More than halfway through to 30

So it's August soon, and that's where it's at. Promised myself a change of direction by my next birthday. Things are looking up, in many ways I didn't even expect. But just a few more things before I can get the train running.

This is what I wore last week. It's Saturday already. Who will I be tomorrow morning?


Tee from Hong Kong; jeans, Havanna & Co; sandals, Kickers, thrifted; beanie, 5cm; nylon tote, thrifted; Tisiphone razor necklace, Bosquejo

The Artisan presents Collection IV: additional notes

Since I've already written about The Artisan's Collection IV on my Benetton blog, I've decided to put up additional notes. Starting with: there is something very Japanese about the use of sea creatures, especially when they seem to be part of a metamorphosis.




Though it would have been more interesting if the clothes bore more elements from the concept. How about developing the circles of tentacles into an animal print?

Blue and brass

This was what I wore last Friday, but these pictures were taken last Saturday. Don't ask. These past few days have whirled past me in a blur, and there is even more to come! So says the weather report, ie my schedule.




Need to get back to the gym, not just for my gut (sorry), but also to clear my mind. How else can we stop and smell the flowers (though yellow bells have no scent) amid all the distraction?




Wearing the Benedictine necklace from Bosquejo's Sacre collection, whose new pieces I will be delivering to stores soon. No time to hold my breath...

Happy Monday!


Jacket, Muji; tee, C.P. Company; jeans, Two Percent; beanie, 5cm; belt, Brave Beltworks; crocheted sandals, thrifted

Bosquejo presents: new Furies + the Dragons series

While waiting for the release of the final pictures for the Bosquejo Hardware lookbook, let me present previously unreleased necklaces that were also used in the shoot.

Let me begin with additions to the Furies, the Hardware razor series. First up is "Eumenides". The name, which means "Kindly Ones", is used interchangeably with "Furies", or "Erinyes", which means "the angry ones" to refer to the deities of vengeance.




Next is a modification to "Tisiphone", "Tisiphone II".




Leading the new Dragons series is "Jormungandr", a Norse sea serpent who is also the middle child of the giantess Angrboða and the god Loki. I had the idea of a dragons/serpents series after creating these new pieces for a stylist commission. I think the description fits.

According to the Icelandic work Prose Edda, Odin took Loki's three children, Fenrisúlfr, Hel, and Jörmungandr, and tossed Jörmungandr into the great ocean that encircles Midgard. The serpent grew so large that he was able to surround the Earth and grasp his own tail. When he lets go, the world will end. As a result, he received the name of the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent. Jörmungandr's arch-enemy is the god Thor.

Teaser: Bosquejo Hardware lookbook

I'm so giddy with anticipation, I could burst. But before that, more work!

It's a sunny Saturday morning!




Photography: Rxandy Capinpin. Styling: Ryuji Shiomitsu. Fashion: FIP menswear. Accessories: Bosquejo. Grooming: Katchie Mejias. Models: Terence Lloyd and Jessica Chiao-han Yang.

Ceil blue

I think I can breathe easier now—at least for the moment. With the lookbook shoot for Bosquejo's Hardware collection done (behind the scenes here and here), and with several pullout requests fulfilled, I have a very short lull before I need to start making new necklaces for both stores and direct clients. Finally I can show you the shirt that I had ordered from Drei Soriano (Will wear the matching pants soon.)




The color, I think, is ceil, which interestingly also refers to the act of lining or plastering the roof of a building (ceil-ing? con-ceil-ing?). I matched the shirt, which I wore as a jacket, with two necklaces from my Djinn collection (customized based on the piece "Gabrielle No 1") and with a polo shirt with buttons that resemble the stones.




What I loved the most about Drei's shirt were the zippers. Hopefully I can shed my gut so I can wear it as intended. And maybe with the matching tapered pants.

So what do you think? Are men ready for semi-precious stones? At first I was hesitant, even if the necklaces were black, but maybe it really just takes a little confidence (and some sleep) to sail through a new look.


Shirt, Drei Soriano; polo shirt, cK Calvin Klein; jeans, Sisley; belt, Nautica; boots, Timberland, thrifted

Behind the scenes: Bosquejo lookbook shoot / FIP Menswear video

Two Mondays ago was the shoot for the first lookbook of Bosquejo, my accessories line. It was for my first collection, Hardware. At the same time, my necklaces were used for the video shoot of menswear pieces by designers from the Fashion Institute of the Philippines.




Shown here are accessories from my moon series, named after the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn.




In the foreground is my yet-to-be-released (on the website at least) set, named after dragons.




Looking behind the camera of Jav Velasco, the videographer.




This is the set table a few hours into the shoot, when glitters were applied.




This amazing mesh and sequin top is by Cherry Veric. It is matched with the Arianna necklace.




I like how the raccoon eyes go with the stripes.




Beetlejuice, prison inmate, or a long-lost Addams relative?




Terence Lloyd taking a breather.

Now at Anthology: Bosquejo Hardware necklaces for men

My new Featherlight necklace from Bosquejo's Hardware collection is now available at Anthology at Powerplant Mall, Rockwell.




This goes out especially to those who missed out on the popular Steel Bard, a black onyx version of Featherlight. Both are sold at a very reasonable PhP500.





Also now available at Anthology are these stainless steel necklaces (clockwise from top left): Steel Dragonfly, Guns & Goons, Steel Gecko, Steel Guitar, Novice Sheriff, and Steel Dog & Fishbone. Prices range from PhP400-700.

Hurry while supplies last!

Paradigm Shift: Pure

Pure, Paradigm Shift's latest collection, is their best yet.




Twin tanks, which can be worn in both ways.




The concept cannot be any clearer, or simpler.

At a Bosquejo shoot, with Paradigm Shift

A quick snap at last Monday's shoot for the Hardware lookbook of Bosquejo accessories. Hanging on the rack are some pieces from Paradigm Shift's latest collection, Pure.

Can't wait to show you the final product!


Tee, cK Calvin Klein; jeans, Levi's; boots, Timberland, thrifted

Androgyny by Rajo Man

It was my first time at House of Laurel, the atelier of Rajo Laurel, one of the best womenswear designers in the country, last Saturday. Displayed were all four collections: Rajo!, Rajo Man, Rajito, and Nine by Rajo. Naturally, I went straight to the Rajo Man corner, which had the rack of Rajo's second menswear collection.




As with the rest of the collections, the latest Rajo Man pieces came in neutrals, with the occasional purple/eggplant.




I like the two-tone Chiyo shirt on the left. I would wear it with jeans and khakis. The black shirt with white grosgrain detail seems more suited to slacks and dark trousers, perfect with the harness belt.




Here is the first shirt on the rack.

Getting rusty

It was an unimaginably hectic day yesterday, which started with a visit to House of Laurel, where I saw Rajo's Androgyny collection, which blew me away (will blog about this very soon!), and where I met the designer himself. Then I proceeded to Divisoria and Quiapo, before finally going back to HOL to meet some friends. It was a day that brought work, fun, and most especially, very good news of things to come.




Saturday also brought this amazing rust colored sleeveless jacket by Ziggy Savella, which I wore to work today. Ziggy handed it himself, right as the group was about to have dinner at Powerplant Mall.

Quick Friday snap

These semi-blurred pictures were not planned. As I was rushing from work, I suddenly thought of asking a stranger at an underpass to take a few clicks. I realize now that I really must love the euphoria of being fully occupied, of running from one thing to the other, of crossing out To Do items in a packed list.




But as in these pictures, no one can see clearly behind the blur, or in this case, through my grandmother knit. It is a miracle that I can still hang on to the only thing I know that truly makes me happy. And that cannot be hurried. But for now, I must go.


Tee, C.P. Company; knit sweater, thrifted; jeans, Cheap Monday; belt, Structure, thrifted; sneakers, Acne x Tretorn; bag, Cambridge Satchel Company; scarf, S.M. Department Store

Color blocking, with ice cream

Transferred to a new shift at work today. So to get used to the new rhythm, I bought myself two scoops of mango gelatto from Amici's Cara Mia dessert parlor. Happy birthday to my father / Happy Kylie Minogue day for Manila / Happy should be as light and unexpected as dairy-free ice cream.


Polo shirt (which has a pocket stitched on, but inside the shirt!), Band of Outsiders; jeans, Topman; belt, Brave Beltworks; sneakers, Converse, thrifted

The green room

After a very busy day, I dropped some (well, a lot) of my Bosquejo necklaces at Moonleaf Tea Shop yesterday so that a stylist can claim them there for a coming university shoot. How has this come about, that jewelry is left at a tea shop? Let's just say that Moonleaf has grown a thick foliage of loyal customers who also happen to be, one way or another, involved in fashion.

At Moonleaf, green is for brainstorming, germinating new ideas for projects, and of course, wintermelons. Can't wait to work on the series of collaborations set for July!


Polka dot pullover from Mundo (also bought the navy version); jeans, Bench; belt, Brave Beltworks; sneakers, Generic Surplus; jacket, thrifted

Photo by Mike Magallanes

Fantastic Man fake corrections slip

This little slip of paper, which came with Fantastic Man's 2011 Spring/Summer issue, gave me a good laugh. Though aren't you supposed to place periods outside quotation marks when what is quoted is only a phrase? (Spotted one such sentence in an interview.) In any case, I think I shall have this laminated for use as a bookmark.

I purposely placed the slip of paper over a page from the issue's underwear editorial, a collaboration between The White Briefs and the magazine that features mainly mesh.

My latest fix: Electromagnetic Tentacle tees, part III

What I wore yesterday, plus what I was also reading and what I bought at PowerBooks.




I don't really play Angry Birds on my iPhone or iPad. Maybe since I gave up on my first sitting. Well at least I have this Electromagnetic Tentacle shirt, which shows them in a cockfight (the button of my jacket looks like the scene's moon).

Raindrops and polka dots

So it rained last night. I must have been sleeping. I woke up to an irresistible morning, still marked by receding puddles.




Last night's dreams felt like tangled yarn or the crocheted whorls of my sandals. But they instantly disappeared when I opened my windows.




I love the pattern of this sheer kimono, which is better seen from the back. Memory of raindrops?




Only the wind can tell its story.


Polo shirt, Calvin Klein Jeans, thrifted; jeans, Topman; belt, Brave Beltworks; sandals, bag, and kimono: all thrifted; viscose scarf from Mindanao