MISCHA DANELLE TURNS ONE

 

The tradition of kiddie parties has finally begun for my former colleague, Patty Basa-Tan. Just as she adjusted into motherhood with much ease and grace, she lovingly devoted time and effort to get everything in full swing for her bundle of joy’s first birthday celebration. DIY (Do It Yourself) being the operative word, she personally managed all the big and tiny details of the party, including invitations and audio visual presentation.

Mischa Danelle Basa Tan officially turned one year old last September 12. Friends and family gathered to witness her debut to the social scene in a bunny-themed party set in a restaurant’s private function room. Dani, as she is lovingly called by her parents, looked adorable in her fluffy tutu-dress matched with bunny ears headband. Aside from the 3-layer fondant cake that took center stage at the dessert area, the ice cream station and candy corner also became a hit among kids and young adults alike. While mommy Patty and daddy Mike took command of all the preparations, the party was also a joint effort by godparents, friends, and relatives from both sides. “I sought the help of event stylist Karla Singson to create this little wonderland for all children to enjoy. The cake made by my sister’s friend, Charisse Dagohoy, was simply too cute to eat. The photobooth, provided by Dani’s Ninang Aisha, drew in families and kids who gamely posed for the camera.”

 

 

Halfway into the program, Dani’s Lolo “Tisoy” joined the birthday girl in front to lead the prayer. He openly shared his heartfelt gratitude for being blessed with such a bubbly and happy grandchild. Right after dinner, Patty played the audio-visual presentation she made which included recent family pictures taken by Eight Espino.

 

“My husband, Mike, chose the song for this video. Instead of coming up with a long speech usually asked of parents in a birthday party, he decided to just say it through a song by Simply Red. The lyrics of For Your Babies convey the kind of love he has for our daughter: ‘You know I’d do most anything you want, Everyday I try to give you everything you need, We’ll always be there for you, I don’t believe in many things, but in you I do.’"

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1 and A4, INdulge, Edge Davao, Vol.6 Issue 138, 25 September 2013.

 

MAKE YOUR OWN HAVAIANAS 2013: IMAGINATION AT PLAY

 

 

It’s that time of the year again when the vibrant spirit of the world’s favorite flip-flops brand, Havaianas, gathered everyone to revel in the ultimate celebration of self-expression - Make Your Own Havaianas (MYOH). The annual event of mixing and matching soles and straps continues to gain a good following over the years as it introduces new varieties that inspire Havaianaticos to take their imagination off to greater heights with customized pairs.

 

Much of the thrill that comes with the annual Make Your Own Havaianas is the way it lets everyone’s creativity run wild, while at the same time, seizing these concepts and embedding them in soles to last. For the fete of creativity, Havaianas further reinforced its stand as it encouraged all Havaianaticos to immerse themselves in a more vibrant experience in this year’s Make Your Own Havaianas.

Every pair made during MYOH had its own unique story to tell. This unique event gives us the freedom to personalize flip-flops to our own liking, depending on our day to day style and character. The possibilities are endless with the wide range of pins, straps and soles to choose from. Nothing beats the comfortable soles of each Havaianas pair. Spruced up with funky pins and colorful straps, Havaianas becomes the most fashionable flip-flops anyone can wear whenever, wherever.

 

As a world-renowned brand distinguished for being an advocate of fun-fashion and self-expression, Havaianas has always been open to collaborations when it comes to its designs. The brand continues to promote the individual charm and personality of several noted icons the world over, hence, parallel ideals and imageries were ceaselessly developed—bringing the energy of the worlds of fashion, sports and art into one melting point.

 

This year, Havaianas proudly introduced its collaboration with Filipino illustrator and Havaianatico Dan Matutina for the first Make Your Own Havaianas glow-in-the-dark commemorative pair. Dan Matutina + Havaianas is available in carbon blue sole with spacemen and space markers connecting the stars to form images.

 

“I’ve always had a keen interest in science, sci-fi, and space,” shared Dan as he described his eponymous design, which is the first glow-in-the-dark, MYOH commemorative pair. “So as soon as they told me that imagination was the theme for this year’s Make Your Own Havaianas, I automatically thought of exploration and fit in spacemen, which I’ve been fascinated with for so long, in my design.”

 

Full of rousing touches that celebrated one’s individuality, Havaianas has once again let everyone mirror its boundless joy and energy as they made it their own. Enthused with the thrill of the season, the world’s favorite flip-flops brand took us off from higher planes to a world beyond everyone’s imagination.

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.

A1, INdulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 132, 17 September 2013.

 

HIGH CONTRAST

 

Portrait photography is quite different from other types of photography. Its objective is to capture the natural side and character of your subject. While portraiture is made more convenient and easier with the advent of digital cameras and Photoshop, no amount of one-touch devices will make your photos look good unless you pay close attention to the details and factors around you during the actual shoot itself. Sometimes it only takes a small object to ruin a perfect picture. It can be wisps of hair, a chair in the background, or an inconsiderate “photobomber”. It helps if your eyes are quick to spot any spec that's out of place and your imagination wild enough to make wonderful possibilities happen in each frame.

  

Any literature on photography can teach you the basics of capturing images, but the best way to learn the ropes of photography is to get some hands on training. You have to get out in the field and put those theories and techniques into practice. Some would find themselves bending rules, playing with filters, and defying trends --- eventually finding and creating their own style and identity. 

While some prefer to exercise their skills on their own, there are also those who enjoy learning the craft through workshops and group activities. Collabortive efforts not only create camaraderie among each learner / photographer, but also spring up ideas and techniques which you do not always find in books. 

It is this sharing of "trade secrets" that inspired photographers Paul Borromeo and Marlon Advincula to introduce their Lyrical Light workshop series just a few years back. They believe ideas are also best learned when shared. This cycle of learning and sharing is what keeps the imagination alive. As Albert Einstein once said, "Creativity is contagious. Pass it on."

The highly successful Lyrical Light series gathered both the learned and the newbies in outdoor shoots organized by the 2 dedicated shutterbugs. For all these shoots, Paul and Marlon partnered with seasoned professionals in the local fashion and beauty industry to help them put together themes they had in mind.

More than a year has passed since the last Lyrical Light. Paul and Marlon, who are always in search of creative ways to use whatever idle time they have, tossed ideas to each other with the intention of adding a twist to their group workshops. This time around, they decided to make their activity more comprehensive in terms of imagery and visuals.

 

 

 

 

Dubbed as "High Contrast," this new workshop series focuses on both photography and post processing. From the title itself, it aims to nurture and develop individuality among participants, and, at the same time, appreciate art in many different ways. The whole outdoor venue becomes each photographer's own studio, with models and setup styled by generous talents such as designer Junnie Artajo, makeup artists Tiny Pinili and Melody Ross Tinoy, fashion stylist Ayie Hernandez, plus a few more collaborators from LeadFoto Studios.

 

 

 

 

 

The 2-day workshop is set to happen on September 21 and 22 (Saturday and Sunday) at Casa Munda in Juna Subdivision. The photo shoot takes place on the first day, followed by a full day training on post-processing using Adobe Photoshop. 

 

 

The P5,000 workshop fee already covers snacks and lunch. For inquiries and reservations, please call 0917-7785-433 or 0923-4411-171. You may also email marlonadvincula@gmail.com or paul@leadfoto.net.

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.

A1, INdulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 128, 11 September 2013.

LOCAL FASHION GOES GLOBAL AT ALASKA FASHION WEEK




Alaska Fashion Week may not have rung a bell to some of us, but it is definitely a cause for celebration for our local fashion industry. This year’s International Edition of Alaska Fashion Week welcomed designers from Latin America, Europe, USA and Asia. Opening the week-long event is none other than our own Filipino designers who proudly represented the Asia.  With our locale being an exciting tropical travel destination, the group took inspiration from festival, resort, and cruise themes to embody the style that is truly Asia.

 

by Emi Englis
Photographer: Tina Marie

Camille Liwanag of the "My Binondo Girl" fame tweaked her aesthetics with festival costumes translated into "Fun in the Philippines" cross-over wear for the night's starter. 

Junnie Artajo

Coming all the way from Davao City, Japan Design winner Junnie Artajo celebrates Asian-bound motif for his strictly resort wear spread including batik-dyed pieces. Junnie, who’s better known for his use of indigenous and eco-friendly materials, adds a playful twist to his aesthetics with dynamic and geometric patterns, folding, and draping.

 

by Junnie Artajo
Photographer: Paul Borromeo

by Junnie Artajo
Photographer: Paul Borromeo

Joining Junnie from Davao is Paris Concours finalist Emi Englis. For this collection, he expanded his T-shirt collection to offer a diverse range of luxe lounge wear perfect for evening affairs. Hand-woven scarves also added dimension to his collection. His daring line of haute couture focused on somber palettes and sensual touches, with their design and cut deviating from the usual mold-to-the-body approach… It’s seductive without even trying.

Emi Englis

The Alaska Fashion Week was held at the Dena’ina Civic Center from June 27-30, 2013. There were 4 nights of over the top wardrobe creations from prestigious International Designers with skillfully wrought set design and performances featuring different themes each night. Their goal is to promote these designers’ creations to Alaskan clientele in high profile settings.

by Emi Englis
Photographer: Paul Borromeo

 

by Emi Englis
Photographer: Paul Borromeo

 

The people behind Alaska Fashion Week have a long history in the fashion scene in Anchorage. This strong force included boutique owners, salon owners, hospitality, promotion companies and more. They believe Alaska has great fashion elements and potential. The objective of this foundation is to provide an amazing opportunity for all fashion enthusiasts to display their talents and take it to the next level --- and eventually, for the greatly unique ones, to go global.

---

Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.

A1, INdulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 123, 04 September 2013.