FMM: Oh, what a feeling!

Called it!

Tiday’s Friday Magic Madness song is yesterday’s post:

“Dancing on the Ceiling” is one of Lionel Richie’s biggest hits in the 80s. The song is as fun as the music video, and the cameo if Rodney Dangerfield made it even more fun to watch.

Makes me feel like dancing.

And yes, today is Mama Mary’s Nativity Feast day!

Happy Birthday Mama Mary!

Linear Thinking

It's no secret that I've always been interested in graphic design and visuals - despite the fact that I'm a writer by nature. Thus, my eye has always gravitated towards strong prints, contrasting colors, and clean lines.

That's why when I saw this fabric at Fabric Warehouse, I immediately had to get a few yards.

It had these Prada-esque stripes in various colors including orange, pink, charcoal gray, light gray and beige. The distribution of the stripes were equal across the fabric, so it would be a pity to cut up the fabric and destroy the beauty of the lines.

Thus, when I talked to the dressmaker about the design, my main instruction was "make sure the stripes are intact - from top to bottom."

And this is what we came up with:

It's a maxi-dress with a fitted top and a flared hem. The dressmaker was able to utilize the entire length of the fabric, and the distribution of the colors was awesome. I think the colors fell in exactly the right part of the body.

Finally, to add a touch of interest on the garment, I decided to cut out a triangle at the back. That way, there's still a bit of skin to break the pattern.

Ate Bullet tried the dress out and it was perfect on her.

I'm sure this will be in line for the next event she'll be attending.

Sketchy stories: The Bollywood edition

Creative people say that there's inspiration everywhere. Even from the most random thing, you can find a trigger that gets your creative juices flowing and pushes you to create something. 

This was the case of the dress that Ate Lissa wore during Pichon's wedding last Saturday.

The story starts at Forever 21. Ate Bullet has a wedding to attend in June and is planning to wear the black, pleated long gown that I bought for her in Singapore. She needed earrings to go with it, and I remember seeing a pair of black, art deco ones at the Megamall store. (More on that another time.)

Immediately, I found the pair that I was looking for.  But just as I was walking away from the rack, there was this other pair of multicolored sparklers that called out to me. It said: "Don't leave just yet. Look at me! Look at me!" So I looked at it. And bought it.

This pair was also a bit art deco in design, thought its vibe was more Bollywood. Maybe it's the deep jewel tones that remind me of India. Immediately, I knew that "Modern Bollywood" would be the theme for Ate Lissa's dress.

With that accessory in mind, it was time to find the perfect Indian fabric. Which would've been easy if we were in Singapore or India. But this is Manila, and this might have been a tall order. So, I went to several Indian shops in search for a sari that can be reworked. Luckily, this Indian silk fabric presented itself to me.

It was perfect. The deep magenta base, a red cenefa, and small brick red patterns - it was very Indian, but still modern. What struck me the most was the paisley edges that echoed the design of the earrings that this was supposed to match.

The fabric was already busy and a bit complex, thus, I thought the design should be simple, classic, but still with a touch of modernity. Which led to this sketch:

A simple, strapless dress with a flared hem. It was classic, and it would bring out the cenefa both at the bodice and the hem. Just to keep it from looking too simple, the back had an open detail to show off some skin and to break the color and pattern.

After showing the seamstress the dress, she immediately knew what to do. And after a few weeks, the modern Bollywood gown arrived.

Like a lot of creative endeavors, this gown looked better than I imagined it to be. The flared hem gives it an edge, and the back offers a hint of sass. It could've been a tad bit more open, though, but the cenefa would've been cut if I insisted.

Just add some "chori, chori," and this gown will definitely go straight to Bollywood.

A-muse-ing

More than a month ago, Ate Bullet told me that they were going to have their family portrait taken, and proceeded to ask me to help out in choosing what she should wear for the pictorial. In short, it was another styling (inside) job.

This task was both easy and difficult. Easy because Ate Bullet can pretty much wear anything. (As Mark said before, she can wear a sack and it will still look good.) It was difficult because she has so, so, SO many clothes that it would be a challenge to choose a few pieces.

After asking her what look she was going for, she simply said that she wanted something classic, elegant, memorable but with an eye-catching punch. This actually didn't help because almost all of her clothes are like that.

But choices had to be made, and the parameters that I set were: 1. Neutral or dark colors, 2. Classic shapes, and 3. With details - quirky or otherwise. These parameters led me to these 3 looks.

First, an all-Lanvin x H&M ensemble. It consisted of the ballerina dress, a statement necklace, and black open-toe pumps.

Second, she wore the 3-fabric dress that I designed and Aling Bright made. It really fits her like a glove! And she used the same pair of black pumps.

After this shot, we were pretty much set to call it a night. But the photographer stopped us and said that she wanted to take a photo of Ate Bullet and me, and he had a theme in mind.

"Designer and muse."

I didn't bring anything to wear, except for the clothes on my back. Luckily, Kevin's coat fit me, then I borrowed Kurt's bow tie, then Mau lent me his specs. The final product was me channeling Alber Elbaz, which is cool because I've always liked his work for Lanvin.

For this shot, Ate Bullet wore a black and nude gown which I bought in HKG more than 4 years ago. Finally, it got out of the closet and was worn for the pictorial.

As a final shot, we played around and took this crazy photo of Ate Bullet, Raymond and myself. As I mentioned in my year-end post, it looked like a very convincing photo as people were emailing me, asking if I shifted from Advertising to design. (And the answer was "no.")

In a way, Mau was right. This was a "muse" moment because the 3 women in the family - Mom, Ate Lissa and Ate Bullet - are all muses. They're all into fashion, they all have impeccable style, and they have fun with fashion.

It's an a-muse-ing family indeed.

Color Story: Earthen Wear

Just because I'm fond of color, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the simpler, more neutral things in life. In fact, when it comes to colors, my personal inclination veer more towards Earthen hues. 

During my childhood, the crayons I'd often finish first were brown, flesh, yellow and burnt sienna. (Yes, I had the 48 crayon box with the built-in sharpener! Woot! Woot!) Most of my artwork would be in Earth tones because I find them very relaxing.

But just because they're neutral colors, this doesn't mean they're boring. When mixed together properly, it can be a very vibrant and chic combination. Take this outfit for example:

This ensemble uses 2 base colors - khaki and mustard. Separately, they might be drab, but combined, they can be very, very fab.

The top is a sheer, mustard blouse with floral prints in white and gray. Notice the absence of brightness in the combination. But still, the top looks quite vibrant and easy on the eyes.

The silhouette of the khaki pants are loose and easy, which works with the entire look. For a dash of color (just a dash, not a punch), there's a mustard belt to create continuity between the top and bottom.

To cap off the outfit with a much needed zing, add these Mary Jane wedges in dark brown leather.

It introduces another color, but one that's still within the family of colors used on the main outfit.

Put them all together and you have an Earth toned outfit that's out of this world.

Now who said neutral has to be boring?

Color Story: Be bright

It's always refreshing to see splashes of color everywhere. As Art Studies professors - or anyone who has an understanding of visual design - will tell you, colors define and create a mood for people who interact with it. 

In an email thread of D' Frendz, Mona mentioned that she needed a pop of color in her wardrobe. So, I immediately thought up of a bright palette, and came up with this:

Not content with just one pop of color, I decided to have 2. Here's a tailored shift in a bright and happy fuchsia color, and grounded a bit with a royal blue belt.

The style of the dress is perfect for Mona since it can go from meeting to party. The tailoring gives it that business feel, but the color and material make it worthy for a more casual event.

Okay, i'm not just fond of colors. I'm crazy about them. That's why I thought of upping the color ante of the outfit by adding another blue element - a blue cardigan! If you put it on top of the sheath, it make it more relaxed and laid back.

The cardigan is a shade darker than the belt, so it's perfect for layering. When you put the belt outside, it creates this 3-color block that's both sophisticated yet happy.

Another colorful and color blocked outfit that I came up with is this casual chic ensemble that I gathered from the Trinoma sale. It's made up of 3 easy pieces - a loose teal blouse, a pair of royal blue boyfriend shorts, and a teal belt.

I'm digging the vibe of this outfit. It feels like something you can wear in a beach in Europe - be it Sitges or St. Tropez. The play of contrasts is also nice. The top is loose and airy, while the bottom is structured.

Finally, the ribbon belt adds a touch of whimsy to the whole look. I'm sure Ate Lissa will rock this ensemble.

There's nothing like colors to make a wardrobe - and mood - so much brighter.

From Fabric to just plain Fab

And Aling Bright continues to create her magic.

More than a month ago, I wrote about these bolts of fabric that I found while looking for fabric for Mom's dress. They were 3 very different fabrics, but had some similar elements such as color and texture.

After looking at it for a few minutes and "letting the fabric talk to me," (this must be the most overused phrase in the U.S. Edition of Project Runway,) they eventually decided to open a conversation with me. These fabrics asked: "Can you use us all at once?"

My reply was: "Why not?" They all have black and gold undertones, and a certain amount of shine. So, it would be easy to unify them and make them look cohesive.

As an Art Director, I always make sure to focus on one main element, and just use the remaining pieces as complements around the layout. The same principles guided me in laying-out these fabrics. Since the jacquard fabric has the most interesting pattern, that became the centerpiece of the dress. The silk, naturally, became the lining. (Sorry, silk.) Finally, the lace became the finishing touch and additional point of interest.

With these principles as guide, this is what I sketched:

When Aling Bright saw the sketch and the fabric, she was very excited. My indicators for her excitement include the way she nods her head, smiles and says: "Tama, alam ko na."

And I can attest to the fact that she really got the concept and the way I wanted to execute it. Because a few weeks after, she came back with this beauty.

It was the sketch brought to life. Alive in a most vivid, precise and well-made way. Aling Bright captured all the nuances and the details of my sketch, right from the front, all the way to the back. Heck, she even captured the lace tail the way I imagined it.

Because of the rich textures of the fabric, there needed to be a breaker in between so as to not make the dress look too heavy. So, I thought of showing a bit of skin to add a neutral color in between. So, there's a keyhole-of-sorts on the top half of the dress. There's an arch of lace on top of the sweetheart neckline.

The same idea is captured at the back, but the cut is a bit lower since there's more skin to show in that area.

Overall, the execution captured the concept flawlessly. From fabulous - albeit disparate - fabrics, it all came together as a fabulous piece of clothing. What's more,  it fits my equally fabulous sister - and one of my muses - Ate Bullet.

Here she is working the dress. Harhar. Some dresses look better on the body than on the hanger. And since this fits her like a glove, it makes the dress come alive in all its fabulousness.

One more look at the back. Yup, this dress definitely looks great both coming and going.

This piece of creativity - from fabric to paper to finished product - just inspired me to dig into the fabric pile once more. Who knows what other fabulously creative projects I can create from there.

Plains or Prints

In the advertising world - the world that I've been a part of since I was a wee little boy - we thrive on the concept of "options."

One is never a good number. Whenever you do something - be it a headline, concept, logo or visual device - you should come in with 5 or more options. It is very rare that you get the right one on the first try, that's why coming up with a list of possibilities has become common place in the industry.

And it's a concept that can be brought out of the advertising world and into the real world. 

For example, in fashion. Once concept can always have options. So, let's say that the pink cuffed trousers are the concept, you can execute it in different ways. In this particular case, the options are:

Plain...

... or Print.

Plain means taking 2 complementing plain colors and combining them into one outfit. Since the trousers  are already in a bright pink color, the top should be a bit more muted and should provide a counterpoint. Thus, this slate colored top with lace trimmings and a faux-dolman sleeve.

To add another point of visual interest, the belt is in another strong and contrasting color - dark green. It's nice how it plays off the pink background.

For the printed option, what's important is the print should borrow a shade from the dominant concept. Since the trousers are pink, the floral patterns have a hint of pink on them. This ties in the two elements together.

And so as not to make it "matchy-matchy" (Nina Garcia will not approve,) the palette of the printed shirt is in a very neutral beige. This works two ways: first, the neutral colors don't clash with the pink hue, and second, the prints pop out more because of the base color.

The thing with options is that usually, the client is just supposed to choose one option. But luckily, for this "concept," there are two "clients." Ergo, they get one option each. And since they're pretty much the same size, they can switch options as well. 

Super Mom

Raising kids is tough enough. So, if you've been raising 4 gregarious boys single-handedly, that's quite a feat. And if you're continuing to raise 4 boys who are God-fearing, Filipino values laden, well-mannered and academically excellent, it just goes to show how super a mother you are.

Happy Birthday, Ate Lissa. (aka Super Mom.)



Your kids are lucky to have you as a Mom and we're all blessed to have you as our Sister.

Chic to Chic

Today marks a chic occasion which deserves a chic greeting.

Happy Birthday, Ate Bullet! Here's to another fun and fashionable year.



And speaking of chic, she's definitely rocking the chic Kamiseta Limited dress that I spotted last August.

Tales from my sister's closet

This morning, my brother-in-law Raymond and I took on the daunting task of fixing Ate Bullet's clothes. One might ask, "since when did fixing clothes become a daunting task?" To that, my answer would be: "Since we last checked her closet." Harhar.

In "Sex and the City," there was one scene where Carrie and Big had this conversation:

BIG: Do you want me to get you a diamond?
CARRIE: No. Just get me a really big closet.

My Ate could easily have replaced Carrie in this scene because she needs a really big closet. The rack on her old one gave way a couple of times because of the amount of dresses she has. To fix the problem, we tried putting up another rack a month ago. That, too, gave way after a few weeks. Keeping up with more than a hundred pieces of clothing ain't no easy job.

So, Raymond set up these reinforced steel bars and created some sort of a walk in closet in their attic. And within an hour, it was filled with clothes.


Actually, this is probably just a third, yes - 1/3, of her stash of clothes. Carrie Bradshaw, is that you?


Well, it's actually a selection that Carrie would be proud of. The racks had Diane, Vera, Roland, Badgely Mischka, Alberta, Narciso, among others. It also had a lot of old (or as the fashion pundits call it, "vintage") Luna, Due and other Rustan's house brands.

Among the lot, emphasis on "lot", there were a few pieces that stood out. I've got a soft spot for details and construction, and these babies had it:

First is a Black Market/White House chiffon dress with a velvet belt and a black brooch.


Next is an Herve Leger bandage dress.


Then there's a "vintage" Due designed by Rhett Eala.


Lastly, a Roland Mouret coat.


Before we parted ways, Raymond was wondering if these two bars were enough or if we needed to put another one. At first, I thought we had enough space for everything. But after working the entire morning arranging her stuff, it looks like I was mistaken.