Monki business

Folks who are attuned to fast fashion know that H&M and COS are siblings. But what a lot of people don't know is that there are a number of other brands under the Hennes & Mauritz umbrella.

There's one lesser known sibling which I always had my eye on since discovering it in Europe - Monki!

If I'd portray them as siblings, I'd say Monki is the youngest and most adventurous in the family. The brand's aesthetic and design is very young and experimental, which makes it fun to wear.

They already had Monki in HKG as early as 2008, and it's good to see that they've expanded to a few more stores in the past years.

For sure, their clothes are too young for my sisters. But I'm introducing the brand to my nieces and nephews since they're the next generation in fashion.

Sketchy Stories: Fifties and fabulous!

About a month ago, Ate Bullet told me that she was attending a 50s themed party, and that the celebrator wanted guests to come in theme. She also told me that she was thinking of wearing something floral.

From that brief, out came the pen and paper. The sketch followed soon after.

I've always equated the 50s to classic cuts and ball skirts. So, the top of the dress was a simple boat neck with elbow length sleeves. To give it a contemporary look, the back was completely open - something probably unheard of that era. Finally, to cinch the waist, I added a black grossgrain belt.

Then, I went to the fabric stash to find the perfect floral fabric for this - and I found it.

With a little help from the family dressmaker, this fabulous fifties dress happened.

It was everything we envisioned it to be. And the back was a great highlight, as well as a pleasant surprise.

According to Ate, she got a lot of complements about the dress. It fit the theme perfectly, and she wore it excellently.

I guess that makes the sketch a success.

September to remember

Everyone in fashion knows that the September issue is the biggest and most important issue of the year.

And for American Vogue, that bigness and importance is doubled.

Not only is it their biggest issue, it's also their 125th Anniversary!

This I've got to get my hands on.

G.U. are here!

Well, well, well. Look what we have in HKG!

I had to check it on the net, and it turns out that HKG is the first overseas store of G.U. How lucky am I? And how cool is that?

Like Tokyo, they have an awesome selection. And an even more awesome sale rack!

Needless to say, this is where I spent most of my time.

Yet another reason to plan a HKG trip again soon.

Just like old times

No matter how far I've been away, HKG will always feel like a second home.

That's how I felt when I was bringing Biboy and Kai around. From riding trains and trams, to visiting old haunts, to eating at the usual places. It felt so normal, like I just did it yesterday.

I should do this more often.

Hello my old pangyao!

They say that Tokyo is the new HKG. Partly true because in the past 3 years, I found myself going to Tokyo more often than HKG.

But this weekend, some members of the family decided to make a quick trip to HKG. In my case, it was a really quick trip because it's an overnight affair.

And in my limited time here, I made sure to start my trip by grabbing one of my all-time favorites.

Oh, Vita Lemon Tea. How I missed you.

FMM: Universally accepted

After a month of hard and hush-hush work, the fruits of our labor - one of them at least - is launching today.

To celebrate that, let's go back to the 70s and play an OPM for today's Friday Magic Madness.



I think this pretty much says it all.

That was Swift

After a short hiatus, Taylor is back! With a vengeance!

She's set to release the first MTV from her new album, "Reputation" this weekend.

I'm definitely looking forward to this.

LFLTAT: Shirt Tales

One fashion trend that never seems to go away is the "statement shirt." I guess it's because t-shirts are fashion staples and they can be dressed up and dressed down, if necessary.

During my last visit to Tokyo, I found this cool statement shirt on sale:

I've always wondered what this could be paired with, then I saw a navy blue version of the belted skirt from Uniqlo.

The result, a fashionable statement!

Ate Lissa will rock this look.

Vanity In Fair

That's what they call this shot that we took after tonight's on-line at Post Manila.

It's nice. In fair.

How Sui it is

Macy's has been absent from the designer collaboration scene for quite sometime. A few years ago, they launched a series of partnerships with major designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Alberta Ferreti, Doo Ri, and Giambattista Valli. Luckily, my sister was able to get some items from the last 2 designers.

While leafing through the September issue of InStyle, I found out that they're back! Collaborating, that is.

This September, Anna Sui x Macy's I.N.C. will drop! Woot!

I've seen the campaign and it combines Anna's penchant for details with a modern western flair. I'm still waiting for the whole lookbook to drop to see if there are must-buys from the collection.

We shall Sui.

LFLTAT: All white, alright!

And in other Uniqlo + SM Department store = LFTAT news.

Presenting, the pristine look from these 2 fast fashion haunts.

The top is from SM Department store's Teen section. It's a crisp, button down with a billowy ruffle detail.

It's perfect pair, a white, a-line skirt from the Uniqlo U collection. On sale. Less than P500! 'Nuff said.

You just gotta love sale hunting on weekends. And I'm sure Ate Lissa will rock this all-white ensemble.

LFLTAT: Utilitarian chic

There's something about the combination of fatigue and denim that appeals to me.

It has that utilitarian feel to it, plus it feels like a very classic combination. I remember wearing this combination a lot back in college, but eventually outgrew it.

This weekend, I dropped by Uniqlo and instinctively went to the sale area. Lo and behold, I found this pretty skirt in fatigue - which I just had to buy for Ate.

One look and I knew this would look great with something denim. So, it was off to SM Department store where I found this denim button down shirt.

The combination resulted in this functional and chic looking ensemble.

And since both items were on-sale, this entire look rang up to less than P1,000.

This is why it's useful to drop by and check out sales on weekends.

FMM: The Elevator song

Back in the 90s, everyone was dancing to this infectious song that no one really knew the title of. They usually referred to it as the song with the lyrics: "Elevator mind."

That, of course, is Stereo MC's, "Elevate my mind."



They played it at the office today, and everyone had the same reaction to it. We all sang "elevator mind."

Some things never grow old.

No words needed, part 3: The Nuclear edition

Because we were all curious about that "nuclear noodle challenge" on youtube, this came to our department, courtesy of Migs.

Judging by the color and the evil stare of the chili peppers, you knew this would be bad news. But curiosity and a sense of adventure got the better of us, so we tried it.

And yes, it's as spicy bad as it looks.

No words needed, part 2

I can't understand the text of the poster, but the visual says it all.

And in my mind, it says: "Ouch!"

Scent to be

When I went to MiniSo in search of a spray bottle, I saw an interesting set of scents in one area.

In particular, there were scents named after the signs of the zodiac. Among the lot, there were only 2 zodiac signs left, and they were positioned side-by-side on the shelf.

Here are the signs and scents:

Definitely a good combination.

Hey Mr. DJ!

Thanks to Google, I got a tutorial on being a DJ!

It turned out to be quite fun. So fun, I'd like to try it IRL.

Sunday Street food

Yes, more food.

This weekend, I went to the Uniqlo store in U.P. Town Center in search of a nice pair of chinos. (They didn't have any.)

Since I was already in the area, instinct and a grumbly tummy brought me to U.P. Diliman. The craving for the street food that I used to eat as a student was just too strong.

And what was on today's menu?

Fish balls and dynamite sticks, of course!

Let's not forget dessert - ice cream in a bun!

As I messaged D' Frendz, street food from U.P. will never grow old.

See food!

This was definitely one of the highlights from this week's trip to Davao. Cheap, fresh and delicious seafood!

Would you believe that a big chunk of tuna is just P300! And it was enough to feed 8 of us!

I'll definitely be back, if only for this.

FMM: A timely Expose

There's a great thing about having a team with 50% of the members from the same generation. We all equate Friday with Friday Magic Madness.

So, whenever Friday arrives, everyone talks about singers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and we all get to reminisce together.

Today was a 90s kind of day, and the conversation led to girl groups, after all, this was the Spice Girls era. While the Spice Girls pretty much eclipsed everyone, there were a number of groups that shone bright, thanks to their memorable music.

One of my favorites, the group called "Expose." And even if the name doesn't sound that familiar, I'm sure their song is:



"Never get over you" was one those songs that they'd play on the air whenever the show was about love advice and heartache. Think "Love Notes by Joe D' Mango." For the millennials, this is what they call a "hugot song."

Just shows that Expose was way ahead of its time.

My nephew is larger than life!

He's actually billboard sized!

I saw 2 billboards of Kurt in downtown Davao:

And some at the airport:

I wonder if he'll be mobbed when he goes there.

I Kid(apawan) you not!

There's always a thrill when you visit a place for the first time.

On this trip, we went from Davao to North Cotabato - Kidapawan City to be exact.

Kidapawan, according the Prichy, is the "City of Fruits." The monicker came from the fact that a lot of the region's produce is from there, and the fruits they grow are more flavorful. It must be in the soil, or the way they grow it.

We had breakfast at the hotel just in front of the City Municipal Hall. So, I quickly skipped to the other side of the street and checked out their White-House-inspired edifice. It's really nice! And around it, they have a park, an amphitheater and a market. Nifty!

I like how the city has kept its provincial charm, but still with touches of progress. It's like being in a place where the old and new come together.

It's my first time here, and after experiencing Kidapawan for a few hours, I think it won't be my last.

Davao deux

After a few months, I'm back in Davao!

The last time I was here, it was for a wedding. Now, I'm back for work.

It turns out, it's the Kadayawan Festival next week! The atmosphere is so festive already, and according to our driver, it's going to be one of the biggest yet.

We should've scheduled our Davao trip to next week!

It never grows old...

I'm not talking about the Lola, of course.

I'm talking about seeing our commercial on-air!

I've been in the biz for more than 20 years, but this still gets me everytime!

Perfect Thai-ming

It's been a while since I've been to BKK, and lately, my tastebuds have been looking for their milk tea.

Luckily, Chatime introduced their seasonal flavors just in time!

I've tried it this weekend, and it's legit!

New milk tea addiction, coming up!

Moschino's lost sibling

Apparently, this brand has a relative in the Philippines that it doesn't know about.

Behold, the bag I saw at The Landmark.

Definitely a distant relative.

FMM: Sunday on a Friday

This Friday Magic Madness, let's go back.

Really, really, really, really, really, really back.

Like, Petula Clark levels of back.



I've been listening to this song the past week. And now it's stuck in my head.

I'm sure it'll still be playing in my head on a Monday, a Tuesday, a Wednesday, it's very, very good.

Tap out!

And I thought "tapered" was an easy word to spell.

Apparently not.

Proofreader for Bench - please!

Missing Missi

The bus I rode to work had a pleasantly surprising film choice. They were showing the 2005 version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

It's been more a decade since I saw this film, and now that I'm seeing it again, it reminded me of one of the character actors who appeared in the film. She's a long time fave of mine, and it's been a while since I've seen her.

She's Missi Pyle.

One thing about Missi is that she has mad comic chops. Aside from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," she also made me laugh in "Galaxy Quest" and "Along Came Polly."

She also had an independent film that I caught a few years back. The title was "Pretty Ugly People" and it showed me the depth of her dramatic capabilities. She was superb in it.

After I got off the bus, my first thought was: "When do we get to see Missi on screen again?"

Pretty soon, I hope.

Eight is great!

And just like that, it's August. The 8th month of the year.

When I think of 8,m the first thing that comes to mind is the Sesame Street sketch on the "King of 8." I loved this as a kid, and memorized it word per word.

And to quote the king: "Eight is great." And I'm sure August will be, too.