Power To The Pinoy: It’s About You, Not Your Stuff, Silly.

By Lalaine Chu-Benitez


Aren’t you just exhausted, dahling?  Oh, it is sooo so tiring to live in this fabulous city.  After all, it takes supreme effort to keep up stride with all the slim, fashion forward, rich and fabulous Joneses of this town, n'est ce pas? 

Shy? Modest?  No space for you here, I’m afraid.  This place is not for the wallflower, or even for the low-credit-card-limit-clueless carrying the last two seasons’ ‘it’ bag. Don’t you know that your collection of designer duds needs a regular update?  Dahling, you gotta have the bag, the watch, the shoes, the car, and of course, the holiday.  Because if you don’t - horrors of horrors!  -what have you got to share with all your Facebook and Instagram “friends”?! 


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Ateneo LSE Batch 26 Graduation

Fifty-three Overseas Filipinos (OFs), received their diplomas during the Ateneo LSE Batch 26 graduation on the 11^th September 2015 in Dubai, after having successfully completed the six-month Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) program of the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG).

The commencement exercises held at the Al Ghurair Rayhaan – Rotana Hotel were attended by the Philippines’ top diplomats and officials in the UAE led by outgoing Ambassador Grace Princesa, Consul General Paul Raymond Cortez, Consul Giovanni Palec, Consul Ferdinand Flores, and Labor Attache Atty. Delmer Cruz.

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Philippine Business Council – Abu Dhabi hosts Bizz Talk 2015

The Philippine Business Council – Abu Dhabi kicked off this year’s Bizz Talk on the 29^th October 2015 at the Le Royal Meridien – Abu Dhabi. Business executives, professionals, PBC members, sponsors, media partners, Filipino community leaders, distinguished Philippine Embassy guests including Consul Maria Roseny Fangco and Vice Consul Rowena Daquipil participated in the muc-awaited networking event.


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Ezra Santos: Ezra Enraptured

By Lalaine Chu-Benitez


If Michael Cinco is all about grandiose beauty, Furne One the master of dark drama, and Rocky Gathercole continues to play shock and awe, Ezra Santos’ domain is firmly placed on the altar of refined elegance.


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Filipino Designer – Insanity: A Look into the Madness of Rocky Gathercole

Filipino Designer – Insanity: A Look into the Madness of Rocky Gathercole (Illustrado)

They say there’s a very thin line that separates genius from insanity. And nowhere is the thinness of that line even more pronounced than in the case of FIlipino designer Rocky Gathercole.

During a virtual tête-à-tête with the avant gardiste, we unearthed not only the method in his madness, but also the proverbial can of worms… or two.

Story By Lalaine Chu-Benitez
Photo by Filbert Kung
Styling, Hair and Make-Up by: Ginno Alducente
Model: Jasmine Maierhofer

Experimental, unpredictable, explosive and quite simply – mad.   He, of the fantastical creations, whose muses include insect women, gaudy showgirls, and phantasmagoric goddesses who all exist in a warped intersection between total fantasy and hyper reality.   Rocky says on his take on style as-a-matter-of-factly, “My designs are, to put it simply, from my weirdest, wildest, wonderful world (www.rg) where I am the ultimate dictator of fashion. I have a gazillion idea in my mind and fantastical is probably the simplest adjective we can associate them with. The real word to appropriately describe them has yet to come from another universe!”  He adds, “More than anything, my primary concern, most often than not, is the availability of materials to be able to realize my vision.”

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Filipino Designer: Illustrado Retro – Michael Cinco

Before he became known as the ‘impalpable one’ who creates million peso dresses, Michael Cinco, one of the world’s foremost Filipino designers was already larger than life.  Take a look into his colorful past as we backtrack on our first cover shoot with him in 2007.
 

ILLUSTRADO RETRO:  MICHAEL CINCO

From Illustrado Magazine
 
Story by Lalaine Chu-Benitez
 
Photography: Allan Desiderio
 
Model: Former Bb Pilipinas International 2002 Kristine Alzar
 
Hair and Make-Up: Basil Yunting
 
Shot at The One and Only Royal Mirage, Dubai

I asked Michael whether a specific designer influenced him. He answers, “I try not to be influenced by any designer. But I am ‘inspired” by the likes of John Galliano, as well as the Incas of Peru, the Mayans in Apocalypto, the marquee for the launches of the Palazzo Versace, including the wilted rose petal on my table, and the Curly Tops wrapper in the bin. I try to see beauty in everything.”
 

As a consummate fashion instigator, Michael puts a lot of importance on creativity and drama but insists that this must be balanced with reality. “It’s great to tell a story in every design but you must never forget that despite all the fantasy, the woman has to be satisfied and the dress has to be sold. I have to seduce woman into buying and wearing my clothes…that’s my role.”
 

With undeniable success in the local haute couture market, there’s nothing that even remotely resembles Michael’s cheeky mien and amusing dramatics, when it comes to his highly regarded body of work that has earned serious respect from his peers.  And inspite of it all, the designer still keeps a firmly rooted attitude attributing his success to hard work and luck. “I always believe that I’ve been lucky all the way. There are a lot of designers who work hard but don’t make it, he comments in earnest.


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