Wearable Art

A few weeks ago, my parents and I went to this Bicol products fair at Shangrila Mall. 

They had the usual roster of products, like abaca and rattan products, pili nuts and its different derivatives, Paracale gold, Laing, and other Bicolano dishes.

But one booth stood out to me. It sold clothing, but with a very artistic twist.

The owner was an artist who does her own paintings, then prints them on fabric. From there, she makes various creations, including dresses, blouses, and other Filipiniana outfits.

The one that caught my eye was also the piece that eventually made it home. 

This is a bib blouse with a barong tagalog print. The blue artwork is the owners original art, and she added the barong pattern to give it the total barong Tagalog feels. It was so chic, creative and local.

And just like how barongs are usually paired with dark pants, I've paired it with a straight cut, dark denim jeans.

Now, this is modern Filipinana.

Now, this is art.

Ballet meets Balot

This post is so, SO overdue.

Actually, the fact is that I thought I posted about this already. 

Apparently not.

Saw this really nice pair of ballet flats at a Trade Fair in Megamall, and just had to order a pair.

Yup, order. They make these shoes to order, which is a great way to really promote craftsmanship and quality.

This beautiful denim ballet flats has a whimsical "Balot" print. Very Pinoy yet very chic.

Now, that's Pinoy creativity at its finest.

Local goes Global

Saw this shirt as part of H&M’s 2023 Summer Collection.

Looking at it closely, it’s a Solihiya pattern! 

Yes, the local rattan weave that we often see in old furniture is crossing over to global fashion.

That’s how global our designs can be.

Mon Cherie

Cherie Gil is undoubtedly one of the icons and gems of Philippine Cinema.

She one of those actresses that can easily shift from being a villain to a heroine. Yes, she played heroines in her career, in films like "Oro, Plata, Mata," "Sana'y wala nang wakas," among others.

But yes, she's better known as the villain. A classy, elegant, intelligent and loveable villain. 

One of her iconic roles is as Lavinia Arguelles in "Bituing Walang Ningning." It's so iconic that her famous line: "You're nothing but a second rate, trying hard, copycat!" is part of Filipino Pop Culture for almost 4 decades now.

Given how it's still part of the local lexicon until now, it's safe to say that those lines will be seared into the consciousness of the Filipinos and will never be forgotten.

And as Cherie Gil closes the curtain on her illustrious career, I'm certain that neither will she.

Shrimp-ly Irresistible

Among the plethora of yummy Pinoy snacks, this has to be one of my top favourites!

Tanyag Shrimp Crackers!

This has been a go-to snack for decades, and it's as good now as it was before. That's why whenever I see it anywhere - whether it's a street vendor or a random shop in the mall - I can't resist but buy one.

Whoa Taho!

After more than 4 months of not having this truly Pinoy concoction, I'm so glad that I was finally able to have it!

Yes, the Manong Taho in our compound is back! And he's now riding a bike with a roof, which is a lot more convenient for him.

Welcome back, Manong Taho! And welcome back, Taho!

Looking forward to having you more regularly this time.

Celebrating freedom!

Without fail, Google reminds us of today's Philippine Independence Day and how we should cherish the freedoms we are given.

Hope other people remember that, too.

Land of the free!

Today, we celebrate our 120th year of Independence!

Sometimes, we take our freedoms for granted. Days like today remind us how lucky we are and how much we should cherish and fight for the freedom we're enjoying.

Maligayang kaarawan, Pilipinas!

Seeing Silver! part deux

After a 20 year wait, another Pinoy finally went up the Olympic podium!

Hidilyn Diaz won silver at the weightlifting competition after the front runner - China - messed up. She was already assured of the bronze, but this twist of sporting fate moved her a notch higher.

Seeing her shedding tears of happiness while going up the podium left me a bit teary eyed, too. I could feel her pride and joy emanating from the computer screen.

Congratulations, Hidilyn. And here's to more medals from our athletes!

Charo In Style

While doing my weekly browsing through InStyle.com, a feature on "Game of Thrones" caught my attention.

It's Charo Ronquillo!

After seeing so many of the usual Caucasian, Latin and Chinese models, it's refreshing to see a Filipina face on their pages.

More Philippinspiration

Last year, I wrote about how some American and European designers looked like they were looking to the Philippines for inspiration. It's a trend that seems to be continuing up until today.

While browsing through the net-a-porter website, I checked out Zac Posen's collection and found this very striking and very familiar dress.

(images from net-a-porter)

Just one look and you can immediately see the references to the Philippine terno. The butterfly sleeves and the neckline are reminiscent of our National costume. But there were a bit of tweaks done, such as the sleeve being more sculptural and less structured, the neckline having a bit of a drape, and the skirt being more architectural.

It's nice to see the terno being given a Western twist, and it's even nicer to know that our culture is being recognized and seen as inspiration the world over.