Jag Origins: Inside the Creative Mind of Nina Garcia

International fashion icon, an elite authority in the fashion industry as well as Project Runway and Marie Claire’s creative director Nina Garcia headlined the JAG ORIGINS show last night for the 2013 Philippine Fashion Week at the SMX Hall 2 Convention Center. The event was hosted by Sarah Meier-Albano while the fashion forum was moderated by TV host Boy Abunda.

The renowned fashion journalist and style icon was the inaugural speaker of JAG ORIGINS, a series of talks on fashion, marketing and creative thinking that targets the industry and art/fashion students. This is the first forum in the 22 seasons of Philippine Fashion Week.

Nina brings to the fore her over two decades of experience in the fashion industry, whose highlights include being fashion director at Elle magazine for 17 years, and at Marie Claire for four years.

The country’s most promising designers Jerome Salaya Ang, Norman Noriega, and Jeffrey Rogador showcased a special collection at the event to inspire budding creatives. Then, JAG ORIGINS also launched its Holiday 2013 collection, in a fashion show that features Ankle Cut Jeans for women and Stretch Denim for men.

Here's a photo of the runway show:

Photo credit: Jag Jeans' Facebook page

With style, every fashion designer tells the world a story. Timeless and universal,  Jerome Salaya Ang's creation reminds me of Lana del Rey's Haunting, combining a lot of tulles, lace and embellishment for a more dramatic and classic look. On the other hand, Jeffrey Rogador is a real jean-ius leading the audience through the colorful palette that is fashion. It is hip, urban and funky. He obviously played with the texture and fabric yet it came out really nice. Norman Noriega's creation is more of beautiful flowing pieces with feminine silhouettes in deep red, black and white with models looking a bit scary. Seriously. LOL

I personally love the ankle cropped leather pants though. It creates an illusion of height. And of course, it will definitely show off your killer pumps! Halfway between cropped & full length, ankle cut jeans are the new way to show off cute pumps.

Of course, cropped pants look best with some form of heel. For short women (like me) it's our fashion bestie. With a cropped denim, wearing flats can make you look, well, stubby, chubby and a wee bit shortier so a little heel height is a perfect solution, yes?

Boy Abunda interviewed Nina Garcia at the fashion forum at the first Jag Origins event.

Check out the following videos for some words of wisdom and ultimate rules of style from the style icon herself:


On Philippine fashion and young Filipino fashion designers
“I was blown away. They were all phenomenal. They have a very distinct point of view. Bravo, Jeffrey! Bravo, Norman! Bravo, Jerome! They have very different aesthetics, but very well put together.”


On bloggers:
Competition is good! I like the bloggers. It's giving the editors a little bit of a run for the money. We do two very different things but it's interesting. But I appreciate what they do. It's a different perspective.

 The Stylish Women for Nina Garcia:
"Coco Chanel, Kate Moss, Diana Vreeland.  Women of character, from Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe; women who have a distinct point of view. Not necessarily beautiful women. I don’t think style has anything to do with beauty. Style has nothing to do with beauty."

Would you rather be beautiful or stylish?
"I’d rather be stylish. Beauty is overrated." says Nina.

Boy Abunda said he'd rather be beautiful though. How about you, would you rather be beautiful or stylish? Get real and let me know. :)


 

Parties Get More Pint-Sized and Happier at The Aristocrat

From its humble beginning of a small mobile canteen in 1936, The Aristocrat continues the family legacy of serving classic Filipino cuisine. It is more than a restaurant, it's a landmark in the tourist district of Manila and it's also a great place for events like wedding, debut and baptismal.

Honestly, I didn't know that they also have kiddie parties and as a videographer of Shuttercount team where we have over hundreds of kiddie parties booked already, we haven't covered a kiddie party yet at The Aristocrat. Until I got invited to a fabulous kiddie party last Thursday. It was phenomenal. I’m prone to hyperbole but believe me when I say this is one of the best kiddie party venues I've ever been to.  :)

It is every parent’s desire to make their little one’s wishes come true.  Giving our kid the "best party ever" is one of the greatest opportunities to fulfill this dream.  Nothing is as delightful as seeing little faces light up as the surprises are revealed on that very special day.

Of course, for the where-did-all-the-time-go moms like me, planning our kid's birthdays can be a marathon, from planning birthday themes to birthday giveaways, birthday cakes, party host and of course, the venue. The Aristocrat's party packages include all the great elements you will need to give your child a super time and make the party a little easier on you.

The venue

Held at the newly renovated iconic restaurant, The Aristocrat at its first home in Roxas Boulevard, Manila, we celebrated Kelsey and Liesl's birthday the "Aristocrat" way. The Aristocrat offers Kiddie Party celebrations at their main branch at Roxas Boulevard which has function rooms for parties and events. Their Dona Engracia hall can accommodate up to 400 guests. On the other hand, other Aristocrat branches can cater to small family gatherings.

A yummy kiddie meal fit for royalty!

Mucha Leche. Sinfully delicious! My new favorite.

The food

What else can I say, everybody loves the Filipino-style chicken barbecue in this place. Indeed, the best boneless chicken barbeque in town. The beef mechado, chicken lollipop, lumpiang sariwa and the sinfully delicious Mucha Leche cake were just a few of my favorites at Kelsey's party. The Aristocrat offers a happier way in making your child’s birthday wish come true! Kiddie parties are made more special with The Aristocrat’s kiddie party package for as low as P 17,650.   Package includes 30 meals for kids complete with party favors, loot bags, and a themed party cake.  The guests have the option to add more delight to the party with party add-ons like bubble show, magic show, and balloon twisting, etc.

The party details

It's a Prince-and-Princess-themed party which is always a popular party theme for little girls. Nothing could be more fun than a girl-y princess party! The whole place was decorated in pink and purple with a Barbie princess cake & cupcakes, a pink carriage and the classic black & white cupcake tower. The hosts, as well as the waiters and waitresses, were dressed up as Royal Princes and Princesses.

Aside from the Prince and Princess Party, there are other cool party themes to choose from like Car Race Party, Flower, Butterfly Party, Safari and Little Chef’s Party.

The party host

The party was hosted by Make Believe Productions. I've watched them before at some of the Shuttercount parties we've covered and I've always loved them. The kids, especially my daughter, were giddy and excited to gather around a storytelling canopy. I like how interactive the storytelling was for the kids as they listened to a fairy tale and joined the hosts in casting a few fun magic spells. They are also one of my favorite English-speaking hosts because they can really engage and communicate well with  both the kids and kids-at-heart.

The activities

The Aristocrat Kiddie Party was recently launched featuring the various party themes options complete with a Sunset Kalesa ride, Glitter Face Painting, Cupcake Decorating, Balloon Sculpting & Make Believe Storytelling plus lots of giveaways!

Maia's busy decoratong her pink-tabulous cupcake!

Maia had so much fun at the Sunset Kalesa ride! :)

The Aristocrat now has 10 branches located at Roxas Boulevard in Malate (open 24 hours), Jupiter in Makati, SM Mall of Asia, SM San Lazaro, The Block in SM North EDSA, Robinsons Place Manila, SM Manila, Subic Bay, San Pablo, Laguna and at Banawe St. Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City. The Aristocrat is Opening Soon in SM Dasmariñas Cavite.

So if you're looking for a place to hold your child’s birthday party, check out the party packages at The Aristocrat.  For inquiries and reservations, contact the Main Office at (+63 2) 524-7671 to 80 or visit their website at www.aristocrat.com.ph.

Happy party planning! :)



 

Acer Philippines Goes More “InTENse” on its 10th Anniversary

Acer Philippines, the company that brought us those sleek, ultralight laptops, celebrated its 10th anniversary yesterday with a grand event at the Isla Ballroom of the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

Dubbed as “InTENse,” Acer became more aggressive and pioneering over the past 10 years, and is now a major player in the electronics/IT industry in the country.

Acer has launched its new InTENse breed of Acer products for the modern day explorers, those who continuously reinvent themselves and the world they live in to enhance, expand, and simplify the way they do things. The campaign showed how Acer has strived to be part of people’s lives, a go-to device for their needs. It also paves the way for the “recalibrated” Acer to emerge—bolder, more imaginative, more forward-looking and definitely more intense.

Acer Philippines General Manager Manuel Wong (center)  unveiled its new inTENse products with the different personalities who embody each product’s character.

Acer’s 10th anniversary celebration is graced by the company’s stakeholders, clients, members of government, media, and friends in the IT and business sectors. Acer Philippines General Manager Manuel Wong said, “it’s been a good 10 years and certainly they are looking to more inTENse years and beyond!”

“Looking back, we met many challenges but we sailed through all of them, thanks in large part to a highly motivated, driven and determined Acer Philippines team. Now that we’ve moved past 10 years, it’s not impossible anymore to look at 20, or even 30, years of bringing innovative and quality products to Filipino IT consumers,” he said.

For those who believe in the power of an inTENse touch, Acer launches the Aspire R7 notebook, where certain components were repositioned to optimize hand movement. Acer moved the touch pad above the keyboard, smoothly working with the hand movement to and from the screen and pad.  Aspire R7 notebook is installed with the latest generation Intel processor so fast and efficient processing will surely get you ahead of others.

Are you of the modern day explorers who value inTENse freedom and flexibility? Well then, Acer offers the Aspire P3 Ultrabook with10-point touch technology that provides freedom to use it either as a tablet or with a keyboard. With color-rich HD display and Dolby surround sound speakers, the device provides the best in multimedia experience in a compact, portable form.

Looking for for inTENse performance? Check out Acer’s Iconia A1-810 tablet, a fully functional tablet with a larger display, one-hand handling, quad-core processor, gyroscope for immersive game play, and Acer Touch WakeApp for quick access to favorite programs from sleep mode is for you.

For inTENse play, the Acer Liquid E2 smartphone (8MP autofocus camera and 2MP front camera, 1.2GHz quad-core processor can capture your fancy if you’re on the lookout for a powerful yet affordable smartphone.

If you're looking for inTENse charisma, then Acer’s answer is the Aspire V5-122P notebook. Ultrathin and super light, it is easy to carry around but levels with pricier gadgets, with a larger touch pad, full keyboard size, good display that reduces eye fatigue and 10-point touch.

The Aspire V5-473 PG notebook powered by the latest generation Intel processor for those with an inTENse and spontaneous personality, the Acer K335 LED projector if you’re looking for inTENse brilliance when making presentations, the Acer TravelMate P245M also powered by the latest Intel processor for business travelers who value inTENse productivity even when on the road; and the Acer Veriton N and M Series of advance Intel powered CPUs for businessmen looking for inTENse power to
power up the successful enterprise of the future.

For more information about Acer and its line of inTENse products, visit www.acer.com.ph.

Congratulations, Acer Philippines! More power and wishing you more inTENse years to come!  :)



 

A Day for Discovery and Exploration at Baby Blast 4

As more and more diversions are created for children to engage in, how can we help in making sure a child gets the best kind of learning at his or her most crucial stages? Kids nowadays are spending less and less time outdoors, having been exposed to gadgets and other forms of technology even as infants. But recent studies show that children, especially those aged 3 and below, who play outdoors regularly grow up happier, healthier, and stronger!

Since 2010, Baby Blast has spread awareness that enjoyable, unforced learning, as well as hands-on play and parent-child bonding during the age of 0-3 years is critical in laying down the foundation for the child’s future learning and holistic development. Every year, attendance to the event grows in number, as more families enjoy the fun activities and learn from the featured topics.

Outbox Media Production Agency, in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS), once again celebrated the wonder of life at its early stages! EHS advocates, teachers, experts and parents together with their kids, gathered last April 14, 2013, from 10am-8pm at the Trinoma Activity Center for “Baby Blast Year 4: Discover, Create, Imagine and Explore!” a one-day event highlighting the importance of early childhood education.

This year’s event was hosted by Toni Aquino of DZMM, Jackie Go of gojackiego.com, pre-school teacher and TV host, Nikki Veron Cruz, celebrity moms Snooky Serna and Jenny Miller, sportscaster Anthony Suntay and journalist Peach Mascarinas, together with the tandem of Anthony and Rossel Taberna. Performances and messages of support for early education were also given by Gail Blanco, Paolo Santos, Patricia Bermudez-Hizon and Tintin Bersola-Babao.

The program was opened by a dance number from talented child singer Pauline Agupitan, together with the Neutron Acrobats and OBM Dancers.



This year’s program highlighted the importance of allowing babies and kids to experience the outdoors and engage in physical activities that can benefit their social, mental, physical and emotional development, given today’s tendency to merely rely on gadgets and technology to keep kids busy.

There were parenting and health talks led by experts and medical practitioners, like Ms. Glenda Derla, Child Welfare Specialist from the DSWD and Dra. Cynthia Cuayo-Juico of the PPS - School Health Committee.
Echo Store owner, Sharon Chua, shared an interesting topic on being a “green mom” or “eco mom”, discussing how kids can become more environmentally conscious and giving a recycling demo called “From Trash to Toys”.

Life coach Ms. Maricel Moreno-Laraya also gave a talk for parents on “How To Keep A Loving Relationship With Your Partner.” Essential Newborn Care was also tackled by the Consultant of the MMC and CSMC Pediatrics Department, Dra. Lourraine Co, MD, FPPS.

A revival of traditional Filipino outdoor games or “Palarong Pinoy” was also dicussed and demonstrated by TV Host Patty Nuguid-Santos of Buhay Pinoy, promoting the benefits of fun play and interaction for young kids.

On-ground areas like the World of Discovery, Beyond your Imagination, Baby Explorers and Creativity Corner gave kids the chance to play and interact with other kids, browse through books, play with toys, draw with art materials, and get hands-on with the educational gadgets and activities available today.
Contests for the whole family were held before the event, and winners were awarded during the program. Baby Magazine held the “Brilliant Babies Video Contest” where parents sent videos of their babies showing advanced development. The winning entry received a 1-year subscription from Baby Magazine, along with other prizes.

The “We Love the Outdoors Family Contest” gave families a chance to submit their best photo doing a fun, outdoor activity. The winning entry won a family staycation package at the Waterfront Manila Pavilion. Other contests held were the “Design My T-Shirt” art contest where kids submitted their interpretation of this year’s Baby Blast theme. The winning entry became the official Baby Blast event t-shirt design and received art materials and other prizes. For the moms and dads, The Blounge Salon also raffled off a Full Pampering package to give parents a well-deserved treat.

Both kids and parents also joined fun contests from Bye Bye Fever, Rite Med, Refresh Big Sip, Regent, Ferna, Lock & Lock, Bibbo Hotdog, Bounty Fresh, Uratex, Osihi, and Magnolia Frozen Delights. Lots of prizes were given away!

The event’s official print partner, Baby Magazine, also held a Search for the Cutest Babies attending the event. Babies were awarded at various times during the program, and all selected babies will be featured in the magazine’s next issue.

Pre-schools like Dynamic Recall, Playlab, LinxProvi8, H.A.N.D.S. of Children, Filway Marketing, and First Robotics also presented their EHS Programs for parents who are looking for schools to enroll their kids for the summer or for the next school year.

There were also mascot appearances by Ainon Baby, Bibbo Hotdogs, Robby Rabbit, and TJ Hotdogs, much to the kids’ delight!

Cool science experiments by Mad Science captivated the kids in the audience! Diliman Prep School also had their taekwondo team onstage to demonstrate a routine.  Self-defense techniques to stop bullying were also presented by International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF).

Free face painting and kiddie hairstyling was also made available to the event participants courtesy of Outbox Media. Booths and other fun activities wowed everyone, and exciting freebies and loot bags were also given away. It was truly a great day for the whole family!

To continue spreading this advocacy, an annual Outreach Program is held a week after the Baby Blast event in Trinoma Activity Center, at a barangay in cooperation with the DSWD and DepEd. This year, the outreach program was held in Brgy. Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City where parents and kids happily participated in the different games, learning segments, fun activities and even mascot appearances brought in by friends from Diliman Prep School, Robby Rabbit and Jollibee. Dr. De Jesus of the Department of Education and Ms. Jacelyn Paguio of the DSWD also graced the occasion. Gift packs were also given to the participants with lots of freebies from Jollibee, Robby Rabbit, Unilever, RiteMed, Magnolia, Universal Robina Corp., Big Sip, Jack n’ Jill, Bounty Fresh and Regent Foods Corp.

Baby Blast is an annual event that aims to enlighten parents that enjoyable, unforced learning, as well as hands-on play and parent-child bonding at an early age is the key to an intelligent, well-rounded and well-mannered individuals. See you again next year for another round of Fun Learning!

For more information on this event and other upcoming events from Outbox Media Production Agency, log on to: www.outboxmedia.com.ph

 

UNIQLO Announces the Winners of the “U-SHOP. U-WIN.” Facebook Promo

UNIQLO, Japan’s leading global fashion brand, announced the winners of its newest Facebook promo, “U-SHOP. U-WIN,” at the opening of SM Aura Premier, the SM mall chain’s newest and first mall at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

The promo, which lasted for two weeks, featured several exciting prizes up for grabs for avid UNIQLO shoppers.

"UNIQLO’s “U-SHOP. U-WIN.” is a Facebook-based game application that allows netizens, especially Facebook users, to virtually purchase items from UNIQLO’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection found at the UNIQLO Spring/Summer page within the UNIQLO Web page and get more shopping points for them to buy more UNIQLO items. Shoppers can win instantly just by choosing their “lucky” cashier upon checking out after shopping. Towards the end of the promo period, major prizes will be raffled off to all shoppers who played the game. Players who logged and played more during the promo period will have more chances of winning the major prizes.

Among them include Harlene Echinique from Pasay City, Monica Salvacion from Quezon City, Philsen Padilla from Malate, Manila, Angela Lustre from Biñan, Laguna, Elmer Rayo from Taguig City and Mary Joy Puno, who each won a Tablet Phone.

On the other hand, a Summer Getaway for 2 was each won by Jaime Atienza, Jr. from Davao City, Jose Mari Jurado from Meycauayan, Bulacan and Recarlo Concepcion from Sampaloc, Manila while Kristine Joy de Vera of Kaingin Road, Balintawak and Randy Sureta from Novaliches, Quezon City has each won a Canon DSLR Camera.

Katsumi Kubota, Chief Operating Officer, Fast Retailing Philippines Inc. ; Winners of iPhone 5, Michael Allen Celestial and Marlon So ; Geraldine Sia, General Manager, Fast Retailing Philippines Inc.

Finally, Chrischelle Osicos from Makati City, Michael Allen Celestial from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Marlon So and Roland Savellano, both from Quezon City, was awarded a brand new iPhone 5 each.

The awarding ceremony for UNIQLO’s “U-SHOP. U-WIN” Facebook app promo was preceded by the opening of UNIQLO’s 3rd store in the country.

Congratulations to all the winners! :) Check out Uniqlo's Facebook page here and stay in the loop with upcoming promos and events.


 

Have a Luscious Mango Lovin’ Summer with BonChon's Mango Sans Rival

Properly relishing summer’s sun-drenched days and lazy afternoons calls for a cool, creamy treat that highlights the season’s sweetest yellow mangoes – exactly like the new Mango Sans Rival at BonChon!

A new lusciousness just for summer for BonChon’s Ko-Yo, (Korean Yogurt) with the new Mango Sans Rival Ko-Yo.

BonChon Chicken, the global chicken phenomenon, is known for taking classic favorites and making them oh-the-more-delicious by infusing them with a delightful twist.  The well-loved BonChon Ko-Yo, or Korean Yogurt, is delectably creamy natural yogurt that’s subtly sweet with a hint of tangy tartness.

BonChon heralds the onslaught of this golden summer with the seasonal lusciousness of mango.  Savor a wonderfully summery cup of alternating layers of cool, creamy Ko-Yo and homemade graham pie crust, topped with juicy mango preserves and toasted cashews in the limited edition BonChon Mango Sans Rival Ko-Yo.  Inspired by the cake, every spoonful of this layered treat is a delicious play of tastes and textures, making for a delightful summer interlude.

Make it a BonChon Ko-Yo Summer all season long.  Enjoy the classic Banoffee Pie and Blueberry Torte Ko-Yos, or have an icy, bubbly moment with the Ko-Yo Soda Floats in Orange or Rootbeer, also available in Cola and Lemon Lime.

The full Ko-Yo line is available in all BonChon stores nationwide, in all branches in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Baguio, Cebu, and Davao.  For more information, log ontowww.bonchon.com.ph

 

Crocs Megasale Strikes Back this 2013

Get ready for the BIGGEST Crocs event of the year, and this is it! 

The Crocs Megasale 2013 is back with up to 90% off! See you at the NBC Tent from May 1 to June 2, from 10am to 8pm. Surely a fun Crocs shopping ahead!

It’s going to be wild. It’s going to get crazy. It’s going to be huge. More and more Crocs fans are jumping for joy, as the much-awaited, and the biggest shoe sale event in one venue is back.

Now on its 5^th year, the Crocs Megasale 2013 is happening once again at the grounds of NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, with a mind-blowing price slash of up to 90%. Get your hoarding game face on, rain or shine, on May 31 to June 2, from 10am to 8pm. Free entrance for all Citibank cardholders, while there’s a P50 entrance fee for all non-Citi shoppers. Cash and all major credit cards will be accepted.

Great finds for all shoe lovers from kids, teens, to adults, with over 200 designs to choose from. No one will leave the tent empty handed, as this wild Megasale will surely knock you off your feet.

Make sure to come prepared with umbrellas, fans, bottled water, and face towels. The list of shoe prices will be provided onsite. Food stands will be set up by McDonald’s, Racks, Shakey’s and Saibachi.

For more information about the Crocs Megasale 2013, like Crocs Philippines on Facebook and follow @crocsph on Twitter.