Sunday, December 21, 2008

Double Feature In Business Mirror 12/22/2008

Another set of photos I took were featured at Business Mirror today (12/22/2008) on two different articles. The articles "Celebrities Do Double Duty" and "'Inabel All The Way" were both written by C. Mendez Legaszpi. Thank you so much Miss Charlize for the opportunity, photo credits and the early Christmas gift.

Below are the articles:

Celebrities Do Double Duty

by C. Mendez Legaspi

‘The explosion of the tabloid press and the Internet has made the general public kind of insatiable” when it comes to celebrities, Estée Lauder president John Demsey remarked to Time’s Style & Design in Fall 2006. “People want a sense of familiarity with the people they look up to these days.” This opinion takes on a factual urgency when you consider that retail labels have been consistently using familiar faces as a marketing tool to sell their wares.

The stars, too, have seen the profit potential of such a partnership and have, naturally, agreed to be endorsers of all kinds of brands. Don’t wonder then if these stars are averse to ambush interviews or random paparazzi shots. It’s an “invasion to privacy,” they wail. Truth is, they’re just “protecting the commodity,” i.e., themselves. Stars don’t have a stream of income from a stolen shot. What they want is control of their image and how they are presented to the public.

This is where an endorsement deal becomes desirable for a star, who can rake in millions in the process. For a brand to build and solidify its market position, it makes business sense to attach itself to a recognizable face. Get Laud!, for instance, was generally unknown until it got the ingénue Roxanne Guinoo. With leads in ABS-CBN soaps and sitcoms, the starlet did wonders to the sales of the fledgling clothing brand.

Guinoo’s fellow Star Circle Quest finalist Melissa Ricks was commissioned by lifestyle label Penshoppe to be one of its cliquish endorsers. With her loveteam-mate Matt Evans, both appeal to the brand’s youth target market. The multitalented Maja Salvador hawks for Folded and Hung (F&H), long the turf of Claudine Barreto and Angel Locsin. While the latter two are positioned for the chic working-class females, Salvador serves the company’s aim to lure the perky, younger crowd.


ROXANNE GUINOO for Get Laud!

While Penshoppe snared Akihiro Sato (and scored a coup when JC Tiuseco, recently declared the Pinoy Sole Survivor, walked the runway at Philippine Fashion Week), F&H grabbed the equally hot Hideo Moraoka to be its billboard boy. The Japanese-Brazilian may not have cinematic ambitions like his countryman Akihiro but his appeal knows no borders, helping the once-boring brand attain a combustible status.


CARMEN SOO for Petit Monde

Still smiling—and selling well—are bosom buddies Gretchen Barreto (for Plains and Prints) and Ruffa Gutierrez (for Avon Fashions). After scandals and heartbreaks, the cachet of these great beauties increases exponentially. Both also hawk for Pantene. As long as they are in the public eye, for good or ill, their fame serves their benefit.

To complement its loyal stable of endorsers (Sunshine Cruz, Jodie Santa Maria and Cheska Garcia), Petit Monde introduced Malaysian superstar Carmen Soo. Gaining fame starring opposite Jericho Rosales, Carmen endeared herself to the public as the prudish but charming Carrie in the concluded soap Kahit Isang Saglit on ABS-CBN. “We didn’t have a hard time in the negotiations. She went to one of the Petit Monde stores and liked what she saw,” said PM’s owners, the Tan siblings, adding that they believed that Carmen signed on because she loves the clothes (50 percent) and is satisfied with the paycheck (50 percent).

All this luring of stars super and up-starts has been mastered to a science by the biggest lifestyle brand of them all—Bench. Not content with its already dizzying lineup, it launched over the weekend the current hottest property: Karylle. Shedding her prim image, Karylle also shed some of her clothes to be the image for Bench Body. Suddenly, the proper Miss Tatlonghari is no Pollyanna after all. (Philippine Fashion Week photos by Henry Anima II)


IN PHOTO -- KARYLLE for Bench Body

'Inabel' All The Way

by C. Mendez Legaspi


CORY QUIRINO in Dita Sandico-Ong


In its continuing efforts to make abel Iloko as useful as piña and jusi, the Ilocos Sur provincial government staged a unique showcase, Tawid Ken Partuat Red Fashion Show, at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall, participated in by the northern province’s political bigwigs and social lights.

Directed by Cata Figueroa Jr., the fast-paced “heritage and crafts” show was a display of pomp and color as the locally woven abel fabric enjoys a resurgence among the country’s high-fashion purveyors.

“It’s worth to note that this project was made possible by the provincial government of Ilocos Sur, headed by Gov.


DEPUTY National Security Adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson in Roel Rivera

Deogracia Victor “DV” Savellano. It was the first time that the bigwigs of Ilocos Sur politics, such as Assistant National Security Adviser and former governor Luis “Chavit” Singson, Rep. Eric Singson, Rep. Ronald Singson, President Elpidio Quirino’s granddaughter Cory Quirino and Governor Savellano, together with local politicians and society figures, were present in one affair,” says Winona Santos, the overall project coordinator.

Since the start of his tenure, it has been Savellano’s vision to promote the province as a “wholesome, safe and secure vacation destination with personnel capable of delivering world-class services” anchored on five tourism market niches: coastal, heritage, pilgrimage, events and agri-aqua.


BOARD member Chuchi Purisima in her own design


From blankets to bed covers, pillowcases and place mats, abel Iloko has also penetrated the high-fashion firmament. At the Tawid Ken Partuat show, Randy Ortiz, Edgar San Diego, Avel Bacudio, VJ Floresca, Dita Sandico-Ong and Rhett Eala dressed the politicians and their scions in abel Iloko finery.

The show signified the provincial government’s mandate to preserve and promote the economically viable abel-weaving industry. The traditional craft follows a complex intricate process—from preparing and dyeing the yarn, to arranging different colors of yarn to produce the envisioned design, and operating the wooden handloom with the synchronized movement of hands and feet. (Photos by Henry Anima II)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

I Won! Hahaha!

My entry "Leaves Fall Fire Flies" won first prize at the Flickr Photo Club "Fashion EB Photo Contest" for the full body category. Thanks to the organizers, sponsors and judges Roel Santiago, Bert Duarte, Herman Crisostomo, and Steve Hardy for choosing my entry. The prize is a 8MP speed Camera.

Leaves Fall Fire Flies

Monday, December 15, 2008

Looking For Gifts

It's Christmas hodiday once again and it's the time of the year of giving gifts and sharing your blessings. I'm away from my family and been busy with job that I am having trouble looking for gifts for them. Not only that, it's Christmas rush all over the town so malls are packed with people buying gifts for their families too. The traffic is expected to be heavy so by just thinking about it makes me think of not going to the malls. I need to find an alternative to look for gifts and buy them without having to experience caught in heavy traffic and making my way on a jampacked malls.

I search over the net and found several
online stores that I think might solve my problem. Buying gifts online is the best alternative there is. Well if your having trouble looking for online shop, shopwiki is the site for you. Just type on the search box what interrest you and it will lead you to wear you can purchase them. Not only that, thisonline search genius will give you information about the prouct, stuffs related to the product and most important where to shop for it. I think this is really one of the best alternative in looking and buying gifts.

In my case, since I have 2 kid brothers and since they love playing online games and stuff I'm eyeing on the
Nintendo Wii. Well everyone knows what Nintendo Wii is but what attracts me the most is the ability to go online and play online for free. I know this will be the perfect gift for them. Now what I have to do next is wait for my bonus to be able to purchase anything for the holiday.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Me In FilAmStar (Cory's World Of Wellness)

My photos grace the pages of FilAmStar on the December 1-15, 2008 Vol. 1 Issue 23 section C1. The article entitled "Cory's World Of Wellness" was written by sir Ernest Gonzaga. Many thanks Sir Ernest.

Below is the article

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Me In Business Mirror (Rhapsody In Purple)

Another photo I took graces today's (12/08/2008) edition of business mirror. The photo of Joy Caralde who wore a creation of Eddie Baddeo was taken during the Grand Allure fashion show at the Philippine Fashion Week Spring Summer '09. The other photos were taken by other photographers. The article is entitled "Rhapsody In Purple" by C. Mendez Legaspi. Thanks Charlize.

Below is the complete article (click here for web version):

Rhapsody In Purple

By C. Mendez Legaspi

Purple and its various permutations rippled through the runways at Philippine Fashion Week at the SMX Convention Center, the Fashion Watch Quartet at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, and Ferragamo’s 80th anniversary show. The deep vibrant color is also omnipresent among accessories, fragrance and makeup brands.

It is the color of Advent, but purple—or grape, plum, lilac, violet and lavender—started its reign as soon as Charlize Theron graced the cover of June W in a Donna Karan New York drapey dress in the shade. Leona Lewis frolicked in a purple raincoat in her music video “Forgive Me,” while France’s First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy looked chic in a Dior purple coat and trousers on a state visit to Britain. And whenever Michelle Obama wears the color, her ebony skin looks more radiant.

The centerfold of the book Modern Fashion in Detail (V&A Publications at Powerbooks Greenbelt), features, what else, a deep purple silk and velvet evening cape and dress with hand-ruching by Jeanne Lanvin made in 1935.

In history books, too, Cleopatra is wrapped in her favorite color, purple being the mystical color of royalty, nobility and spirituality.

No wonder purple is the color du jour of this festive season.

Women find the lighter variety delicate and romantic, while men prefer the deep shades for its association with riches and success.

So what to give this Christmas? Pick an article with purple trimmings.


IN PHOTO -- SALVATORE Ferragamo(top left), CESAR GAUPO at Fashion Watch(right), EDDIE BADDEO at Philippine Fashion Week(above left).