My mom's scrub-a-dub-dub surprise

My mom is such a nutcase. A cute nutcase though and an advert lover of the show called Grey's Anatomy. She had learned last week that my clerkship starts in a couple of months and decided to order scrub suits without telling me. Yep, she chose them all by herself as if she was the one going to wear them! hahahaha. I think she is just so happy that I'll start wearing these hospital jammies almost everyday just like her beloved interns in that favorite show of hers. *shakes head* Oh mom, you're just too cute. How I wish my co-workers are also as cute as the people in that series. But then I wouldn't be in a real hospital right? hehe.

But still, I appreciate DM's loving thoughts! She even asked me in advance about the colors I would be needing (in manila the whole batch sorta has to match in color). Little did I know she was about to go and buy them. I just got surprised when an online receipt flew in my inbox confirming my order of 3 scrub tops and 2 pairs of scrub pants. I kinda knew the moment I saw it that it was her! *tsk tsk* Now you know where I got my impulsive shopping genes. haha!



Well, at least one of us is excited about clerkship. I, on the otherhand, am a bit in denial still. I just can't fathom the thought of having 36-hour duties happening so soon!!! But then at least I'll have mommy's cutie scrubbies to wear. *wink*

Oh yeah, thanks ma! mwah!

Bull's eye for Proenza Schouler

Whilst it is no longer surprising news that Proenza Schouler is the next designer brand to join Target's GO International line up, I just felt like creating a post here about them before I leave for school. (yes, school starts today... *groooaan*) Why you ask? The very recent (dec. 28) papermag article about them pushed me to conclude that I am going to like this line as much as the behnaz one. :)




Dubbed as "fashion’s bright young things", Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler created a resort-wear line for Target that is slated to be fun, fresh, flirty and vibrant. This sounds all too familiar as typical marc jacobs vibe but I'm sure the collection will have a PS twist. Quite a contrast from the understated luxe and feminine of behnaz but a good contrast nonetheless. It's for spring after all!



From what has been written, the promising collection will consist of must-have quirky items such as heather grey skinny jeans, eye candy belts, sailor-rope-printed bikinis, flirty mini skirts, breezy sundresses and their signature piped bustier tops (the latter is actually what I am pining over). As for accessories, they came out with weekend totes and simple elegant suede clutches that were said to be dreamworthy too. Well, it really seems like there's a whole lot of yummy things!



Famed for their fabulous cut and construction, loved for their fashion savvy-style, young Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler (a combination of their mother’s maiden names, the second of which is pronounced “Skooler") are the epitome of New York cool. The talented duo met in 1998 and almost immediately took the fashion world by storm. By 2002, their expertly tailored collections were being honored at the 40th annual Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards as the “Future of Fashion.”

I say bring on the Proenza mania! :D

A happy bazaar shopping weekend

One of the things that I really look forward once the calendar hits november and december are the bazaars in manila! They just pop up everywhere -in hotel ballrooms, church parking lots, inside malls, humongous tents outside malls, and village centers. Each weekend, at least 3-5 big bazaars are happening at the same time and you just have got to choose which ones you want to check out. What's fun with these bazaars is that you usually haggle with the proprietors of the stalls themselves instead of SA's. This of course means better negotiations, which ultimately means better bargains! hehehe. One more thing is that you usually find unique stuff (articles you won't find in other stores) in such bazaars since people who are still in thoughts of starting a business out of a certain product (be it homemade food, handcrafted jewelry, self-designed clothes or accessories) usually join them to test the market. *nods head*

Well, bf and I decided to make this weekend a bazaar scouting weekend and I ended up with some great finds! But I'll be posting about the stuff I bought tomorrow as I haven't taken pictures of them yet. We only went to 2 bazaars though, one on saturday and one on sunday. (We got lazy, heehee) The first one we went to was the "In The Limelight" bazaar (organized by the lifestyle network) held at the rockwell tent outside powerplant mall.



The bazaar had a glitz and glamour theme and it was pretty nicely set-up. There was even a fashion show at 9pm (I'm not sure if this was every night for 3 days), an hourly raffle, plus a lot of freebies from sponsors such as oil of olay etc.

Here are some pics I randomly took at the bazaar:


A shot of the bazaar entrance. Its not evident here but a lot of people went and it was a bit crowded inside. A ticket to go inside costed P100 ($2).

On the right is Carioca, my fave booth in the bazaar. I bought 2 items there! Can you guess what I got? haha. The owner gave me great discounts too. hehe.


Here is a pic of the Ilaya Couture booth. Each booth had that pink film strip with the name of the stall.

After shopping in the bazaar, we went back inside the powerplant mall and ate at Mongkok, a popular dimsum and dumplings resto here in the Philippines.

We had salted fish rice, shark's fin siomai, mongkok siomai and brocolli in oyster sauce. Bf had a can of beer and I had fresh mango shake. *yum*

The second bazaar we went to was the assumption bazaar. We actually got free tickets to this one from bf's mom, which was great since entrance was P150 ($3) per person. The bazaar was held in a ballroom at Hotel Intercon and was much more comfy since it was not as crowded. This bazaar, though, did not have as much "gimmicks" as the lifestyle network bazaar except for the raffle. I was actually able to buy some pretty useful things here but more on that tomorrow. *wink* (don't expect too much though as I just bought cheap stuff haha!)

Here is a shot of the area near the entrance.

To end this post is my outfit last saturday at the rockwell bazaar. ;)

H&M couture vest, sleeveless top and couture shorts from topshop, yellow/saffron patent leather shoes from autinori HK, bronzey gold bouvier guccissima bag from gucci (one of my fave bags of all time haha)

Clearer pics of the bag and shoes.



Hope you had a happy weekend as well! mwah!

Skull prints in the mainstream + Topshop glorietta re-opens

Thanks to Alexander Mcqueen, the skull design has made its way into a form of print seasonally reinterpreted into all sorts of fabrics - from cotton, to silk, to viscose, to canvas! It really is now up there with plaid, polka dots, houndstooth and stripes and is now not only reserved for the punkista or rockista (or pirate hehe). Sweet trendy girls can also wear the print by mixing them with girly details such as lace and bright colors (or teddy bear pendants ala mischa barton). *wink*

You see, I adore prints and always incorporate them into my ensemble (from my monogram bags to my printed couture shorts haha) and I find this relatively "new" (in a mainstream sense) print very hot because of its element of whimsy and odd.

Avril Lavigne, Ashley Olsen, and a Topshop model all in skull prints

Moving on, Topshop Glorietta has re-opened and I was there yesterday. (I didn't get anything though! *beams*)



I'm quite happy about the renovation as the place became more spacious and clean-looking. Now it's time to bring on the end-of-season sale! haha.

My quirky pretty newest dress!

I just received new stuff from my mom which had a lot of beautiful things. *giggle* Too bad though that some aren't actually for me but are gifts for other people so I can't make a "package post" like before when I took a pic of the loot right after opening it. hehehe! Still I was more than happy after opening the box because it had one very special item for me and that is... *drum roll please* my newest dress! (duh) hahaha!

I'm a bit exhausted from doing some paperwork so I won't be able to take pics whilst trying it on. I took a pic of it in the hanger though:



Its a turtleneck black and red printed jersey dress that fits perfectly! I know this hanged pic doesn't do it justice so here's another shot of the dress from forever21.com:

The itty bitty tie-up vest and hat are a little too much for me so I'll be wearing the dress plain thank you. haha. I'm loving that faux onyx ring though. :)

I really can't wait to wear it once the holiday parties begin! :) Thanks mom! love you! *mwah*

I love Behnaz Sarafpour

I think the first time I started paying attention to Behnaz Sarafpour was when one of my fave actresses, Selma Blair, wore this gray sabrina-cut dress by the designer to a movie premiere.



The reaction in my head went like this: "ooooh, this dress is gorgeous!!! It was made by beeh-noz saraf...? sara.. saraf.. sara-pouz?" hahaha! I couldn't figure out how to pronounce it. Turns out it's simply read as ben-oz sah-rafpoor. (Yes, I can sometimes be a stuttering loon) I guess having a fancy name can either make a person remember you distinctly or help them forget you alot faster. In my case it was easy. Selma + pretty dress + fancy name = *ding ding ding ding!* long term memory name storage!

In case you have not heard, Behnaz Sarafpour is an Iranian-born girl who grew up in Europe and graduated with flying colors at the Parsons School of Design. She launched her own line in 2001 with strong support from a number of fashion's most influential names such as Vogue's Anna Wintour and Barneys' VP Merchandising Julie Gilhart (to name a few) and is becoming quite known for her refreshing take on classic feminine pieces.

Behnaz w/ one of her models in Town & Country Feb 2006

Here are some of her past pieces that I adore:


An ad in Cosmopolitan May 2006 issue

You all remember ashley's pretty dress from the previous post?

Whilst I would kill to own her whole spring 2007 runway collection (uh-huh, every woven thread of those darn clothes), I am quite content with the fact that she is target's latest darling to design for their GO International collection! This makes it a bit easier for us poor girls who have yet to afford hoarding runway dresses on a whim. hehehe! (I guess you already know that this post is leading somewhere about a certain someone buying something for her naughty little heart's desire. right? haha.)

Here is the opening image for the GO International flash ad at the target site:



The first time I had a look-see at the behnaz collection for target, I couldn't help but fall in love with the items. It was indeed very 'behnaz'! The whites, blacks, grays, bows, brocade, lace, and other pretty little details were very classy and timeless... the characteristics of high-end couture. I just really love her concept and I love the fact that she made an effort to make this collection identify with her more expensive line. So far this is my fave GO International collection.

Some looks from the target collection, Kristin Bell was actually photographed sporting the tafetta dress with grossgrain waist to an event!

I also couldn't help but compare some of the behnaz for target ensembles with the ones from her recent spring 2007 runway collection. Take these for example.





Don't you think they 'feel' a bit similar? (The price difference is quite dramatic though! *wink*)

However, the one dress from the runway that literally made my jaw drop was this gorgeous reinvented flapper-style silver dress which did not have a cheaper target counterpart. *pout*



There was something very magical and pixie-like about it and the muted silver color was very pretty. There really wasn't anything like this at all from her target collection (it would turn out to be too fancy!) but she had incorporated this silvery brocade material in her collection that I find attractive just the same.


According to my DM, the brocade material is even prettier in person because it is more of a rich dull gray with shiny silvery thread incorporated in the cloth. (I am definitely going to get the bag and one matching piece. either the skirt or the top! decisions decisions.. hehehe)

I also really adore the accessories in the collection. (I wonder why they are so few in number...) I really found the charm stuff cute! very chic and very new york, plus its made of 100% brass too which rarely discolors. I also liked the lace duffle.





At first I wondered how big the charms were, and then I found this picture by a seller in ebay.com:



Look, the charms are quite big! They will really make a statement for sure. I love it!

Here are more pics of the collection. :)







All I can say is, uptown chic has never been this cheap and effortless. All the pieces are very easy to wear while frolicking about in the city. Thank you behnaz and target! ;) I am definitely going to order a few pieces from this line. Will just update this after I have done so! *wink*

Couture wearing comparison: a fashion "wear-off"

One thing I look forward to each month is the arrival of new magazine issues. Aside from my US mag subscriptions (which is sent to me monthly), I also pick up at least one or two local fashion magazines from the bookstore. I just love reading them whenever I am taking a break from reading my med books! Lately though, I've been noticing a magazine trend that quite disturbs me albeit only very mildly as opposed to a number of consumers who are appalled by the whole "issue" (no pun intended hehe). It seems that the typical run-of-the-mill magazine cover nowadays is that of one graced by a mainstream celebrity (ie. a highly publicized actress, actor or teenybopper). Whilst that is actually perfect for more well-rounded women's magazines (such as marie claire or metro), I am thinking that the more fashion-oriented ones probably should at least feature professional models on the cover more often instead of only putting them in fashion spreads. Besides, fashion mags are basically all about couture and as far as I know, ramp models are closest at work with couture.

HOWEVER, this got me thinking... There is a business-tainted reason for this and that is perhaps because mainstream or "masa" celebrities have more selling power. I mean, more people know them hence identify with them. Well, they see and hear about them practically everywhere! And when you compare that to the silent mysterious long-limbed muses of the runway, familiarity is on the models' losing end. I guess I just really miss classic fashion covers with models on them. (My feb 2006 teen vogue ish though has gemma ward on the cover.)

To further elucidate this point, I made a mini gallery which is a sort of couture "wear-off" between models and starlets. hehehe! In these pics a model and a celebrity is wearing the same couture creation by some notable designer side by side. Who do you think carries the dress better?

Zac Posen



Behnaz Sarafpour
(btw, her GO international collection for target is now out!)



Calvin Klein



Magda Berliner



Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton



This actually convinced me that celebs are perhaps the real models (moneymakers) of designers since 1.) the dresses look more approachable when worn in actual occasions than when it is seen in the catwalk with all the lights and accoutrements, and 2.) people/potential buyers notice a dress more when it is worn at a special event by a highly marketable person ie. a celeb. Besides, casting those sensible reasons aside, the celebrities in my opinion did a better job at carrying the designer ensembles with a score of 4:1.

As to which celeb I think did not beat the model, try to guess who it was. She actually lost because of her poorly applied fake tan. (But I usually love her fashion choices. and her bags!)