Bahnsen Burner

Was wondering, will Uniqlo be coming up with a new fashion collaborator? 

They have the regular lines with Clare Waight Keller and the U Studio. But there was a time when they had people like Phillip Lim, Costello Tagliapietra, Marni, Jil Sander and Alexander Wang doing capsule collections. And it would be cool to have something like that again.

Lo and behold, a capsule collection with Cecile Bahnsen.

She's a Danish designer known for blending femininity with her Scandinavian roots. So, think minimalism, but with a romantic twist. Something that you can see in her Uniqlo collaboration. It has a lot of ruffles and shirring, details that really elevates her pieces.

I've got my eye on the ruffled dresses, and something tells me that will land in Ate's closet soon.

One skirt, two ways: Sleeve me alone

Today's after mass lunch was at Robinsons Magnolia, and it's always fun to walk around this mall. The vibe is chill and laid-back, even if it's a Sunday.

Of course, Plains & Prints is on the agenda. Lo and behold, they were on sale. Apparently, it's a Robinsons Mall sale, so only selected branches are part of this.

Some of the items on sale are from the Michael Leyva x Plains & Prints collab from 2024. One item that was on sale that Ate Bullet doesn't have yet is a black skirt with the signature scarf print and a front tie. It's a dressy skirt with an attitude, and it can be worn two ways.

First, pair it with a textured knit top from SM GTW. This has a classic t-shirt style, but rendered in a knit fabric. The ensemble is giving fashion editor.

Second, pair it with a classic, boat neck sleeveless top from Uniqlo. The colour and cut of this top is so French, and it gives the ensemble a Parisian mood.

Amazing how small details - like a sleeve - can give an ensemble a different vibe altogehter.

False Alarm?

After the huge hullabaloo caused by the news of Marks & Spencers' exit in the Philippines, this piece of news comes out.

So, should we stop hoarding lotions and digestives?

We shall see.

Well-suited

I've been seeing a lot of suit sets in fast fashion stores of late. It's such an easy and elegant way to look put together. Plus, it gives major boss energy.

That's how this look got put together.

This is a nice suit set because the top is a vest rather than a blazer. It has a modern shape, thanks to the extended shoulders. The pants also provide a contrast to the structure of the top, thanks to the flowy shape. Also, the beige colour makes it versatile for any occasion. And the belt gives it a fashionable punctuation mark.

Whether it's a day at the office, or a casual weekend out with friends, this ensemble is suited for both occasions.

P.S. The suit is an on-line find, the shirt is from Regatta, and the shoes are from ForMe.

Dolled up denim

There are a lot of ways you can elevate denim. 

You can do it by pairing a denim item - like jeans - with a more luxe item like a silk blouse or a merino sweater. 

You can do it though accessories - like a sparkly shoe, a statement belt, or a tweed jacket.

Or you can make a dress with a lot of fashionable details that elevate it. Just like this dress:

Overall, the dress has a baby doll vibe. But it's done in a very modern way. From the cuts and seams on the bodice, to the sleeve that puffs up at the lower part, to the big neck tie that further enhances the "doll" look.

This is more than just "Denim done right," It's "Denim done wonderfully chic!"

Dots perfect

When Joanne - the Plains & Prints Ali Mall manager - told me about the Plains & Prints x Vania Romoff x Mark Bumgarner collab, my excitement went through the roof.

After all, Vania and Mark are accomplished designers who both embrace the "simple but elegant" aesthetic, so putting their heads together for one collab has all the makings of a home run.

When the collection dropped, my excitement dropped notches lower. Overall, a lot of the pieces looked more like party wear rather than every day wear. Even the 2 dresses - the pieces that I had very high hopes for - were just okay.

But there were 3 pieces that stood out and immediately went to my "must buy" list. And yes, I was able to buy them.

First is this skirt and sleeveless top made in a polka dot fabric that's SO Vania Romoff. 

Among the pieces, these 2 are the ones that look like they came straight out of Vania's core line. The simplicity of the cut, the full skirt, the minimalist aesthetic - they all came together beautifully. And if you think that's the end of it, check out the back of the top:

Now THAT is a chic detail.

The nice thing about the skirt is that it can also be paired with the other pieces from the collection. So, along with these 2 pieces, ended up buying their black & white polka dot top with puffed sleeves and an empire waist.

And as you can see, the top pairs perfectly with the skirt.

Now, that's simple, elegant and versatile fashion!

Rokh with you - again

It felt like this story just happened yesterday.

Mark and I were in Tokyo, and we were meeting Jen in Shibuya. We went to the big GU store there, and they had a big display of the 1st GU x Rokh collab. The catch was that it was a preview display, so as much as I wanted to buy pieces, I couldn't. They were launching it a few days after we left. Boo!

Good thing, Kris went to Tokyo a few weeks after, and thanks to her, was able to snag the pieces that I was eyeing.

Now, the collab is back for the 3rd time!

And I'm going to Tokyo soon!

Wait for me, Rokh, will be there to get your fashionable pieces again.

Zimms familiar

Was at one of my haunts when a brown dress which had an embroidered, eyelet like pattern caught my eye.

The reason it caught my eye was the fact that it looked very, very, very familiar. Something it nm said" "You know this dress. You've seen in before."

After a little while, an epiphany happened and the mystery was solved.

This was the dress:

This is why it looked familiar.

It's a Zimmerman dress that passed by my feed after viewing the brand on Net-a-Porter.

And this has to be my best buy for the month.

Building Blacks

You can never go wrong with an all-black outfit.

Whether it's a combination of classic or trendy pieces, if it's all black, it's automatically becomes elevated.

This outfit was built around this pair of sporty ballerinas from Bershka. 

To complete the outfit, we paired it with a mock-turtleneck top from RAF and a skirt from ForMe.

Together, it created this sporty-feminine ensemble that Ate will surely rock.

Wait a Seconds

Apparently - and quietly - another one of my favourite Korean fast fashion brands has a store in MNL!

8 Seconds is part of the triumvirate of fast fashion shops that's always in my itinerary whenever I'm in Seoul. The other 2 are Top Ten and SPAO.

After Top Ten opened this year in Gateway 2, 8 Seconds opened its first store in MOA. This is probably why the opening was unknown to me. It's just too far!

But knowing that they're open, I can't wait to visit their store soon.

Organized chaos

Whoever said that you can't mix too many prints have obviously not seen this dress.

This maxi-dress is so pretty! Despite the fact that it's covered in so many random prints, it doesn't look garish or chaotic  The prints actually work with each other to give this dress a modern and fashionable boho vibe.

See, chaos can be beautiful.

Cream of the Crop

Personally, I'm not a fan of crop tops. 

But sometimes, there are pieces that you find that make you re-think your fashion decisions.

For me, it was this cotton pique crop top from Straightforward.

It's a polo shirt style that's very classic - sans the sleeves and the full coverage.

And how do you wear something like this? Is it just for the Gen Zs of this world?

Absolutely not!

First, you can pair it with high-waited jeans - also from Straightforward. The height of the waist band will compensate for the crop, and it will eventually just show a sliver of skin - which is very chic.

Second, you can wear it inside a denim dress - also from Straightforward. It's the preppy look, but elevated.

Whilst I"m not a complete fan of crop tops yet, this is a good start.

What's the Occasion?

It's Old Navy Occasion!

Yup, Zac Posen is also injecting his fashionable, feminine-chic DNA in Old Navy. 

There are elegant dresses and separates, both in printed and plain fabrics. As the name implies, their designs are good for any occasion, whether it's a Sunday brunch or a stylish dinner out, you can count on Old Navy to give you the right ensemble.

Again, I'm hoping they'll carry this line in MNL.

Old meets new

Yesterday in class, we were talking about music in commercials, and this very recent ad for Chanel was the example showed in class:

While the entire class knew Jennie, they had no idea what the music in the background was. Had to tell them about "Fine Young Cannibals" and their iconic hit "She drives me crazy."

It seems like fashion brands are into mixing the old and the new in their campaigns. I've seen a lot ads like these through the years, and another one of my faves was this Gucci Horsebit ad from 2 years ago.

This ad, with "Horse with no name" playing in the background is another genius move where old meets new. 

And that's how you make fashion - and music - that's timeless.

Gimme More(no)

There's a lack of fashion retrospectives and exhibits in the country.

This was one of my observations that was shared with Jo a few years ago during a visit to SG.

I've seen quite a number of fashion exhibits in SG. One of my personal faves was the Christian Lacroix exhibit from more than a decade ago. Then, there's the Issey Miyake exhibit in Japan. And of course, the Carolina Herrera exhibit in SCAD.

When I read that there was a Pitoy Moreno fashion exhibit at the MET, the first thought in my mind was "finally!"

Went there yesterday, and it was such a joy to be there. 

His work from different eras were all represented. From his time as costume designer for the Bayanihan Dance Troupe, to his love for the terno, to the gowns of first ladies, to the wedding suite, to his beautiful reinvention of the Japanese obi - they were all there to be enjoyed.

It's awesome to see his work up close, and some of these pieces I've only seen in books or in magazines. No question, Pitoy's work is truly wearable art.

Bonus points for the fact that they capped off the exhibit with this iconic line from "Bongga ka 'day."

And as the exhibit name says, it's truly Timeless.

We should have more exhibits like this.

Black buster week: Blowing bubbles

Nope, this isn't about that popular clothing brand from the 90s. But it's about clothes. And about black.

To cap of this week of black outfits, here's an ensemble that takes the skirt du jour - the bubble skirt.

This super cool skirt is from Surplus Shop. It has a very interesting shape and the bubble detail gives it swish and movement. For the top, it's a loose, dolman-ish style top, also in black.

Bubbles have never looked this chic!

Black buster week: Samurai style

Apart from the fact that Incerun has nice pants and skirts, there's also something good to be said about their selection of shirts and vests. 

There's a vest that caught my eye. A wrap around vest that's loose like a kimono, but sans the sleeves. The fact that it's black makes it a perfect addition to this week's black outfits feature.

Even the black pants from Incerun also has that Japanese vibe. It reminds me of Samurais, thanks to the pleats and the loose-ness of the design.

Since they're both from Incerun, this brand is 2 for 2 today!

Black-buster week: Neck deep

Recently, Ate Bullet has been into black outfits. This is mainly because of her 2 current favourite shoes - the black Tabi Japanese shoes, and her Zara ballet flats.

So, this week is going to be about the outfits that we've put together for those shoes.

The first one is inspired by a black, ribbed mock turtle neck top from The Landmark.

This blouse is super nice because of the fabric. It's so soft that it sculpts itself on the wearer's body. The texture makes it go beyond basic black, which is always a plus. Whether it's tucked-in or untucked, this blouse elevates the look. 

And we're tpairing it in a mixed-fabric skirt from Incerun. Again, this brand has been delivering consistently, and this black skirt is a winner.

This is going to look great with the black, ballerina flats.

Filling the fashion GAP

Here's today's discovery from YouTube.

Zac Posen is now the Executive Creative Director for GAP!

And we're talking about the GAP group - Banana Republic, Old Navy & Athleta.

It would be interesting to see where Zac is going to take these iconic brands. But admittedly, his entry comes at a good time since these brands need to up their fashion game - especially against the H&M and Inditex groups.

Can't wait to see his first collection when it drops here in MNL.

One pant, two ways: Jean-etics

There's this pair of jeans from Terranova that's been sitting in "the stash" for a time. Mainly because there wasn't a perfect top to go with it. That time, at least.

But after a weekend at the mall, this pair finally found its perfect top.

Two actually.

First is this denim button down from Black Sheep. The collar detail elevates the look of this one.

Second is this knitted turtle neck to from Memo. It looks so luxe and classy.

And with a change of the top, this pair jeans went from youthful to lady-like.