FIDA - THE SCHOOL THAT FASHION BUILT

 

I’ve seen more and more individuals strutting around Davao looking like they stepped straight right out of a fashion magazine. Some of them are semblance of living mannequins, while some of the other fashionably anonymous walk the talk by sharing style instincts in their blogs. Learning about fashion and design comes easy nowadays with social media and style bibles printed here and there, sharing good news from dictators in the fashion capital. Some people, however, opt to learn the basics by getting hands on experience in school to study more on fashion, one stitch at a time.

 

Fashion Institute of Design & Arts opened in Davao in late 2009. It began with a mixed curriculum offering short seminars and workshops, and later on introduced their first batch of full-term graduates in January 2010.

FiDA boasts of its top-notch facilities. The campus is equipped with a spacious fashion laboratory with full-sized pattern drafting tables and a complete set of rolling dress forms which allow for a one-to-one student use of these in a typical FiDA class or workshop.

 

 

The lab, lecture room and sewing rooms are air-conditioned for a comfortable learning atmosphere. The sewing room has 10 industrial sewing machines and an edging machine for each student’s hands-on training requirements. The school library is composed of the latest fashion education textbooks and other supplementary materials gathered from attendance in fashion classes and workshops all over the world.

The school’s Director of Academics, Christine Munda, is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, USA.  The Misha Boutique in Makati City was her first venture in the fashion industry. She then taught at the University of the Philippines, St. Benilde-De La Salle Taft, and the De La Salle College International. Christine was also instrumental in the creation of the SOFA- Manila where she developed the school’s curriculum as its academic director.

 

Under Christine’s leadership, FiDA’s population of talented students continued to grow over the years. The school is now on its 5^th trimester. FiDA offers a full fashion curriculum on design, merchandising and clothing technology.

Other programs offered at FiDA are the following:  2-year Associate Arts Degree course on Fashion Design & Merchandising, 1-year Diploma courses on Fashion Design & Apparel Technology, 1-year Diploma course on Fashion Merchandising, 6-month certificate courses on Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Design, and Apparel Technology, 3-month Introductory Course on Fashion Business, and 12-session Modular course on Sewing & on Pattern making. They also have workshops on makeup and hair styling.

FiDA is located at 544 Manga st. cor. Ricardo st. Juna Subd. Matina, Davao City. For more information, please visit their website at www.fidarts.com or call (082)304-3007 / 0922-811-9696. You may also email them for inquiries at fidadavao@gmail.com.

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Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1 to A4, INdulge section, Edge Davao, Vol. 5 Issue 192, 28 November 2012.

 

 

THE HOUSE THAT FRIED CHICKEN BUILT

 

 

Max’s Restaurant, one of the country’s oldest and well-loved dining places, recently opened its branch in SM Lanang Premier last November 7. The invited guests of the chic VIP event enjoyed classic favorites from Max’s and a musical show by the country’s bossa nova princess, Sitti.

 

 

The new Max's Restaurant in SM Lanang Premier is now the biggest branch in Mindanao, featuring the chain’s latest interior design as well as a bakery section which sells sweet delights, pastries, and other bakery products.

 

 

The President of Max’s Group of Companies, Mr. Robert Trota, flew all the way from Manila to join the opening event. He led the ceremonial chopping of the chicken together with Mr. Anthony Ang, the Davao Franchisee of Max’s Restaurant, and other VIP guests.

 

 

The restaurant chain, also known as “The house that fried chicken built,” has brought to table close to seven decades of classic and delectable home-cooked meals, which includes their original “sarap to the bones” fried chicken. Their fried chicken gained popularity in the country and drawn global attention because of its unique flavor and consistency --- delectably crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

For the latest and most exciting promos and updates about Max's Restaurant, www.maxschicken.com or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant.

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Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.

A1, INdulge section, Edge Davao, Vol. 5 Issue 187, 21 November 2012.

 

 

 

A GUPPY LOVE

A wedding ceremony is the most romantic occasion in every couple's life. Nowadays, a sunset wedding at the beach scores highest on the romantic index and has become the ideal choice for most couples. The sunset reflects serenity, splendor, beauty and romance. It gives, by nature, a stunning scene for the wedding and, to a certain extent, eases the fuss and need for elaborate decors.

 

 

For the beach wedding of my friend, Junji Arias, and his French bride, Anais Thoret, the setup and ambiance were right on target and purpose. Nothing beats Boracay when it comes to venue and scenery. But what made it fun and unforgettable were, simply put, music and a good mix of friends and relatives. On this note, I’d say there were several comic reliefs that added life to the ceremony and induced more giggles and smiles than tears. The title, for example, would probably conjure chuckles from the wedding guests and friends who’ll see it by first glance. To put it innocently (for the other readers’sake), let’s just relate it to the fishes in the beach where the wedding took place.  

 

 

 

Music artist / composer Junji, whose family tree extends to the Pamintuan family of Davao City, had quite a number of celebrity friends present in his wedding. In a nutshell, it was a gathering of people from the music and showbiz industry who witnessed the love affair of Junji and Anais right from day one.

 

Drawing up a crowd near the altar was no less than Piolo Pascual himself. We even joked him to stand by one corner so the crowd would follow him, thus giving the photographers the opportunity to take photos of the newlywed couple. The vista view of the sky touching the endless expanse of the blue water produced a wonderful scenery just when the Pastor gave away the much awaited line, “You may now kiss the bride”. The rich colors of the sky and sea served as a picturesque background for that snapshot.

 

 

The reception turned into a showdown of voice talents and brave hearts. Best man Norby David (from Rivermaya) played popular tunes which got everybody singing and jammin’, including tone deaf moi. It was, however, Rachel Alejandro’s powerful vocals that got my boyfriend to back out from his attempt to take center stage to sing a couple of songs. 

 

"When it rains, it pours.” Despite the bipolar weather, nothing could rain on this parade. Friends and family partied all night long, even extending past midnight, making it one of the most “epic” wedding parties on record.

Additional photos courtesy of Jodje Ledesma, Vincent Garrucho, and Marijac Pamintuan.
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Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1 and A4, INdulge section, Edge Davao, Vol. 5 Issue 182, 14 November 2012.

SWEET LOVE

I’m the type who hardly talks about food. This so-called disassociation is what I call “tiis ganda” --- nonchalantly trying to ignore the chocolate coated romance for the sake of vanity and fashion. Try, being the operative word, I seldom fail to stick to my low-carb diet, especially when faced with tempting desserts from Lachi’s.

 

 

The quaint little patisserie cum restaurant has successfully grown its following over the years, thanks to the originality and creativity of the twin brothers Mel and Mike Aviles. The bubbly duo are the only appointed bakers in this family owned (and run) business, offering sweet temptations and saccharine delights to discerning palates in Davao City.

 

I have seen the humble beginnings of this restaurant since I moved to Davao in 2005. Even back then, it was already difficult to book a table at the 10-seater bakeshop. It used to be known for their desserts and cakes alone. Their signature sans rival, mudpie, choco pie, carrot cake, and innovative adaptations of cheesecake recipes bring love and bliss with every bite. Soon, they added their family’s most cherished recipes to the menu. It didn’t take long before their family tradition became part of every family’s dining traditions.  

 

Now, with the growing demand for more space and tables, Lachi’s expanded their restaurant to accommodate 30 seats. Mind you, Lachi’s is still packed for several waves during lunch and dinner, despite the increase in seating capacity. To this day, I still order my favorite Oriental Fried Chicken while my friends and colleagues keep going back for more of their favorite, the Unforgettable Spareribs. Just recently, they’ve added a couple more dishes and pastries to their menu.  I’ve just included their Asian Spicy Chicken in the list of dining must-try’s, as well as the Crème Brulee cake and French macarons.

Sharing kitchen duties, Mel and Mike are genius when it comes to perfecting creative confections. Each has their own 4-hour shift in the kitchen, even on Saturdays. Chancing on them together in one lunch eatcapade and on several parties where they catered for dessert buffet, I realized that these great minds not only look alike, but also share the same passion for happiness and eating.

 

“Happiness is the main ingredient in making desserts. Think happy thoughts all the time. If you’re angry, don’t bake. Make breads instead,” Mike explains. In effect, no one has ever left Lachi’s with an unhappy tummy and we always go back for more “happy thoughts” served on plates.
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Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1 and A4, INdulge section, Edge Davao, Vol. 5 Issue 177, 07 November 2012.

 

DEPTH OF FIELD

Aside from promoting and advocating life insurance, businessman Paul Borromeo maintains a good balance by taking time off for family life and to capture still life.

 

I remember talking to one of his closest friends, and he proudly pointed out that Paul showed a lot of promise in the field of photography even when they were in high school. “He has always had the eye for great photos.”

Hip and cool at 44, Paul is like a kid full of ideas every time I see him work at photo shoots. It’s like seeing Paul in his own wonderland, creating magic through his rabbit hole of a lens. It has always been such an ease to spearhead and execute projects with him in the wing. We’ve collaborated over series of PR and advertising campaigns since 2007, and, to this day, I remain one of his loyal fans.  

 

His visually arresting art and style has spurred the interest of thousands of shutterbugs netizens, and aspiring young artists in the country. Check his friends list on Facebook and you’ll understand what I mean.

What’s so great about this man is his passion to share ideas with curious minds. He devotes time to reply to questions and throw in a few tips and suggestions to budding artists, whether on line or in close encounters.

What he knows, he shares. It’s just like giving back all the knowledge that helped hone his skills and made him who he is now in the industry. “After all, my art is a collaboration of so many happy coincidences. It’s a product of shared ideas and experiences from pros and other practitioners who I’ve had the privilege of working with.”

 

At the early age of 11, Paul started off with a Kodak Instamatic, which was given by a family friend, and his love affair with photography blossomed while he experimented with lights and shadows. “I got caught up with the idea of freezing time and emotions, and documenting a part of history and the past.”

“Then I joined the yearbook committee when I was 16. Given the unlimited rolls of film I was supplied with, I had the best time going around campus to photograph scenes and images of high school life.”

“I got even more hooked into photography when the digital cameras came out.  At that time, I explored more with landscape, travel, and street photography."

 

Sometime 2003 or 2004, Paul was introduced to some of the most respected photographers in the Davao community. These were names which he just once read in newspapers or exhibits. “I remember Tatay Rene (Lumawag) showing me how to properly use my Nikon 5700, in one of the Kadayawan sunrise events.  I also got a bit of enlightenment from Chiaw Yap, who gave me detailed pointers on lights and shadows. Through them, I got to understand the so-called passion in photography. The fascination wasn’t more on the technical aspects, but on sharing ideas instead. In the process of immersion with the Camera Club of Davao, I got to meet fellow enthusiasts who formed online groups and shared ideas and critiques to make the craft better.” 

“I also got to meet Rhonson Ng during the ASEAN Tourism Forum, and we, together with Jojie Alcantara, became steadfast friends and photo buddies since then. In one of those days when Rhonson and I used to hang around their studio, I met a model friend of theirs, Karen Johnson, whose elegance drew me closer to portraiture. Soon, I found myself going deeper into this wonderful rabbit hole of creativity, and invested heavily in portraiture when I did my first workshop with Manny Librodo in Iloilo.”

With much passion and interest in honing his craft and sharing his ideas, he took the big leap by constructing his own studio, just within the comfort of home. In 2009, Leadfoto Studios was born.

“The idea came from my wife, Nina. She suggested that I just set up a studio near our house. Then my sister pointed towards a vacant family property in our area. Together with Saldy Mascardo, I began designing what I envisioned to have --- a studio where artists could meet and share in a non-commercial environment.”

With fellow collaborators, Paul staged numerous productions and photo shoots which further increased his fan base on Facebook and around town. He inspired more photographers to step out of their perceived self, think out of the box, and just have fun experimenting.

Paul with fellow collaborators at Leadfoto Studios.

“To this day, Leadfoto Studios continues to evolve and grow. It is not a commercial studio, but a venue to create. Photo workshops such as the Lyrical Light series originated in Leadfoto, the same way make up seminars of Tiny Pili and Mae Ann Cortez and satellite workshops by Marlon Advincula have been born out of this studio as well.”

“Slowly, through the past 3 years, we have been able to gather like minds in forming an unofficial team of fashion stylists, hair and makeup artists, models, and other photo collaborators. As time passes, Leadfoto Studios will always be a venue for collaborations. It will always be an artist’s playground.”
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Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1 and A4, INdulge section, Edge Davao, Vol. 5 Issue 172, 31 October 2012.