Shoe Collection
I'm on a roll!
Shoes. I love. If there's one type of accessories I would love to have thousands of, that would be shoes. Of course it will be impractical but I can't have enough! Call me Imeldific, or in my own language, Marcosian, but you can't only have a few pairs of shoes. As they say, the shoes make the man.
Alas, here is my current shoe collection. It's really not a lot, but it's plenty enough for me.
Puma midtops - Roy Lichtenstein inspired
Puma Pop
Zara pointy bogues
Zara suede brogues
Zara chocolate brown boots with stacked leather soles
Lanvin sneakers
Zu black patent leather
Dior wood soles oxford shoes
Wayne Cooper military boots
I'll be posting the shoes I'm looking forward to buy this season!
Men's Fall Winter 2011
I have a thing for brands. I'm not ashamed to say it. Some people avoid brands like it's the plague because they want to be detached from consumerism, but I know I'm part of the consumerist culture sweeping the whole world today. I'd rather admit to it than sit on my high horse. I hated people who brandished their brand name bags before, but later realized that I just could not afford them so I hated. But now I realize it's just people's preferences, and who am I to judge?
My personal favorites are the classics: Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Dior. I own an item from each, albeit starter pieces like wallets and a money clip. Cheapskate, right?
Every now and then though, I tend to depart from the classic brands and look at others. I still couldn't afford them, but who's stopping me from dreaming? There's a store in Sydney Westfield called
Harrolds (weird choice of name since it's too close to Harrods) that stock my favorite brands and I admit they are very aspirational (read: save up for four months for those sunglasses).
For the past few seasons, I've liked stuff brought out by Christophe Decarnin (Balmain), Ricardo Tisci (Givenchy), and Christopher Bailey (Burberry). This rings true for their Fall Winter collection pieces. It's kinda cool being in Sydney with the weather patterns opposite those of the Northern Hemisphere (it's winter here when it's summer in Europe) so we're always a season ahead. Or behind, depending on how you look at it. I prefer looking ahead, so I get inspiration from Europe's current collections.
Hemingway's, here are my top picks for Men's FW 2011:
Burberry Prorsum
OK, I must admit I wasn't particularly impressed with Burberry's pieces for this season. It really worries me when a designer goes "back to basics" as this implies that the designer has lost his way, therefore going back "to the roots" of the brand. Of course, this only applies to designers who have carried over a particular brand.
I did not like the Burberry check coats that were on display this season. The past three seasons of Burberry have definitely been strong, but I'm just not sure about this one. Nevertheless, there are some that I find appealing:
Camel jumper - Classically contemporary
Black jumper - Great texture, versatile piece.
And my favorite piece of them all, the see-through plastic raincoat with black piping. It is very versatile and practical. I can see myself wearing this during the coming rainy months. I wonder if this will be available here.
Givenchy
Ok, Riccardo is now being hailed as one of the future greats in the fashion industry. I must agree. His clothes spell chic with a capital C. He is the epitome of edgy. His inspirations range from religion, clowns, rock, and even death. Now, he's into barking dogs. There's a thin line between crazy and edgy, but this is fashion. I like that he gets to have fun!
Plus he uses Asians in his shows. THANK YOU RICCARDO.
My favorite pieces are:
The shoes, the shoes! I'm not buying one because it's gazillions of dollars and it won't suit me and I don't know where to wear this, but I still love it!
Classic Givency shirt in black.
Classic Givenchy shirt in camel.
I must have this belt!
And the best look to summarise how strong this collection is:
Now this, I can definitely get away with.
Balmain
Thank Christophe for resurrecting rock. His pieces have been coveted for the past years and have been seen on most fashion editors and insiders in Paris and Milan. His menswear collection speaks volumes of relaxed luxury. He usually doesn't Overpriced jackets and pants aside, Balmain has remained to be one of the top aspirational brands out there.
My favorite pieces are:
Navy jacket and boots. The Military trend has been going on for quite some time now but nobody does it like Balmain.
Grey jacket. Perfect timeless piece.
Shearling and fur duffel coat. I also like the scarf.
And the best overcoat to come around for the past several years.
Another view:
Now THIS is an overcoat. Great shape, fab fabric, and the shearling lining makes me want winter to come sooner!
So there you have it, my review of my 3 favorite brands of the moment. I'm hoping I can do this more often so I'm looking forward to the next season.
All photos care of gq.com.
Labels: Balmain, Burberry, Givenchy, Men's Fashion
Looking Up.
After more than 6 months in my job, I have finally come to accept that work is not the end all, be all of life, and that even though things are hard, at the end of the day, it's just a job. It's nothing personal.
I swear I would've just up and left before Christmas, but thankfully, I got a really good deal at work so I'm staying! And all things considered, I am in a pretty good position and there's nothing too pressing to make me leave. I've never been in a better financial and professional situation, so why go? Because systems aren't working the way I want them to? Nah. Because I don't get along that well with colleagues? Not good enough. Because it's taking time away from life's little pleasures? Not an excuse.
Two of my former colleagues who came to the new company with me are leaving. They just couldn't handle going to work everyday. One of them cries every day! Which makes me wonder what it is with the job that is that harsh, because I haven't really experienced anything difficult enough to make me shed tears. I'm sure they both have their own very personal reasons.
I know life's a roller coaster ride, so I'm more careful not too be overconfident and think that everything will fall into place. I know one day, a kind will blindside me on an idle Tuesday, and I wouldn't know how to react and what to do. But for now, I'm looking up.
New job in the city....
It's winter. Our company just closed down. We lost a lot of publishers to competitors, some of whom I really like dealing with. I lost my job, but thankfully a competitor took us in.
I'm not normally a whinger, as a matter of fact, I'm a very helpful person. I like helping out as much as I can, and do way beyond what my job description limits me to do. Is it the Christian in me? Wait, what does religion have to do with it? Or is it the egotistic, self-righteous me?
I just transferred to a job in the city and I'm being very pessimistic about it. Things are not the same with the company I used to work for: most tasks are webbed into bureaucracy, and the inefficiencies of a large company caught up in its own hierarchal organization.
I miss my friends!
After 48 years of waiting, Zara is finally opening in Australia! It's been a staple of mine back in the Philippines as it was quite cheap, very fashionable, and still good quality. I don't expect the best cashmere or wool but comparatively, it is very well-priced for its category.
The only thing thing I'm worried about is the number of people I would expect to see wearing the same outfit as mine. Come to think of it, Zara is not well-known for selling one-off, special items. It specializes on basic standards with a modern twist, kind of like me. It follows fashion, but takes into consideration the comfort everyday people need in everyday situations. There's no one stopping me from buying a Rag & Bone belt or a pair of Margiela sunglasses anyway!
I bet it's going to open in Melbourne, maybe Chadstone. Everybody knows Melbourne is more cultural than Sydney, and that includes fashion. To me, Melbourne is New York, and Sydney is Los Angeles. Everybody here seems to look hoochy, more flesh baring clothes, Kardashian-inspired and less Sevigny.
I just hope that when they open here in Sydney, they open one up in Pitt Street Mall so I can walk over for some retail therapy!
On Philippine elections - my predictions for 2010 and 2011
OK, I'm not a political scientist. I am not an expert on elections and the best thing I did during election time in the past is watch over the ballots, or rather watch my mom watch the ballots. I am most definitely not a seer.
But something tells me that there will not be a lot of changes in the Philippines after this election. The candidate who will win is either Manny Villar or Noynoy Aquino. Either way, the president will go through hell trying to run the country with the lot of political opponents he will create. Manny will be questioned for his earnings, while Noynoy will be questioned for his sanity.
If Manny wins, he will make kamkam millions of pesos for his personal wealth. Since he is a businessman and is obviously bright, he will be able to hide his transactions more effectively, much like the Arroyos and unlike Estrada. Lacson will of course find this out and will launch a crusade to discredit Manny. Manny will say "its just hearsay" and people will believe him because of his charisma. He is more likely to stay in office for 6 years than Noynoy.
If Noynoy wins, he will be hounded with questions about his strength and willpower. People may compare him to Obama and just like Obama, he will fall short on his promises. Kris will not migrate to "wherever there is TFC". He will be a nice president, much like Cory, but will fail to bring in the needed changes in how the government is run. He will try to change the system, but will be unsuccessful. He will marry his girlfriend during his second / third year in office and there will be big coverage in the press to overshadow his inefficiency as a President.
Of course, I am hopeful that my predictions do not come true. I am still hoping for the best but this is how I think things will happen, basing it on the political culture of the Philippines. Fingers are still crossed though.
Sydneysiding Roller Coaster Ride
A BIG SIGHHHHHHH.
Sydney is exhausting sometimes, very emotionally draining. Maybe it's not Sydney, maybe it's just me adjusting to Sydney. Maybe it's me. OK, it IS me.
I had an episode at work with one of my co-workers last Thursday. I asked him about how he came up with a quote for a client and he became defensive, telling me that if I'm questioning how he does his job, I should tell the client to just go to another service instead. It's less work for him.
Was it my tone? Did he feel invaded and that I questioned the way he does things? I've been there for less than four months, so I genuinely want to know how he does his quotes. I did not expect that he would take offense and I was taken aback by his reaction.
Plus someone wants me to meet the cousins, and I'm not interested. At all. I want this phase to be over!
I'm not me today. I hate feeling heavy. I just want a normal life.
Open Comment to the Voter
Hi,
I am not commenting to change your mind about which president to vote for. I would just like to say that you ARE making an emotional decision. A purely rational decision is one based on facts. And most of the things you have presented were personal opinions. Some examples are:
1. "His rising above it [poverty] will hopefully inspire those in dire straits because there is hope."
2. "Bakit? Sila lang ba ang may Diyos at may hangarin na makatulong sa taong bayan?"
3. "His reasons for running may be deeper than what most people think."
4. "As a person, I see that he values his family and his reputation more than anything."
Most of the candidates will plead to the emotions, and obviously Manny's is a strong case; he's very good at it with his rags-to-riches story.
Also you were asking "How rich can one person want to be?" VERY rich. Very, very rich. Manny Villar is rich but is not one of the richest globally. Just think of the Arroyos and the Estradas, and how much richer they have been.
As for the people who have emailed you, shame on them! The last time I checked, this country was a democracy and people are free to vote for who they want in office. With this note, I urge you to think more. Think rationally. If you still think (not feel) that Manny Villar is the right person for the presidency, then by all means vote for him. But if you find it in your mind (not your heart) that there's more to his story, or any other candidate for that matter, that is not right, then it's time to change your mind.
