Here come the new queens
A WEEK has passed after the Binibining Pilipinas 2018 Coronation and we are still basking in the afterglow of being blessed with a new batch of exquisite queens.
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A WEEK has passed after the Binibining Pilipinas 2018 Coronation and we are still basking in the afterglow of being blessed with a new batch of exquisite queens.
DESPITE the disturbing trend of big global brands filing for bankruptcy, in what is known as the retail apocalypse, lifestyle behemoth Bench continues to be a local favorite.
AT the 2018 national costume show of the Binibining Pilipinas pageant, some contenders balanced clay pots, headdresses and crowns on their heads. Others brandished parasols, spears or scepters. Some daintily held rosaries, sampaguitas—and a severed head.
SO, I just learned that The King and I, the 1956 musical film nominated for an Oscar Best Picture, had a Philippine-born actor in the cast: Patrick Adiarte, who was Prince Chulalongkorn to Yul Brynner’s Oscar-winning King. (Brynner, born in Russia, played the titular King of Siam.)
LONDON—In my mind and in my heart, I fully imagined meeting the Queen (of British Fashion Vivienne Westwood), her court (Stella McCartney, Sarah Burton, Phoebe Philo, Victoria Beckham) and her successors (Gareth Pugh, Hussein Chalayan, Christopher Kane) in my visit to the city in time for London Fashion Week.
LONDON—As Fashion Week sashays into London, an extraordinary exhibit on one of fashion’s greatest innovators was on view recently.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates—The fog has barely cleared by midmorning at this bustling city. From the floor-to-ceiling glass walls of the airport, the only things visible are aircraft and fuel tanks.
‘Are you home for good?” I asked the all black-clad Bandoix Flores Nebria, who recently transplanted from Dubai, at the opening of the Couturissimo boutique at Greenbelt 5 one Friday night.
Jessica Maloles—beauty queen, advocate, businesswoman—is slowly causing a stir in social/philanthropy circles. Rising from the ranks, hers is a story of tenacity, risk-taking and astute choices.
FROM Copenhagen to Chicago, Moscow to Morocco, Tehran to Tokyo, Barcelona to Beijing, London to Los Angeles, Rome to Stockholm, Jose “Pitoy” Moreno conquered them all with his collections of couture creations and indigenous costumes.
SINCE time immemorial—on red carpets anyway—women have always felt that they should only be seen, that their appearance matter more than their opinion. That silence has been broken, loudly, at the 75th Golden Globes Awards on January 7 in Beverly Hills, California, as Hollywood women wore black to show the magnitude of the Me Too movement and Time’s Up initiative to fight sexual misconduct and gender inequality in the workplace.
WHEN Ria Bolivar and Rachel Santillan met at a fashion show in Australia, their connection was immediate. Both hailing from Iloilo City, they bonded over shared experiences, a common heritage and a passion for fashion.
Onin Lorente has photographed top models Alek Wek, Tony Ward, Sven de Vries, Charlene Almarvez and Bhumika Arora; done cover shoots for L’Officiel (Indonesia and India), editorials for Esquire (Singapore), L’Officiel (Thailand, Indonesia, India), L’Optimum and L’Officiel Hommes (Thailand), Men’s Uno (Hong Kong), Harper’s Bazaar and Elle (Vietnam), and commercial works for Charles & Keith, Uniqlo and Bench.
You’ve given gifts to your loved ones, settled the real and imagined claims of your inaanaks and, being the generous soul that you are, you’ve even donated to Marawi evacuees and Vinta survivors. Still, that itch to shop isn’t satiated just yet. The Christmas spirit, such as it is, is still alive and vibrant.
YOU wouldn’t have to be the “weary soul rejoices” on Christmastime if you can help it, would you? I mean the weary part, as the holidays, especially in the metropolis, usually bring stress along with the cheer.
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, the current Miss Universe, couldn’t wait to taste the peach-mango pie she keeps hearing everyone raving about. Iris Mittenaere, the previous winner, couldn’t resist taking a selfie with the mascot. Miss China Roxette Qiu, perhaps with one of the longest wing spans among the candidates, can’t wrap her arms around the biggest Chicken Joy bucket I’ve ever seen.
They teased. They wooed. They flirted. The country’s stars of the moment were recently in various states of undress at what has become a pop-culture phenomenon, the semi-biannual Bench denim and underwear show, with the brand celebrating its 30th year of dominance in the retail market.
TODAY, a new Miss Universe will be crowned at the Axis Theater in Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. The 66th winner follows in the hardworking footsteps of the beautiful French Iris Mittenaere, who won in “the best show for the best fans in the world” in Manila in January.
WHEN the venue for a fashion show is as grand as the National Gallery Singapore, the clothes must be worthy of the artworks on display.
AFTER an auspicious launch in October, the “65 Years of Extraordinary, 65 Years of Rustan’s” celebration is dominating the retail landscape this Christmastime.
The Western Visayas, with Iloilo City at the forefront, is becoming a burgeoning region for fashion.
HAVING had no technology to formulate scientifically advanced products to defy the ravages of time, weather and life experiences, Filipinos of previous generations relied on good old-fashioned home remedies. Inventive, imaginative and intuitive, most of the beauty hacks can be found in the backyard, the garden or the farm. Coconut oil or aloe vera were—and still are—used to salvage damaged hair, papaya extracts for a fairer complexion and bath stones to clean the skin of dirt.
AS Joey Samson continues his journey as an individual and as a designer, he realizes things about himself that either debunk or validate his own long-held beliefs.
‘WHEN someone poor is diagnosed with cancer, hope is not on the table. Not even food,” said Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, the cofounder of ICanServe Foundation, a community of breast-cancer survivors.
WHILE the Miss Earth 2017 warriors are arriving in the country for the finals on November 4, and while former Miss Universe contestants (USA’s Nia Sanchez, Australia’s Tegan Martin and Renae Ayris) are traipsing in Palawan, three Binibining Pilipinas beauties were given a send-off to their respective international contests.
FOR its ninth edition, the Red Charity Gala will take us on a journey. Design wunderkind Joey Samson, the featured talent, will be about a religious voyage that’s personal, nostalgic and emotional.
‘MY eye was accustomed to see beautiful things,” the incomparably chic Carolina Herrera declared, recalling her growing-up years in Caracas as the daughter of a governor and a socialite. And so will you, when you enter the CH Carolina Herrera boutique at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City. Intimate but not intimidating, the flagship is like the personal closet of the designer herself—and her husband. All you see are beautiful things.
A FRESH crop of dynamic clothing designers emerged from the Bench Design Awards (BDA). Held as the finale show at Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2017 at the Bench Tower in Bonifacio Global City, the competition attracted imaginative creative types so plentiful in the Philippines.
Before she passed on, the eternally stylish Imelda Ongsiako Cojuangco said of the Best Dressed Women of the Philippines: “The women chosen…are those who exemplify the qualities of a true lady—driven, humble and kindhearted.”
I wasn’t privileged enough to be invited to the press presentation of the Miss World Philippines (MWP) 2017 candidates. However, incorrigible pageant observer that I am, I would still love to share my early bets for the top plum (Miss World Philippines) and the other titles (Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2017, Miss Multinational 2017 and Miss Eco Philippines 2017).
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