, sexy and an infinitely variable subject –power and women even more so. It is also a subject that has been discussed ad infinitum from the beginning of time as we know it. Think the unfortunate Eve.The axis of power often lies in the hands of celebrities and the rich and powerful.....but sometimes it is found in the most usual places. Or, much before that, our primordial goddesses with lots up the sleeves of their multiple arms: pulverising demons and bewitching the gods, not to speak of coming to the help of mortals in distress, was all in a day’s work.
Closer home and in our times women have been flexing their political muscles even more purposefully. The media just went into overdrive projecting women power that dazzle from north to south, east to west and at the center. Women prove their mettle.. almost invincible and superwomen, catapulting them to taller pedestals.

                                 Kris Aquino:Politic's NextGen Woman
Now, reams have been written on female political power. This millennium has also seen a deluge of newsprint about women shattering glass ceilings and making their way into the inner sanctums of the political world. There’s been a lot about stiletto toughies exuding power from every pore – showing muscle in both boardrooms and bedrooms, even triumphing along the way over dominant male bastion politics. Beauty has always been power.
But is all this real power? Most of our female politicos got there through the sides or backdoors: opened wide for them by fathers, mothers,husbands, mentors. Few made it to the top on their own steam. Fortunately, a sizeable number of women have begun to make it to the top of political ladders by pulling their own weight. They also have to work twice as hard as men to get there, and stay there. Perhaps, better times are round the corner. Some of the traditional politicians have now said that the future belongs to women with the right mix of beauty,money and power.


The topic of woman power often comes tarted-up, wrapped in designer clichés. Celebrities have either grabbed the aura of the gods. Beauty queens reign on other platforms as well, pontificating on all subjects under the sun.
The thing about power is that it should be worn lightly, gracefully. We all know about grace under pressure. Equally important is grace surviving the rapid ascension to power. That’s a tougher call.

IMEE ROMUALDEZ MARCOS

                            Maria Imelda Josefa Romualdez Marcos

Are beauty and power incompatible? not with Imee Marcos, who reins with her charm and skills at high tide, just like her brother Bongbong Marcos. Well, perhaps, her eloquently chosen words came forth with more of a force....breed and polished being the daughter from a political royalty.The father- The late President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, and the mother, the flamboyantly stylish Madame Imelda Romualdez Marcos who was asked decades ago to toned down her pomposity that might alienate her from her impoverished electorate, she emphatically said that it would have precisely the opposite effect. It had to do with aspirations. The women in their bright but well-worn clothes would actually prefer to be like her (reach for the stars in other words) than have her try to imitate them. Not only were the women smart enough to see through masquerades, the fact that beauty and power were not incompatible... Au contraire!!. Needless to say she was elected as Representative of the second district of Ilocos Norte three times.. and continued to be famous so.
Take Madame Imelda Marcos... Her walk was brisk, her manner could be abrupt and the mildest of rebukes would send many a stalwart, even macho Senators or politician of other political colours, running for cover. Yet, her pedicured, pert toes peeped out from under elegant ternos and that trademark butterfly sleeves indicated a nod to an idiosyncratic aesthetic. And, yes, did she know how to turn on the charm, both at home and on the world’s stage... as effortlessly.Today, her daughter and inheritor of her mantle, Imee Marcos wears her power as an unobtrusive accessory, choosing to retreat into a deafening silence rather than raise her voice. And never is her apparel dowdy or off-colour.... Chiffon and steel is a deadly combo but worked to her advantage and is employed to great effect in the corridors of power,whose rabble-rousing abilities have catapulted her up slippery political ladders, perhaps more steps higher in the future.


KRIS COJUANGCO AQUINO

                            Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino
In a country obsessed with beauty queens, stars and celebrities, Kris Aquino is the most recognizable face in Philippine entertainment. Since the beginning of her career, Miss Aquino consciously walking the mainstream pancaked boulevard to fame, she is where she is, for possessing one vital quality —uber controversial. .She captured the people's imagination through effective television hosting, we can almost hear the proverbial bees flapping in her fascinating TALK SHOW- The Buzz.
Kris Aquino spearheaded the political campaign last May elections which detractors dismissed as sympathy votes, vindicated her political clout by an early win, making her brother the most powerful man in the country-the Philippine President of the Republic....His Excellency, Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III.
Iconic and pretty, Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino's subtle and powerful influences, inspirational trysts with politics come from her genetic gifts: from her mom, the venerable first woman President, the late President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino's compassion with equity and excellence, from her dad, The National Hero-Benigno Aquino Jr.'s charismatic leadership.


The Empress of Talk Shows never, never took her pedigree for granted, bulldozed all her opponents that create controversies with wit and ease.


Two political Dynasties...Two Illustrious Families...Two "Destiny Child"...Two Women


...history repeats?...till next election then!!!