Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Plug: Kryolan Store





Manila finally has a Kryolan Professional Makeup store, thanks to my friend Che. She knows that many makeup artists and showbiz personalities have had to source the brand from abroad before, so she brought it here.

If you know girls who are deeply interested in makeup, you might want to mention this to them.

Kryolan
3F Il Terrazo
35 Tomas Morato corner Scout Madrinan
Quezon City

'Round the Shoes



I got this pair of shoes last Sunday. All my outfits this week revolve around it.


*White canvas shoes from Topman

Lolo Dad's Brasserie



Life is always so much brighter after a good meal, which is what I had last Friday at Lolo Dad's with my friend K.



Salad was madness, to be sure. Named wittily as "Only for the Rich," it was mesclun greens in pomegranate and molasses dresing topped with many of my favorite things: scallops, lobster, seared duck liver, jamon serrano and cured salmon.



Then we shared a ribeye. It was a perfectly seasoned and perfectly tender piece of lovely meat. The mashed potato on the side, however, could have been presented in a more appetizing manner. It reminded one of animal turd.



The warm apple tartatin with cappucino ice cream and vanilla sabayon at the end failed to put an exclamation mark to the meal. There are so many better apple pies around.

But the salad, so exquisite and perfect, will stay in the mind for a very long time.

Friday, February 13, 2009

GQ: Best New Menswear Designers in America

I'm cribbing the entire GQ feature, because it's incredibly inspiring. I think all these designers are amazing. And the looks: Wow.


Benjamin Bixby

Founded: 2008, New York and Atlanta

Designer: André Benjamin (a.k.a. André 3000), 33

The philosophy: “During OutKast’s Stankonia period, I looked like I was from Mars. The music was otherworldly, and my character reflected that. I wanted to put that spirit into classic clothes, but ones that people could actually wear.”

The look: “I think the cut of Benjamin Bixby comes from comic-book characters, which I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. In comic books, the waist is always pinched, but the legs are full-cut, kind of like the Cracker Jack man.”

The influence: “In high school, in Atlanta, when Grand Puba told us to wear Girbaud jeans, I wore Girbaud jeans. Then you had this prep movement happening: Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, Bass, Sebago, and Timberland. So imagine me walking through [local housing project] Bowen Homes in the morning to catch the bus, but I’m dressed like a prep. As you get older, you go back to those things.”


Save Khaki

Founded: 2006, New York

Designer: David Mullen, 48

The philosophy: “With the jeans craze, everything was being overdesigned. I thought what was missing in the market was something really comfortable with a modern fit. I think clothes should have utility, and if they happen to be stylish, then that’s great.”

The muse: “Ben Hogan, believe it or not. His khakis and cashmere cardigans made him look better than golfers do today.”

Every man should have… “A great white broadcloth shirt that can be worn pressed or wrinkled.”

Every man should also have… “A khaki trench. You can dress it up or down; it goes with everything.”

One piece of advice: “I think people need to not try so hard. Particularly men. It doesn’t take much to put yourself together.”


Robert Geller

Founded: 2006, New York

Designer: Robert Geller, 32, former partner of Alexandre Plokhov at the now defunct Cloak

The influence: “Last season I researched Prague in the ’20s and ’30s. Even today, the city has a culture where the men are masculine but still sensitive. I really wanted to show that mixture of romance and strength in my first collection.”

The hangouts: “In New York, that whole area in the depths of Chinatown. I really love Bacaro. I love Les Enfants Terribles and Broadway East.”

The soundtrack: “Hands down, the Cure: Boys Don’t Cry, especially the beginning, where you can hear the scratches. I don’t like anything that’s too produced or too polished.”

Every man should have… “A really nice winter boot. I’ve found the nicest one that exists…it’s an Austrian brand called Ludwig Reiter. The inside is lined with shearling so you can wear them through the deepest snow.”

Yigal Azrouël

Founded: 2007, New York

Designer: Yigal Azrouël, 36

The philosophy: “I love old-school American menswear. I like things that are not perfect but distressed and worn—something that has been through an experience.”

The early days: “I used to live in a basement in Queens with, like, five roommates. I would buy vintage pieces and cut a sleeve off, sew a different sleeve on—just experimenting. I started selling things to friends. And then Barneys picked me up.”

The influence: “My mom is French, and she always made me look styled, in a way. When I look at pictures of me as a kid, I see my signatures: a cool striped tee or a plaid shirt.”

Every man should have… “A cool leather jacket that you can keep forever. I made mine myself, and I’ve worn it for the past twelve years.”

Shipley & Halmos

Founded: 2007, New York

Designers: Sam Shipley, 29, and Jeff Halmos, 29

The philosophy: “We saw an opening for a fashionable guy who embraces his masculinity. A lot of people who buy our clothes are guy’s guys.” (Shipley)

The early days: Formerly one-half of the SoCal design collective Trovata, and before that, college buddies in Boulder, Shipley and Halmos started their own line in 2007.
Every man should have… “A clean white dress shirt. You can wear it with anything, at any time.” (Shipley)

Every man should also have… “An affordable suit. Ours are slim without being shrunken. And I think people really responded to the price point.” (Halmos)

The retirement plan: “Playing guitar in a metal band called War Bonnet. I’ve always wanted to go on a U.S. tour. Seeing the country from that perspective would be wild.” (Shipley)


Rogues Gallery

Founded: 2003, Portland, Maine

Designer: Alex Carleton, 39

The real-life inspiration: “I used to work at L.L.Bean. Leon Gorman, the grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, is a true modern-day country gentleman. He’d drive a pickup truck and wear perfectly pressed L.L.Bean chinos with a tattersall shirt and tortoiseshell glasses and the Norman Rockwell haircut. He has iconic New England style.”

The on-screen inspiration: “I want to design a tweed blazer and a flannel shirt like Jack Torrance wore in The Shining.”

Every man should have… “A pair of Carhartts.”

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Spiral



Do you like eating at buffet places? I don't.

I like food cooked specially for me. I don't like waiting at a queue. And really, has any one dish at a buffet proved to be special? If so, I never had it.

Which is to say, for the price we paid for our buffet dinner last week at Sofitel's Spiral (a place that overwhelms you with a surfeit of mediocre food and good interior design), I'd rather have just a good entree and a good dessert at a fine restaurant, Lolo Dad's Brasserie, for example.

I wish more buffet restaurants were like Market Cafe in Hyatt, which includes drinks in its buffet, including beer and, occasionally, brut. Then, you could just forget about the food and drown yourself in the bubblies.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

My Spring/Summer List


1. Calvin Klein fluorescent suit. I'll never have the guts to wear this as a suit, but I can think of so many ways to wear the jacket and pants separately, to introduce a shock of color in a neutral palette.




2. Petar Petrov J-Haje white shirt. Light and airy, and the drawstring hem is a nice touch.


3. David Hart plaid neckties.



4. Louis Vuitton perforated shoes. The perfect shoes to go sockless in.


5. These looks from Opening Ceremony for Uniqlo. I love the pale colored shirts and the cropped pants.

6. Unis Ron shorts.

7. Robinson les Bains swimshorts. It's really time for non-surfers and twentysomethings (or both) to do away with the immature board shorts.




8. APC sneakers. Clean and uncomplicated.


9. Tote and flap wallet from Makr. Makr is my newfound love in leather goods. Its products are simple, functional, well-designed and most of all, thoughtful.




10. Crane & Co. personalized note cards and ACME pen, with which to write short summer dispatches to friends abroad.

Monday, February 2, 2009

25 Random Things

My friend sent me this 25 Random Things game in Facebook, and I just saw Chuvaness posting hers. Here's mine, just for kicks.

1. I still don't really know how to use most of Facebook's features up to now.

2. More and more, I want to simplify my life, pare it down to essentials.

3. I thank God for Moleskine journals.

4. I have finished an entire Mamou steak (800g) plus some side dishes, by myself. (I even found space for beer afterwards.)

5. I haven't dated in years; now I completely dread it.

6. I wish I were less emotional about or less affected by tennis in general, and Roger Federer's matches in particular. It might lead to heart attack. (Nearly died during last night's Australian Open.)

7. Sleepwalking one night when I was 7 or 8, I peed into my school shoes.

8. I used to eat Jolly Hotdog and hot fudge sundae every day after school in high school.

9. My idea of a perfect bar is still Shiraz and I still miss it to this day. I also still miss Orange.

10. My favorite beverages are regular Coke (all day), coffee (during the day) San Mig Light (at night). Oh and I drink lots of water every day.

11. I sincerely think that Aegis, the local band that gave us "Halik," "Basang Basa Sa Ulan" etc., is genius, and should be inducted to something like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

12. I begrudge my mother for buying designer bags only for herself. (She doesn't know this, of course.)

13. This quote from Isabel Gillies sort of sums up what I also believe: "I believe in love. I believe in hard times and love winning. I believe marriage is hard. I believe people make mistakes. I believe people can want two things at once. I believe people are selfish and generous at the same time. I believe very few people want to hurt others. I believe that life can surprise you. I believe in happy endings."

14. I can be isnabero at times, but I'm more shy than isnabero.

15. I'm bad with people's names. I hide from acquaintances when there's a danger of bumping into them, because I find small talk excruciating.

16. I really want to take up pattern-making this year.

17. The four people I'd like to have an autograph of are Roger Federer, Sharon Cuneta, Nora Aunor and Dolphy.

18. For me, the perfect city to live in is somewhere where (nearly) everyone is stylish, loves eating well, and reads a lot.

19. I wish people would wear flipflops only at home, and at the beach. I wish people didn't wear Crocs, ever.

20. Another quote that speaks to me is spoken by a character in Murakami's "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle": "I do not like it when people wear the wrong thing. That is all. It is something I simply cannot--cannot--abide. I at least want the people around me to dress as well as possible.... I feel a personal, almost physical, revulsion for messy clothing."

21. I wish everyone, including myself, would be more nuanced when opinionating. Saying I love/I hate this/that is too easy.

22. I don't like travelling, as in packing, taking a plane, etc., a whole lot. I wish teleportation were a real travelling option.

23. I used to buy several magazines every month. Now I just get US Vogue, because I have an affinity with its point of view.

24. When I grow up, I want to be Oscar de la Renta.

25. Or Renee Salud. Just kidding!