Summer of Sandra

It's been a while since I've seen Sandra Bullock on the cover of a magazine. Much longer on InStyle.

Thank goodness for the June issue!

Now, where to get this copy here in Manila. (They've been surprisingly difficult to come by lately.)

An ode to Maleficence

So, the stories are true!

There's going to be Maleficent 2!

I'm so psyched! Are you?

The 90s called. They want their shoes back.

Because back in the 90s, one of the biggest shoe trend was the pointed mules. It was a must have in every "woman of the 90s" wardrobe. My mom and sisters, my female officemates - they all had it. (And in the case of the women in my family, in different styles and colors, too.)

When I dropped by SM today, surprise, surprise, the 90s mules are SO back!

So, we have the "shirt inside the slipdress," "flannel checkered polo," "ripped jeans and Doc Martens," and now this.

What 90s trend will be back next?

Outta Whack

The word "wacky" is a relatively easy word to spell, right?

I guess you know where this is going.

Proofreader, please.

You go, girls!

The season of power women films is upon us.

Aside from "The Book Club," here's another movie that features a powerhouse cast of Hollywood women.

And it's a heist film!

I'm excited for this one!

Natural Colors

Every Saturday, I'm out of the house by 6am to make it to my 7:30am class.

The best part of leaving super early is getting so see and appreciate the colors of nature. Just like this morning's view:

I'm loving how the greens of the trees and the blues of the sky seem to blend seamlessly.

Nature is an amazing thing.

FMM: Girl Power!

Saw some excerpts from this year's Billboard Music Awards, and it was like one big Friday Magic Madness! The show paid tribute to some of the biggest artists of the 80s and 90s, including their Billboard Icon Awardee - Janet Jackson.

But for me, one of the highlights was this on-stage reunion of 90s girl-group royalties:



Gosh! Salt N' Pepa, En Vogue and DJ Spinderella on one stage, singing their 90s hits like "Push It," "Whatta Man, " "Let's Talk About Sex," "Shoop," among others. And they all look gorgeous after all these years.

My Friday is SO made!

In the thick of things...

On this edition of funny labels, here's a clothing brand that might make you feel thicker than usual.

Found this shirt in Surplus Shop, and my first reaction was: "Gosh! Ang KappAhl!"

It's funny how some things can get lost in translation.

Solo film

The Star Wars machine is really churning out films these days.

Less than a year after "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," another film - a prequel - is hitting the theaters today.

It's literally a "Solo" film.

It's Han Solo!

As much as I'd like to say that I'll catch this film, truth is, I haven't even seen "Avengers: Infinity" and "Deadpool 2."

Let's see how this goes.

Summer vibes

According to PAGASA, the rainy season will officially begin a few weeks from now. So, technically speaking, we're on the tail end of this extremely hot summer season.

Before it officially closes, let's amp up the summer vibes with this Demi Lovato ditty from a few years back. It has a tune and vibe that captures the carefree essence of summer.



Cool.

Monday blues

Because we like to wear blue chambray on Mondays.

Proof that creative minds think - and dress - alike.

For the Win-ona

Winona Ryder.

In a rom-com. About weddings.

In 2018.



Take my money!

SPG: Strict Puppet Guidance

As a major fan of shows like "The Muppet Show, " "Sesame Street, " and "Fraggle Rock," I look at puppets with fondness and high regard.

And this upcoming Melissa McCarthy film (with Maya Rudolph, too!) tramples on everything I love about puppets. Nay, it tramples, kicks, and spits on everything!



But it looks like it's going to be so much fun! (Sorry, puppets.)

FMM: Summer Loving

Apparently, there's a Donna Summer musical playing in NY these days.

This is super apt since her music really defined a generation. And it's music that I've written about several times already. Including today since it's Friday Magic Madness day.



"Bad Girls" is one of those songs that make you want to grow and afro and ride the Soul Train. And after listening to this song several times today, it's what I actually want to do.

Pipe it down!

Looks like Oishi has another winner!

I tried their new product - Pipe Bites - in the middle of our shoot today. And it was so, so, so, so good! The subtle crunch of the "churros" and the milky goodness of the white chocolate - the combination of these 2 was genius.

Now, there's a new snack on my rotation.

Match point

When your shoes match the carpet - as in, exactly match it - you take a photo.

Yup, it's a match!

Taylor Soft

"Delicate" - Taylor Swift's latest song, definitely lives up to its title.

She sounds so frail and calm in this ditty. Which is a nice departure after her series of fast, angsty ones.

Even the video has this sense of quietness, but without losing her Taylor quirk.

Well played, Taylor. Well played.

Working state of mind

Since I've been working the past 3 weekends (including Sundays) plus holidays (including today), this song is what's playing in my head.



Good thing I love my work.

Queenly

As a kid, I'd often hang out at the library of the house in Morato, and Dad would keep some of his cassette tapes.

One time, I chanced upon a cassette of a group named "Queen," and - out of curiosity - listened to it.

Immediately, I was a fan. Freddie Mercury was a genius. And Queen rocked - figuratively and literally.

Imagine my excitement upon seeing the trailer for this film:



I'm sure this film will rock us!

FMM: Gotta have Soul

It's Friday Magic Madness day and I'm in the mood for something more current.

Let me fast forward to the 90s and play one of the songs that was always on repeat during this decade.



This can actually be considered a "Double Friday Magic Madness" song. It's a remake of a Bill Withers classic that came out in 1977, then remade by S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. in 1992.

In both cases, the song is just lovely.

Not appetizing at all

Was watching this on-line video about a hole-in-the-wall Japanese stall somewhere in Caloocan, and one of the first things that came on screen was this:

You'd think that "delicious" would be easy to spell, right?

Apparently not.

Proofreader, puhleeze!

Basically

Since high school, I've always been a basic t-shirt and pants kind of guy. Note that I said "pants" and not "jeans." That was because the nerd in me wore slacks all throughout high school until my first year in college.

Because of that, I'm always on the lookout for a nice, basic t-shirt.

Back in the 80s and 90s, those would be from Hanes and Fruit of the Loom. As the fast fashion revolution came about, I would get my shirts from Zara, Pull and Bear, H&M, Old Navy, and Gap. When I lived in HKG, the city introduced me to awesome t-shirts from Uniqlo, Armani Exchange, and Paul Smith.

Recently, local brands have been proving their mettle in this arena. The past year, I've been buying shirts - lots of them - from Oxygen. Their loose fit shirts are the shiz!

And last month, I discovered another awesome source. Oxygen's sister company, Penshoppe!

Their Relaxed Fit shirt is perfect. The cotton is soft and feels lived in. The fit is loose and casual, but not sloppy. And the array of colors is astounding.

I think I've already bought 10. And if I don't stop myself, I'll probably buy more.

That's basically it.

When fashion and Catholicism MET

This year's MET Gala - aka the Superbowl of Fashion - had an unusual and interesting theme. It was "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." Needless to say, as a Catholic boy raised in a Catholic country, this is borderline blasphemy.  But as they say, fashion shouldn't be taken too seriously, so I won't.

Most of the attendees of the Gala, though, took the theme very seriously. So, there were a lot of Catholic Church influences in their garbs. From as simple as carrying or wearing rosaries, to having religious images printed on their gowns, to Rihanna wearing a Papal Hat, it was one over-the-top look after the other.

One that caught my eye the most was Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's interpretation of the theme.

It was an ethereal gold dress with a halo headpiece. Looking at it reminded me of all those life-size saints that were paraded around Bicol during the Holy Week season.

Heck, maybe we can invite her to the Philippines next Holy Week and parade her on top of a carroza. That would be fashionably Catholic.

Sketchy Stories: You've got it Maid

Aside from her wedding gown, Kris also asked me to design looks for her entourage. She had a maid-of-honor and 4 bridesmaids, and she wanted their dresses to be cohesive, yet individual enough to fit their personalities.

The fabric I chose for them was neoprene, so I wanted the dresses to be flowy, but still have a sense of structure. My solution, make the skirts full and flowy, and make the top portions of the dresses more structured and architectural. This was my mindset when I sketched these for the bridesmaids:

One had an athletic, halter and racerback top.

The second had a raglan sleeve with cutouts.

Third, capelet sleeves.

And fourth, an off-shoulder band.

For the maid of honor, I wanted her dress to be close to Kris' look. So, I went for a bustier top with lace covering the top until the 2nd hip. The skirt had an umbrella cut to mimic the fullness of Kris' skirt. To add an accent - I also added a belt.

Looking at them while they were being constructed, I was very satisfied. And when I saw them all together during the wedding - and this photo - I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

It's nice to be able to stretch my creativity into other things as well.

Sundaze

On any given Sunday, I'd be at home fixing things, checking papers, sketching designs, and most importantly, taking naps in between.

But today, we're in the thick of work. Thankfully, I'm working with an awesome team who are also my friends.

Relaxing...

Whenever I see my student's work, I'm amazed at the level of creativity they possess. As I always tell them, some of the stuff they do can be published tomorrow and it would look like it was done by professionals.

Just like this ad done by a group of students for my copywriting class.

The layout, look, visualization and copywriting are all spot-on. It could've been done by one of my art directors here at the office, but it was done by a group of 18 year olds.

With the future of advertising looking like this, I think I can relax.

FMM: Take me on a Voyage!

It's been more than a month since my last trip out of the country. And I must say, I'm beginning to miss seeing and experiencing another country and another culture.

I've always believed that traveling is such an enriching activity. Any country I go to, I leave with a better sense of appreciation of their food, architecture, culture and way of life. These - along with shopping - is my memory and souvenir of my visit to that country.

*segue to*



This is one of my favorite 70s ditties. It's Voyage's hit song, "Souvenirs."

Hope to be able to get out of the country and gather souvenirs soon.

Not yet Avenged...

I'm the only person in the creative department who hasn't seen "Avengers: Infinity."

Sad, but true.

H&M-oschino!

One of the most anticipated fast fashion collaborations was announced early this year!

Yup, H&M announced this year's designer tie-up, and it's going to be with Jeremy Scott of Moschino.

This might be as - or even more - over the top than the Kenzo and Anna Dello Russo collections.

Waffle draw!

During our monthly Creative Team breakfast last Friday, I was able to bring out my newest cooking toy!

A waffle maker!

Not surprisingly, it was one of the top hits that morning. Everyone just wanted a waffle. And I was more than glad to make them for everyone.

My panini maker now has a partner in making the department happy.