Steve Jobs & My Now Fave Shoes

Posted on December 7, 2013 by heavenliner

I believe Steve Jobs when he said:

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.

A ridiculous illustration of this is about a pair of shoes I purchased myself more than 10 years ago. It’s a slip-on high-cut black leather shoes with velcro straps.

More than a decade ago, I purchased it but never have worn it because it looks hideous, too loud and too edgy in those years’ of Filipino fashion standards. It would be horrible to wear during those times especially if you are to match it up with a pleated dress pants or baggy jeans and trousers.

If I may recall, the only reason why I bought it is to help a friend who is selling various types of imported shoes. She would sell her merchandize by presenting a booklet/catalog of shoes where buyers can select from. Ones you selected, you can place your order to her and she would deliver it to you personally. This was of course before the hype of on-line shopping.

You may wonder why I didn’t just gave or donate the shoes away to somebody else. Actually, I was too embarrassed to give it to anyone. Aside from embarrassment, I’m afraid that the recipient would throw it back to me since he himself would not anyway be able to wear it.

my favorite shoes this nippy season…

question: is this considered a “selfie”?

But lo and behold!!! When I tried channeling the inner fashionista in me and did dare wore it a couple of weeks ago, the very same pair are now my favorite shoes this nippy season. The very same shoes have been earning a lot of praises from friends, relatives and co-workers. There even had been a couple of strangers who come to me who could not resist of asking where I purchased my pair.

Yeah, though my phone is an Android phone. In fairness, I do believe Steve Jobs about connecting those life’s personal dots backwards…

Pasosyal din pag may time…

Mixed Feelings For The Inevitable Fashion Expansions

Posted on July 7, 2013 by heavenliner

When Cotton On of Australia and Uniqlo of Japan almost simultaneously opened their respective first branches here in the Philippines, I had mixed feelings.

I was happy that these very affordable clothing lines will now easily be accessible. And I do not have to go out of the country or ask favor from friends whom I learned will be vacationing abroad to grab me a piece or two of these clothing brands.

leather jacket from bershka

But at the same time learning that these retail stores are now in the Philippines, I can’t get over the thought of everybody will now be wearing what I was once uniquely wearing in the past. Yeah, call me madamot (translation: selfish douchebag) but in the past when only few Pinoys were wearing these brands, it made me feel a bit privileged in the unique yet obtuse sense of it.

That is why when I went to Osaka Japan last spring, the majority of my fashion-acquisition ventures were from clothing stores that are not yet selling and retailing in the Philippines. I had Bershka, GU and H&M.

bershka in glorietta

However, mixed feelings came over me again when I learned that Bershka of Spain is now here in the Philippines. I guess, Philippines truly is one massive market that must be tapped by these trendy global retail clothing stores to grow and expand. It’s the inevitable. This is even precluding the fact that Pinoys are starting to become trendy, hip and stylish.

Thus, to show my appreciation that Bershka is now in the new Glorietta in Ayala Center Makati, this is where I had my last week’s retail therapy. Though Bershka is a bit too young for me, I was nevertheless happy with my loot.

Madamot na kung madamot!

Kamehameha Powers Of My Monster Nieces & Nephews

Posted on April 14, 2013 by heavenliner

These photo memes are starting to become so popular here in Japan. Since me and my family have limited time, I and my silly nieces and nephews might as well do what typical Japanese are doing. It`s called Kamehamehaing. This photo technique is based on Dragon Ball Z`s kamehameha powers.

inside the fukoshima inari shrine (with monster nephew dennis, photo taken by monster niece thatcher)

kobe tower as the background (with monster nephew luis and niece erika, photo taken by monster niece kim)

erika kicking my butt in kobe harbor (with monster niece erika, photo taken by monster nephew luis)

In the western world the photo meme that is starting to become viral is called Vadering, based on Star Wars` character Darth Vader.

our vadering version… (with monster nephew dennis, photo taken by monster niece thatcher)

Both are basically the same, but I like the drama of Dragon Ball Z better.

I`d rather do this than the silly planking or the catatonic like owling…

Nakikiuso…

Panlakad

Posted on February 20, 2013 by heavenliner

I don’t know what’s the English translation for the Tagalog word panlakad. Maybe there is no single English word for it. With my limited English know-how, the best translation I can give is that panlakad are social clothes and apparels worn for an occasion, an event or by simply being out of the house and in a public place.

sporting my nengkoy shirt. di ko pa napang simba yan!

Back in the days when table salts are not yet iodized, inhabitants in the Philippines would make sure that their newly sewn or purchased panlakad must first be worn to attend a Holy Sunday Mass. Although this rare custom and tradition has long been gone, I can still remember people’s line of questioning to folks they saw sporting new clothes. They would ask, “Pinang simba mo na ba ‘yan?” (“Have you worn those in a Mass?”) It’s as if wearing new clothes that has not initially been worn in a Sunday Mass celebration is such an abomination and is a wicked habit of the devil.

The socio-anthropologist in me dictates that this not-so-ancient unorthodox yet dissipated belief may be a progeny of Filipino’s robust Catholic faith that owning and wearing new clothing is a gift from heaven, thus, it would be most appropriate to first wear it inside the house of God. Or this belief has been generated from Filipino’s long running tradition that they should wear new clothes during Christmas Day and it is a must to go hear a Holy Mass during this Holy day.

I don’t know if I should be thankful or resentful that this tradition is no longer observed. Thankful because with the volume of clothes I own, I cannot imagine how many times in a year would I be required to attend the Holy Mass. Resentful because this tradition could have at least given me another reason to attend and hear the Holy Mass.

‘Yang suot mo ngayon, Pinang Simba Mo Na Ba Yan?

Japanese Shower Room Boots

Posted on January 13, 2013 by heavenliner

Prior to Christmas I promised myself that I would blog about all the gifts and presents I received. But I guess that would now be next to impossible because thankfully I was able to receive quite a ton of it. Writing each and every item I received would be too much for a task. For sure readers would get bored to dullness.

But last Christmas – receiving presents from a simple picture frame to lavish high tech gadget – there is one item I can’t resist writing about. It’s about the Japanese Shower Room Boots.

a unique christmas gift from denden… my own japanese shower room boots!

My nephew Den Den gave it to me after noticing that I have been so insanely fascinated by these boots. The first time I saw these type of footwear was during the first night of my family’s stay in a hotel at Osaka, Japan last year. I was so transfixed because we don’t have those in the Philippines.

my outrageous fashion statement! LOL

The first pair I saw (inside the hotel shower room) was plain white in color. I thought it was some sort of a plastic arinola (piss potty). But when I figured it out, I tried it on, laughed out loud and pondered if I can kick-off a fashion trend in Manila.

I think the purpose of these boots aside from keeping yourself from slipping on the floor tiles while doing your shower is to prevent the soles of your feet from touching the frigidly cold stone tiles of the shower room (especially during winter).

Though it will be silly to wear those here in Manila, these slippers will be an awesome keepsake on how I turned bonkers when I first encountered it. Until this plastic shower shoes becomes a fashion craze, it will for now be kept inside my treasure chest.

For the meantime, my feet will have to settle on the comfort of my indoor slippers which by the way is also Japanese branded.

my super comfy Muji indoor slippers

Sana ma-uso! LOL

Got Hooked By Kiehl’s

Posted on January 6, 2013 by heavenliner

My first purchase of Kiehl’s products was actually not for me. It was a bunch of Kiehl’s that I gave as Christmas presents to three ladies whom I consider to be the hardest to buy for in my list last Christmas.

the facial fuel sampler, it’s so effective i want to spread it on my bread and eat it

Good thing about these purchases is that Kiehl’s store gives out generous samplers. These are the testers packed in small vials and sachets I personally tried for myself. And guess what? I was hooked.

It’s not too long ago that I have realized that nobody’s going to take care of my skin but me. Thus, any skin product that will come my way and given to me for free for sure will be applied and tested on my supple young looking skin.

As for Kiehl’s samples, I got a miniscule jar of Facial Fuel Anti Wrinkle Cream; a vial of Orange Flower & Lychee Aromatic Mist; a tiny bar of Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap; sachets of Ultra Light Daily UV Defense; and, Rare Earth Pore Moisturizing Lotion.

The facial fuel which has a light minty feel was perfect. It felt like nourishment is being fed directly on my skin for it is absorbed easily. I know this because finding a good moisturizer for an oily skin like mine and at the same time living in a hot, humid tropical country would be like finding the holy grail. It’s so effective “gusto ko ipalaman sa tinapay”.

I love the super texture of the bar soap, it cleans well and doesn’t dry out my skin. The “perfumista” in me was hooked by the scent of the aromatic mist particularly the Orange Flower & Lychee. It is an awesome concoction that I can truly rave about. I have tried numerous scents available in the market but the smell only last for a couple of hours. the aromatic mist can amazingly last the whole day and it sits well with my skin chemistry.

However, I have yet to try the moisturizing lotion and the UV defense formula samplers. Pwede bang ihalo na lang sa kape ang mga yan?

my bunch of kiehl’s

And since these amazing samplers have run out, I can no longer pretend not to hear my skin screaming to me saying it misses Kiehl’s. Thus, I purchased Kiehl’s products today which I will be using for myself in the next couple of months. Though Kiehl’s here in the Philippines is quite pricey I am nevertheless convinced that they got some awesome merchandise.

Walang ibang mag-aalaga ng balat mo kundi ang sarili mo. Tapos!

Janine Tugonon: She Grows In You

Posted on December 14, 2012 by heavenliner

janine tugonon

Odd as it may seem, but I could equate Janine Tugonon, this year’s Philippine representative to the Ms. Universe pageant, to a Hot & Sour Soup.

At first sip of this Asian soup, you wouldn’t like it. The hot and sour taste would swiftly burst into your mouth which could result to some contortions on your face. But when you would have your second and succeeding sips you will start to realize that this soup is actually very tasty and delicious. Your taste buds would simply crave for more.

Just like Janine Tugonon. She would simply grow in you.

Here in the Philippines, at the early stages when Tugonon won the right to represent the Philippines in this year’s most coveted beauty pageant, a lot speculated that it is not going to be a 3-consecutive-year feat for the country (in 2010 Venus Raj placed 4^th runner up while last year Shamcey Supsup placed 3^rd runner up).

But after watching the preliminaries of Ms. Universe 2012, you would start to realize that the Tugonon-bashers in the past could actually be very wrong. One YouTube commenter even wrote that there’s a bit of Raj, Supsup and Quiambao (1999 1^st runner up) in her.

If you want to see what I mean, watch this goosebumping video and let Ms. Philippines grow in you…

Wow! The crowd’s gone crazy when it’s her turn! I hope she won’t bring home the bacon for I wish that she bring home the crown. Hahaha! Good luck Ms. Philippines!

May laban ang bruha!

Multo Inspired Collection

Posted on November 30, 2012 by heavenliner

photo from interaksyon.com

Major Fail. That is what I can say about the recent Lesley Mobo fashion show (being part of the recent Philippine Fashion Week). The video’s first frame dated the show October 29, 2013. This made me confused. Was the snobbish-looking event held last October 29, 2012 was just a rehearsal?

The first frame also indicates that the designs would be for the 2013 Spring and Summer collection. I was expecting for a more upbeat background music to be used in the show since spring and summer seasons usually brings a more festive and cheery mood. Instead, music used was a chilly dirge-like sound. The music used made me expect that anytime in between gaiting models, a dead soul would appear and would scream at the top of its lungs to scare off the wits of the audience.

This was the first fashion show that I have seen that the catwalk was not in the hub and midpoint of the venue. The models were made to walk on a stage and along the borders of the venue. It felt like the event’s highlight was the classy candle-lit dinner while the actual fashion show was just a prying disturbance.

The event was held last October 29, two nights before the Halloween. The designs in the collection were indeed multo-inspired (ghost inspired). The show’s title should have been “Kaluluwa Ni Morticia: Babaing Itim, Babaing Puti”. Those designs were nothing but Halloween-y. Not in a fun Halloween sense but in a more creepy terrifying angle. Those designs had nothing to do with either the colorful spring or the joyful summer. Those audiences who graced the show for sure now know what it feels like dining inside the house of the Addams Family.

It was too over-thought to the point of being pretentious. It’s no longer stylish or classy.

Hindi kasi ako inbayted.

Ironing Board Cover: A New Pinoy-LV Merchandise

Posted on October 14, 2012 by heavenliner

Louis Vuitton is known to be an irrationally expensive leather bag. The most expensive LV bag so far is actually equivalent to a fully furnished 1-bedroom condo unit here in the Philippines. LV actually has diversified in terms of its products. They no longer just vend eclectic leather goods. They also sell timepieces, accessories, apparels, shoes, fine jewelry and even luxurious condoms.

lv condom (is this haute couture?)

After looking into the website of genuine and authentic LV, their fashion house actually has yet to feature one product that is however already circulating here in the streets of Metro Manila. It’s the LV Ironing Board Cover!

a new pinoy-lv merchandise (available only in the streets of metro manila)

I purchased myself a piece and replaced the old and grubby cover of my 10-year old ironing board. It snugly fits the wooden plank and gives a perfectly smooth and even ironing surface because of the triple-layer construction. What’s more, unlike the usual LV merchandise, it’s cheap. The toothless street vendor is selling it at 100 pesos (US$ 2.35), but using my impeccable charm in haggling I got it at eighty pesos (US$1.88).

Read this aloud the way a jolly Home TV Shopping voice-over does it: “Put fashion into your ironing! LV Ironing Board Cover, it brightens up the ironing! It brightens up your home!”

It’s platsa taym…

Penshoppe Had A Jackpot With Zac

Posted on October 12, 2012 by heavenliner

zac efron

There have been a considerable number of A-List Hollywood celebrities who has been commissioned to endorse and be an image model of a Filipino branded clothing line. This marketing approach in away establishes Filipino-made apparel in the global fashion trend.

Nicole Scherzinger of Pussy Cat Dolls, Bruno Mars, Joe Jonas and Chris Hemsworth has done it for Bench. Ed Westwick, Ian Somerhalder and Leight Meester has been commissioned by Penshoppe. Beautiful and talented international superstars Alicia Silverstone and Natalie Portman were featured by Kamiseta.

But among the most flourishing and effectual among this approach was the one recently carried out by Penshoppe. Zac Efron. His Penshoppe endorsement which resulted to his visiting the country created such big fuzz. His visit caught the attention of all media mediums both local and international.

Penshoppe had a jackpot for choosing with Zac! I wonder what Bench – Penshoppe’s stiffest competitor is gonna do. Will Bench bring back Steven Seagal to the Philippines who happen to have endorsed Tanduay Rum in the past? Hahaha! It’s your move Ben Chan.

I guess the reason behind this is because Zac has been so sincere and genuine in expressing his long-time desire to come over to the Philippines to experience the place, the people and the culture. Thanks to his dad who had colorful stories and experiences about the country in the past (when Zac was still growing up and was still a non-showbiz personality).

Zac was so effective in kindling the interest about the Philippines he even discussed his short yet notable stay and experience here during his guestings at Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel Shows. He was so encouraging, I myself wanted to go the Philippines even though I am already living here.

Panalo ang Penshap sa’yo Zac!

Nengkoy

ruminations & travesties of the favorite yet naughty son of Nengkoy

Category Archives: fashion