My First Snowfall

Beautiful tiny flakes of white rained all throughout Montreal tonight. I can't believe first snowfall happened so early this season! Global warming really screwing things up, eh? We really have to think and act green, people (no dirty jokes, please). Anyway, I loved it. It made me forget about my splitting headache for a second. We walked out the school glass doors and into the rain of snow. I totally enjoyed the surreality of the moment. My first snowfall in Montreal! :)

Look at how thick the snow had gotten by the time I got off the train!

my footprints cutting across the neighbor's snow crusted driveway

magical *
and tonight would've been the night I hadn't brought gloves.

of course by the time I was ready to go inside the warm solace of the foyer, my fingers were almost too numb to turn my key in the lock.

The sudden fall of snow took me by surprise today; but next time, I will be ready.

" Everything's magical when it snows, everything looks pretty. The clothes are great. Coats, scarves, gloves, hats. "

-Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls

♥

The Warm Fuzzy Feeling of Job Satisfaction

I realize I've been neglecting my blog the past few days. Partly because of mixed emotions and partly because I'm devoting most of my time touring my Dad around. :) I've been feeling a bit wistful lately, I kind of miss my job. I know I should really make most of my time and use it to my full advantage, and I am. I'm savoring the downtime of attending school too, as opposed to the busy hazy days of work. I guess maybe moving on just inevitably evokes that sense of wistfulness, a feeling familiarly present in every cycle of change. I was chatting with one of my editors and she told me they got a new girl already. Although I was a bit sentimental, I'm really happy for the new girl and she really deserves the post too! She's a great stylist and an person with amazingly distinct style. We're good "society acquaintances" (I only get to hang with her during events) and I'm glad she filled the open spot. :)

(click to enlarge)

I got my October issue when my dad arrived and last night I was browsing through it while waiting for my train. In the Editor's Letter page was the best thing that happened to me that day, it really lifted my spirits. A rave on my Fashion Workshop feature last August on major local department stores! I didn't see it right away; I just noticed the familiar layout of my page on a photo alongside a letter and I scanned through the paragraph as my heart started beating just that bit faster. My lips slowly broke into a wide smile and I started feeling giddy as I realized I was reading the first published rave on my work. Goodness, there is no better feeling! I felt so blessed that someone actually took the time to write the magazine just to say that she liked the feature. Incredible how one comment, a single sentence, can have such an impact on me. Charlotte Chiw, whoever and wherever you are, you are an angel and you made my entire week! Thank you :)

sorry, I'm too lazy to scan the pages. I'm hoping these photos I took with my camera will suffice.

On other pages of Preview, the Louis Vuitton editorial. I just thought I'd share it 'cause I have pictures in those shoes and that crazy sculptural hat. After giggly coercions from Alyanna, Mariane and I tried on the sky high platforms and other LV press samples while she took our photos. Ahh, happy days at the office.

and in the office pullout room/ closet...

platform pumps and boots
Fall 08's "It" hat?
my hooker-chic boots

Mars and I hamming it up ;)

Alyanna's hand, LV bangles, and desktop
The most extravagant plastic bangles
Me rolling my chair over to Alyanna's cubicle ;p

I miss my office!

(and Alyanna even more)

♥

Extraordinary Men

Thanks for the sweet comments on my previous post! I really had fun on that editorial, since it was also one of the first ones I worked hard on. Vince and I went over fall trends and chose the collections before I coordinated with the Adora merchandisers and had him approve the lines once they arrived. As an assistant is always charge of logistics, I forwarded the pegs for hair and makeup to our artists and talked with designers about the type of bodysuit we needed for the editorial. Vince is really a super genius -star stylist, art director, layout artist (I have no idea what the proper term is), and photoshop-er extraordinaire. In other words, fashion superhuman. It's so amazing working alongside his brilliance, I am awestruck every time! I especially love watching him play with the tones/ hues on the computer, I sit there in a trance while he works his art magic. Okay, I realize nobody asked, but I just let myself rave about working with these amazing people. They are incredible and huge inspirations to me!


On other news, my Dad is about to land the sweet slippery runway of Montréal-Trudeau Airport in, oh, 15 minutes? Ahhhh... who's excited? ..Okay, ME! I haven't seen my Dad in two months and he misses me so. He is the bearer of gifts: the things I unfortunately left behind back home (I left with only three luggages behind me), stuff he got me from the states last month, and some other things he picked up from the airport just today! Yahoooo.... I have got the BEST Dad in the Whole Wide World. I am serious. He SHOPS for me. What man would cross over into the cosmetics section of Macy's just to get me my annual Holiday Edition eye palette, or into Urban Outfitters to buy me shoes, or even take the initiative to buy me all accessories for my iPod and Macbook just 'cause he thought I'd like it? My dad, that's who! He's an even better (personal) shopper than my Mom [hi, Mom. love you.]. And he's coming now to visit me for a few days before he heads off to San Fo for another convention. YEYyyyy. As my own gift, I planned cool things for us to do! We are going vintage shopping on Mont-Royal, window shopping on Ste. Catherine, the Andy Warhol exhibit at Musee des Beaux-Arts, coffee at Starbucks, a nice dinner somewhere downtown, and just touring him all around! Now, before you think we're doing things only I love, get this: I reserved us slots at the Apple store for the iPhoto, iDVD, and iMovie worshops! Oh yes, we are such Apple geeks. And my Dad loves that place, it's the only store he goes shop crazy in. So.. it's time to go! I'm off to the airport. Ta-ta!

Narciso Rodriguez and the Floral Dress

This was an editorial I assisted in a few months ago; and it came out in the September issue of Preview. It's a lineup of some pieces from the Fall 08/09 Collections of D&G and Etro, and from the 10th Anniversary Collection of Narciso Rodriguez -all from a new department store in Manila named Adora. The editorial was an exclusive spread for said store's merchandise, so it was particularly easy to pullout in the sense that I didn't have to run around Makati getting pieces here and there. For footwear I got Marni, Jil Sander, Pedro Garcia, and two other brands carried by the store: Stella Luna and LYN. I also borrowed some Givenchy belts which I never got to use for this shoot and one of which had miraculously incurred a "damage" (a teeny bit of scratch almost unnoticeable to the naked eye) when my assistant returned them after the shoot. Gah. What misfortune, especially since we never even got it out of the bag! Moving on..

A certain floral zip-up dress  posted by Stompface reminded me of one of the Narciso Rodriguez dresses we used for this shoot. It was particularly the structure and silhouette blocks that held some sort of resemblance for me. I promised to show the lovely Stompface the dress, and so here it is (Photo 3).

Styled and Art directed by: Vince Uy

Stylist's Assistant: Myself

Photographed by: Jeanne Young

Makeup by: Paolo Maranan

Hair (and scans) by: John Valle

New Reality Show on CW

Who else watched the pilot episode of Stylista last night? Did you guys love it?? I liked it.. I don't love it yet, but it is very interesting to watch. I can imagine being all nerves like the contestants when they brought their breakfast trays to Anne Slowey.. and the outfits being criticized, scary! I didn't expect them to compliment Danielle's outfit and was really surprised when Anne and Joe both did. It's not because she's not "model size," I just didn't see anything spectacular about it.

I really don't like Megan. To me she looks like an evil brunette Britney Spears.

Kate Lanphear was guest judge on last night's episode! Looking fabulous as always.

I'm intrigued by the show because the challenge to do pages would be pretty similar to what I used to do for Preview. It's nerve-racking to submit the page and a lot of hard work actually doing it but I loved it. The sense of job satisfaction far outweighs what stress you might feel during production. And seeing your byline on print? Priceless. (Okay I sound like a Visa commercial.)

Stylista looks like a pretty good show to follow. Looking forward to what they cook up for next week..

♥

La vie à Montréal

I didn't have school today and I celebrated by staying in with a good book and spent quality time on my laptop hanging out with the boyf (on webcam). I have become such a homebody here and I'm loving it. Back home I usually fly out of the house by noon (on non-work days.. and okay, also on work days. flexi-time really works for me), and get back at around midnight. I rarely have time to veg out in front of the tv, much less read. So now, I catch up on my much neglected past-time and read up. I go out once in a while too explore the city too, which brings me to my very first tag.

I was tagged by the very adorable The World Is My Catwalk some time ago, and now here goes,

here are the rules:

(1) Link back to the meme creator: Caz

(2) Link to the person who tagged you: The World Is My Catwalk

(3) Link back to the originator of the positive SA movement (as this is how this all started): Cheap Thrills

(4) List five reasons you love your state

(5) Tag five people

My roots are in Manila, but I currently reside in Montreal so I decided to talk about this very interesting Canadian city.

1. It is so charming. Montreal is a city, but within it are idyllic communities where it is mostly quiet and slow-paced. I really enjoy how laidback it is in Ville Mont-Royal, and especially how it has community parks and centers in close proximity to my house! We have a community center where residents can sign up for sports, exercises, and other activities like arts and crafts, etc. I was so delighted to find they had Pilates classes and at reasonable prices (for community residents) too! And one of the bestest things is the library, which offers a wide array of books/ magazines/ videos/ audio cds and free membership for townspeople. (I make that sound so small town, don't I?)

2. The busy downtown streets. The days I do go out of the house, I head for Ste. Catherine, Blvd. Maisonneuve, Sherbrooke, and that whole area. It is the busiest of streets and it's where most flagship stores (H&M, Urban Outfitters, AA, The Apple Store), museums, and restaurants are located. It is a picture of busy shoppers, employees, students who flit the shops on their spare time. I revel in the energy of the streets and really feel the rush of adrenaline when I step into the throng after spending a couple of hours shopping in a huge store.

3. Everything French. Of course, it's not really French French, nevertheless I find it alluring. It's really different listening to Europeans speak Français, but I like being able to use my very limited knowledge of the language when I can. I like seeing all signs in French, it makes me feel like I'm not just in a western country. It adds to the appeal, I find. There's a place too called Old Montreal where the surroundings look and feel like the streets of Paris. They really preserved that old country charm, and there's even some cobblestone streets in that area.

4. Colors. All my life until now living in a country comprised of only two seasons (dry and rainy), I am really enjoying the seasonal shifts here. From the summer blooms to the warm, burnt colors of autumn. It's really beautiful and it makes me enjoy the outdoors. I especially love how there is no air pollution here. You can take a deep breath and not choke on the acrid fumes of vehicles. The air is cold, crisp, and clean. Oh plus the seasons allow me endless ideas and inspirations for dressing! I can actually layer and wear long coats and all that thermal garb, so much fun :)

5. Safety, discipline and independence. For the first time in my life, I am a commuter. I take the bus and metro on a daily basis. And for someone who has never been on a bus (except on school trips) nor has seen the inside of the MRT along Edsa, it's really a big change. I don't just drive anywhere nor depend on people to drive me anymore, I just up and go. And the feeling is just so liberating, knowing I can take the bus and walk along dark alleys at nearly midnight without worrying about getting mugged or kidnapped. I might be making Manila sound way worse than it is, but it's really not that bad (click here). I've just had a very sheltered life, where everything was available to me and I was given the comfort of convenience and protection. And now that I'm here alone, basically left to fend for myself, I'm really basking in the feeling of independence. Like for the first time in my life, if I get lost, I will have to figure my way out myself instead of instantly calling my Dad or the boyf. Wow, I'm growing up.

Oh and by discipline, I meant drivers' discipline on the roads. When I drive, I don't have to be aggressive, having to claim my right of way on the road: drivers give way. Plus I can actually bike without the fear of getting run over. I really love biking, I have to say! It feels so eco-chic :)

Now I pass the tag on to:

1. Qin At The Disco

2. Daisy Chain Dreams

3. Mwah Fashion

4. Modern Guilt

5. Decadentt

...and just because my heart will always be in Manila, I will also mention a few reasons why I love it.

1. My family, friends, and loved ones are just a drive away. Plus my room.. which is also my sister's room, which also means that I inevitably see her everyday, which as it turns out is perfect for my sanity.

2. The endless choice of cuisine! You could never run out of places to eat.

3. The sense of tradition. You could always feel Christmas time roll around.. with the warmth the cold air evokes, the smell of yummy bibingka and cinnamon sweets, the parols (special lanterns) blinking on the streets, Christmas decor present everywhere, and the re-appearance of Starbucks' Toffee Nut Latte

4. McDonalds' 24-hour Drive Thru (and delivery)! Self-explanatory.

5. One brown-eyed boy who makes everything just a little bit sweeter.

♥

Bright Night

Funny story about my last post. I was so excited to get my catalogue for Parsons' Continuing Education and Certificate Courses and the second I opened it, I flipped to the Fashion Studies page and saw the class I wanted to take: Fashion History. I checked it out and everything seemed good, then when I looked to see when the course was to start, it said, Sept. 15. Hmm, was this for Fall 2009?? Nope. It was a catalogue for Fall Semester, this year! I wonder why they would send me a catalogue for a term that had already started. Nyerr.. I thought when I received it that it would be for Spring of next year. Oh well, anyway, I should follow up with them on that.

As I have mentioned, yesterday was rainy. In fact it was rainy and windy the whole day. I used to love driving in the rain.. for the reason that it made the road a bit slippery and to me, my ride felt all the more smoother. I guess that's crazy talk, but hey to each his own. Plus I loved feeling all warm and cozy in the solitude of my silver stalone (that's my car's nickname, haha.) while pellets of raindrops fell on the world outside. 

Light raindrops are my friends.

Anyhoo, I thought it was the perfect night to break in my wellies! I got them at the Marc by Marc Jacobs store on Bleecker when I was in New York, and I have been waiting for the weather change to wear them. 

As if making up for the total lack of color the other night, I let brights and whites illuminate the dark dreary night. (oh hey, I rhyme!) 

There may be no other special features on my lovely rainboots, except for the fact that they're by the fabulous MJ. Oh and those plastic buckles add a little bit of something to it for me..

Wellies, Marc by Marc Jacobs. Quilted Jacket, Bebe. Dress, H&M. Tights, from Korea. Scarf, La Senza. Legwarmers, H&M. Belt, Zara. Ring, vintage. 

Bag, Renegade Folk. Beanie, Marc by Marc Jacobs.

I hope you're all enjoying the weather on your side of the globe!

♥ 

You've Got Mail!

Look what came in the mail for me today...

Et voila,

C'est ici! Okay I'm off to trudge the freezing wind now. Be back after class! 

..more about this soon.

♥

Rainy Days and Mondays

Today I woke up to gloomy skies and raindrops on my window. Ahh, good weather :) I love snuggling into my warm comforter with that kind of atmosphere outside. It just feels so cozy. I guess I love it because it's reminiscent of stormy days in grade/ high school when classes got canceled and I got to sleep in. It's also my favorite kind of weather for staying in with the boyf, cuddling under a warm blanket, with takeout and a bunch of dvds that promise the best rainy-day entertainment. 

I was feeling glum yesterday, therefore dressing in all black. I don't think I can ever dress purely in neutral hues, so I stuck to accessories to add some color. The result is a very casual, boring outfit. There was a good side to it though, which I discovered later on. We had an oral presentation in my Fashion Advertising class, and we were all in black! Purely coincidental.

trying to balance my laptop ;))

There was something that lifted my spirits though.. Vogue and Teen Vogue November! I fell in love with the covers, and although I have been holding myself from buying another magazine (Vogue) until I finished my current one (Nylon), this time I just couldn't help myself. I justified my purchase by rationalizing that I needed the Vogue for examples of ads that I needed to show the class. and Teen Vogue was just a pick-me-up :)

And then I got home to find this. 

aww, and what was inside was even better...

Pasta!! my all-time favorite food! :) one of them anyway.

Spaghetti Al Funghi from Pizzaioli. yum yum yum yum! I had it with some leftover Chinese (chicken fillet) while I was tuned in to OTH. Yes, I know I have weird eating habits. But I swear, those crispy chicken strips were so good with my pasta!

I had such a good night's sleep. Thank God for cheap thrills, take home dinners, good tv shows, and one boy in particular. 

♥