My paternal great grandmother Mariquita (in a terno), my great grandfather Andres (in a dark suit), my grandfather Cesar (in white shirt and knickerbockers) and his little brother Rosauro (in blusa marino) who passed away at an early age. Batangas, circa 1920s
TernoCon 2018:
I asked myself the question – how do I make the Terno part of a modern day woman’s wardrobe? I looked back at history, and found the solution – turn them into separates again.
Designing is problem solving, thus, I thought – how will you pack the terno in a suitcase, will it fit in your meter wide apartment closet? Can you use the baro with a ball gown skirt, with cigarette pants? Can you use the Inabel skirt with a t-shirt top, a Merino turtle neck sweater? The possibilities became endless, and (in millennial speak) Instagram worthy.
Burdang Taal piña terno top and tapis skirt in Inabel
Navy Silk Gazar Terno top and Inabel half circle skirt. (PUJ Clutch bag by Zarah Juan)
Mock turtle neck navy Silk Gazar Terno top and burdang Taal piña skirt. (PUJ clutch bag by Zarah Juan)
Suyen Chi in a navy Silk Gazar terno top and pants with a tapis in organdie (Takatak bag by Zarah Juan)
Every June, a month after my birthday, my “Bess” girlfriends would treat me to a weekend of R & R in Hong Kong. After watching a movie where Beauty Gonzalez calls her best friend “Bes”, we renamed our Viber chat group with our new found word. Three years ago, they surprised me with with the trip which we now call “Bess Weekend”. Three days of discovering places to eat, surpassing our Fitbit goals, laughing till we’re crying, and crying till we’re laughing. My Bess – Rina, Rissa, Michelle.
The past three months of community quarantine, I had so much time to organize not just my closet but the thousands of photos in my smart phone as well. I was able to read my old blog posts and felt good that I have written them. It felt like finding your old diary and reading your not so secret thoughts (because you told your best friends anyway). Friends have been asking me to write again, and so here I am. I hope to inspire or at least make you smile with my little stories.
2020 is like a fast paced Netflix series where disasters happen one after the other. Hong Kong may never be the same again, but there are things that will never change, friends who’ll laugh and cry with you, over roasted goose or a reminder as mundane as “please mind the platform gap”.
My Bess – Rina, Rissa, Michelle.
P.S. I forgot my Blogspot password so I’m now here in WordPress.
The SMDC showroom was given a tropical forest feel by Gino Gonzales.
We called it Manila Night. To celebrate our new optimism and renewed patriotism, twenty Filipino designers presented fashion accessories and resort wear at the SMDC showroom in the Mall of Asia complex by the bay. Gino Gonzales transformed the humongous place into to a modern tropical rainforest with a huge block of tropical foliage as centerpiece. A band played festive music as models moved from one platform to another. Waiters went around with trays of wine and Manila Mojito. Cebu lechon, roast beef and Tinola rice by Chef Laudico was hard to resist even for many of those denizens maintaining size zeros. Manila Wear is a baby in the world’s fashion stage, one born of love and promise. And like a baby, it brings a smile at first sight.
Five lamp-like installations were used as settings for the fashion tableaux.
My collection of citrus colored Cotton Abaca from Catanduanes.
Jojie Lloren’s cool palette of Pina Silk from Aklan.
Inno Sotto’s Mindanao silk mixed with French lace.
Cesar Gaupo’s Pina and chiffon resort line.
Beautiful table setting for the fashion accessories
Necklace by Gerry Sunga.
‘Fairy wings’ earrings by Patrice Ramos-Diaz.
Shoe designer Maco Custodio.
Mons Romulo and Patrice Diaz.
Kenneth Cobonpue and Josie Natori.
Vic Barba, Tonichi Nocom and James Reyes.
Jay Khan and Randy Ortiz
Tonichi Nocom, Mike de la Rosa, Rusty Lopez and Royal Pineda.
Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez
Michelle Tomacruz and Len Lopez
Always a joy to see, James Reyes.
Jia Estrella and I enjoying the white wine.
Michelle Tomacruz and I enjoying more white wine.
And more for Jojie Lloren, Inno Sotto, Gia Estrella, Dennis Lustico, Michelle Tomacruz and me.
Fashion Family!
Bong & Lumen Teves, me, John Cuenco, Eve Maduma, Dinny Lazo and Dayang Teves.
I always cry at weddings, maybe because I develop a certain bond with the bride during the months of wedding preparations and jitters. It is much more so, when the bride has been my client and friend since her prom or debut. I would go on and make her first suits for work, her gown when she becomes a bride’s maid and then the trousseau for her big day. I met Angela ten years ago, she with the toothsome smile, our fittings would go on for hours because of the hilarious banter that goes in between. When she messaged me her happy news last year, we met up and she brought her mother’s well preserved wedding gown. It was to be our inspiration for her unique design, a simple gored gown in silk Gazar with a hood fashioned from French lace. I was filled with joy looking at her as I was fixing her lace hood before her bridal march. As I saw her hug her father at the other end of the aisle, I could already feel warm happy tears streaming down my cheeks.
Angela’s beautiful family
Angela’s Matrons of Honor and Bride’s Maids
Little flowers make lovely bouquets
Cutest flower girls sang the Lord’s Prayer
Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Chickoy and Angela with the wedding entourage
Congratulations and best wishes, Chickoy and Angela!
Once in a while, you come across a book or a film that really hits you to the core and changes how you look at life forever. When I was a child, my aunt brought me downtown to watch Oliver. I became an Anglophile ever since. In high school, I finished the Judith Krantz novel- Scruples in one sitting and decided from then on that I’ll be a fashion designer.
A few days ago, before a weekend trip, I chanced upon a bright pink-colored book entitled Life On The Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers. I brought it for the one hour flight knowing I could finish the book in thirty minutes. Told entirely in a series of notes left on the kitchen fridge-it is the story of nine months in the life of 15-year-old Claire and her single mother. Preoccupied with their busy separate lives, rarely in the same room at the same time, they talk to each other in a series of short snippets that reflect the daily drama of school, boyfriends, work and chores that make up their days. Yet the mundane soon becomes extraordinary when a crisis overtakes their lives- a momentous change that will redefine their relationship and unfold in their exchanges on the refrigerator door. Indeed, it was my kind of read. I could already taste my tears as the captain was announcing our final descent. Often, I’m reminded that life is short but this little pink book has made me realize even more how precious each happy moment is. It has inspired me to finally start my own blog where I can share little notes and photos of my wonderful life journey. I hope to inspire as well.
My Refrigerator Door by JC Buendia 