It's an Independence Day weekend for us in a few winks and it's also the perfect time to see one of the beauties that made the Philippines a standout for the whole world or universe even.  

The iconic mermaid dress designed by Albert Andrada and worn by Pia Wurtzbach during the Miss Universe 2015 pageant is just an arms length away from anyone who wishes to see it because it's right here in Cebu City.

The dress that is literally a labor of love, sweat, and tears has come to Cebuano shores.  SM Seaside City Cebu is showcasing three dresses that renowned fashion designer, Albert Andrada deem as the most important creations of his career. He was gracious enough to  share to us bloggers the story behind choosing the dress. Pia's fierceness and elegance was magnified because of it and the rest is now part of our glory.

Standing next to the dresses Pia Wurtzbach wore was quite a feeling only pride and joy can possibly elicit.

Cebuanos can see Albert Andrada's creations at the Sea View Atrium of SM Seaside City Cebu until June 12, 2016.

Happy 118th Independence Day!

More pictures at The Vixen's Lair Facebook Page.

Ziya Cebu

Summer in my island is quite unforgiving which is why you can't blame a girl to go "have a look" at boutique displays whenever the turn of the season is threatening close.  I hopped about SM City Cebu and discovered Ziya, a store that gives classy options for bohemian chic lovers.

Cebu Fashion Bloggers covered Ziya Cebu's store opening last year but I've been so caught up with life that I am totally off the fashion tangent. Check out the posts from my favorite stylish Cebuana's Jean Yu, Issa and The Style Cebu.

Ziya means laid back, comfortable and classy which translate to being able to wear the bohemian chic style to the office.  The price is set a range any woman on her initial steps to the top can afford.

If your looking for light pieces to combat the onslaught of summer 2015 and still retain the professional go-getter look, drop by Ziya at SM City Cebu. My friend Joe, just found her new favorite store.

Ziya on Facebook!

The ViXeN's LaiR on Facebook

Starting June 15 to 24, Ayala Malls, in cooperation with Tiger 22 and The Philippine Star invites us Cebuanos to Style Origins.  This 10-day event will immerse Ayala Cebu goers in a series of fashion, music and lifestyle activities that guarantees to leave us buzzed and hyped!  

First off is the Style Star Picks campaign.  Shop around Ayala in your most fashionable ensemble and upload your photo in Ayala Cebu's Facebook Page until June 21. Shoppers who have had their photos taken and uploaded will have a chance to win a shopping spree worth 25,000 and an exclusive feature in The Philippine Star.  

Fashion Beats will kick start the Style Origins events this Friday June 15 4pm at the Activity Center.  Enjoy the sounds from Tiger 22's DJs and be entertained by the local band, Never The Strangers who brought the hit "Moving Closer" while your sights are treated to a high street fashion show from the current spring-summer collection of top brands like Bench, Bayo, and Kamiseta among others.

Come 6pm of June 15, just right after Fashion Beats, the stage will make way for Mensweek which will showcase the men's wear collections of more than 20 Filipino designers including Cary Santiago, Phillip Rodriquez, Arcy Gayatin and Yvonne Quisumbing.  From June 21 to 24 a four-day fashion and lifestyle event called Style Souk will bring together fashionistas, designers and stylists for exclusive deals, freebies and treats.

Ayala Malls envision a hub for music, fashion and lifestyle that Manila hasn't seen before, where customers attend the shows, take photos, dress up, interact with designers, writers and radio personalities, and explore their fashionable side with the help of its partners. Expect buzz, expect fun, expect hype, and expect some serious fashion. 

Catch this exciting event and more only at Cebu’s premiere shopping, dining and entertainment destination, Ayala Center Cebu. For more information, contact Ayala Center Cebu Concierge at (032) 516-2035 or (032) 231-5342. You can also visit the website: www.ayalamalls.com.ph or “like” the official Ayala Center Cebu on facebook (www.facebook.com/AyalaCebu) for more details on upcoming shows and events.

Suddenly the breeze has acquired a slightly sticky feel to it. I, for one, can sense that my tan is making a slow comeback. Well, hello February! This is the month everyone seems to be at their prettiest. Whether you are on a look out for a new squeeze or you are on the steady wings of love, everyone wants to wear that distinct blush akin to sweet romance. Leave any semblance of gloom and ditch that pale disposition. Replace them with a lovely glow, the kind we all want that special someone to remember us by. 

Mission: Captivate

Try to wear clothes that deviate from your usual look. Go for a dress if you consistently wear laid back styles, or try on a pair of sleek wide legged pants if you are mostly a very feminine dresser. If your wardrobe consists mostly of clothes in the neutral colors of black, white, brown or cream, have the courage to experiment with color blocking. Start by putting together two or three pastel colored garments. Have fun figuring out what makes sense on the color wheel. If you are bold enough, try formulating your own theories on color harmony. This year, I hear the color tangerine will stand for fresh and bold. How does a little orange dress appeal to you? Surely that is captivating! 

Now that we have laid out our color foundation, let us move on to setting the mood. I am talking about the intensity of impact. There are three ways to dress up to melt hearts; simmer, sizzle, or boil.

Simmer

Just like butter on an ever so slow heat, to look simmering is to dress subtly. Pick tops with scoop neck cuts, no showing of cleavage or bodily assets please. Show your charm in clothes that merely hint at the depth of your allure. Channel the Duchess of Cambridge for inspiration. 

Sizzle

Moving on to a notch bolder than the previous suggestion, dressing to look sizzling hot would not be that hard at all. Cebu’s fine weather allows for us to incorporate feminine textiles like chiffon and accents like lace into our weapons of choice - our clothes! This time it is all about sheers, silhouettes and light fabrics that seem follow where ever the wind blows. I love how this makes quite a room for imagination! 

Boil

The word needs no further adjective to further expound it. The communication is loud and clear, it is attention you want and therefore you shall get it. This time the clothes barely matter at all, it is the attitude brought forth by what we wear that gives the level of hotness we are after. The key is power dressing. Will for admiration and romance to come your way, by donning clothes that make you feel good about yourself first. I find that playing with men’s clothes, or those inspired from it, serves two purposes. One, men really like it, and two, girls feel empowered by it. It is hard to resist a woman in a boyfriend shirt dress. 

It is up to you to pick one course of action or you can just go ahead and progress to a boiling point. It is, after all, St. Valentine’s season - snag a heart!

note:  The foregoing is my article for Cebu Review's February Issue.  Download the digital version by clicking on the image below.

Thanks Mac of Style Cebu from lending me her gorgeous picture!

Cebu Review: Cebu's Travel, Leisure & Entertainment Guide

I hope it would not shock you if I say I do not own even one glossy fashion magazine.  Some might find this as a crack in my credibility as a fashion blogger, however I dare say that I am a full-fledged fashion enthusiast at the least.  One does not have to conform with the standards established by a very commercialized sector of the fashion industry.  Nothing attracts me more than the fresh, rogue and revolutionary fashion culture that thrives on the streets, parading yet still quite unnoticed.  Thankfully, Blanc Magazine Online has pooled their resources to give us a showcasing of the untapped reservoir so full of immense talent and potential that are all along right here in Cebu City.

Queen of Cebu, Bee Urgello is Blanc Magazine's Cover girl!

BLANC Magazine is a digital bi-monthly magazine mixing fashion, art & culture. Celebrating the underground youth.

BLANC is an online fashion and art magazine dedicated to the underground youth, the vague and the implicit. Put up together by Cebu’s most artistic and experimental young minds, BLANC is the unconventional probe of the Queen City’s distinct chronicles on the latest in fashion, androgyny, art culture and streetstyle. It is the uncovering of Cebu’s rusty side.

BLANC MAGAZINE is more than an art compilation; it is a movement, an uprising, a reality.

Be enlightened by the edgy points of view of 

Cebu's unrestricted young designers head over to 

www.blanc-mag.com 

to peruse their very regal Queen issue!

Favorite!

Philip, Angeli, Moi photo from Jeemah Villaverde

Jeemah Villaverde

Special thanks to Philip Lapinid of The Fourth Kid and fellow Cebu Fashion Blogger for giving us front row seats to Blanc Magazine's launching last 1.12.12 at Yo.u Restobar.  Needless to say, it was a night teeming with fashionably inclined minds and I was there and saw the proof of Cebu's brilliant budding designers.

These petite ladies are Liezyl and Chyrel Gomez!

Animal print represent!

For more blog posts on fashion news, trends, and events happening in Metro Cebu,
like Cebu Fashion Bloggers Facebook Fan page!

Can I get a Hype?

No, not really drunk Drunk, just drunk-ish.  So you decide to treat yourself with some booze after the whirlwind of mind fucks you had gone through be it at work, school or at home.  Having considered the place you will go to and the crowd you will be with, it now boils down to how safe and secure you will be in your outfit.

123rf.com

OUTFIT. Let say you will go clubbing, do yourself a favor and show one asset at a time, lest you be mistaken for the cigarette promo girls.  Show legs, show boobies, but not all at once.  Slut is a harsh, stingy word, you don't want that.  If you like wearing those stringy undies then skip this next sentence.  I love mini dresses and skirts, but I detest the airy feel down there, so I have a habit of wearing boylegs; I feel secure that way.  Do yourself a favor and smack hard every peeping tom too!

SHOES.  How drunk you intend to be determines how high your shoes ought to be.  Your feet and ankles are way more precious than you give them credit for.  Avoid stilettos and anything else that resembles a deadly weapon instead of a goddamn shoe!

MAKEUP.  And to top it all wear shine proof, water proof, and if you can find it, sweat proof makeup.  You are supposed to peg the look at sultry and smokey not a burnt survivor of a three-alarm fire.  One last thing, stack on some rings just in case you get mixed into a bar fight.

 

Again take note, rape proof clothes, shoes you can stand and run on, a face that says parteeyy, and some self defense blings that will get you past the bouncer.  This goes without saying: "Drink responsibly" ;)

When I got to know about stick-on silicone brassieres, I cheered!  Some days, putting on a conventional bra, a wired one in my case, gets to be the toughest decision to make to begin the day.  Questions like, "should I go for a Tshirt bra or a strapless, padded or unpadded, front or back clasps" are questions we women answer infront of the mirror everyday.  Finally, I now have the confidence to say that I don't bother much with those questions anymore because I have my stick-on bra to address them.

Nothing on

with the stick-on bra; Notice the fullness and no marks

However great this invention is, let's agree to not make this a substitute for breast support.  Believe me you wouldn't want gravity to put a spell on you!  I whip up my stick-on bra mostly on lazy days when I'm wearing a tank top to the grocery store, or off to short errands.  Sometimes I use it on night outs when I don't intend to dance and sweat as much.

I haven't really put this stick-on bra to the extreme tests of clubbing and partying (note the amount of sweating involved) but so far they have not slid or fallen off with my moderate sweating.  Although I wouldn't suggest this to well endowed ladies beyond the C cup size.

Stick-on silicone bras are available in most of Cebu City's malls and department store lingerie sections.  Priced at around 150 pesos, surely you can afford it!

My entries for Sweet of Pens and Lens' I Blog for Bangkok Challenge has started last August 1, please check out and share my posts found under the BFBUno tag

Her Side of Cebu Street Fashion

My raw chat interview with Eloise Daniot

Photo taken from Eloise Daniot

I:   both of you are art students right? can u tell us a quick overview of the sweet training you  and homer had?

E:  well we started out as both fine arts kids; him from usc me from UP

  :  he was more into commercial training since he's an advertising major and im more inclined to art since im a painting major

   :  I worked as a designer in a company based in madrid and he used to work in film sets as a still photographer and then later studied as a 3d animator in College of saint benilde    

   :  he also took up business in photography in benilde while working as a contributing photographer to summit media and other magazine publications in manila specializing in fashion editorials

I:  but why fashion photography? what's so special?

E:  because we both love fashion.  since he met me he's become more interested and passionate about it.  we shared the same interest and appetite for all things beautiful and the drive to constantly learn new things

I:  and it shows in the beautiful pictures.  
 :  how do you choose subjects? and how do you make them comfy in front of the camera?

E:  we just see them walking.  when we have time we actually wait is some spots where a lot of people pass by but most often we just spot them while we're doing other things like having a meeting in a cafe then this stylish couple passes by

I:  almost like a stake out?

E:  we just ask them if we can take their photo for our street fashion blog.  sometimes, they don't agree, they wont allow us to take their photos

I:  so only the bold and shamelessly proud have been features so far?

E:  those comfy enough in their own style;  those comfortable enough with their looks and style

I:    ahh yes no wonder the pictures are so alive!

E:   it must be taken a point that style also involves having great confidence in yourself

I: what other places do you shoot?

E: we find our subjects in malls and restos or where people hang out since cebu is not a place where everyone walks in the street.   a lot of people have to take cars and vans to travel

I:  its usually you who keeps an eye for the wandering stylistas?

  :  or does homer have a say?

E:  of course it's an agreement between me and homer

   :  he asks me or i ask him, "how about that one?"

I:  do you have minimum criteria besides confidence?

E:  style, confidence, interesting mix of fashion

   :  something like that; something that grabs our attention

I:  so you go but gut feel? lukso ng dugo sort of an natural instinct?

E:  yes

   :  like " hey mer look at that guy i kinda find him interesting u want me to go ask him if we can take his photo?" LOL

I:  what toys are you using?

E: EOS 5d mark II and a 72-200 L lens all canon

I:  i have no idea what those are but they sound like premium stuff any photography enthusiast would drool at!

E:  lol well his gears are what he uses for his paid projects

I:  any future plans for the site?

E:  mostly the international ones have been demanding for more posts

   :  we actually have two more blogs coming up

   :  im planning to edit some of our posts pa; put some descriptions for the more interesting photos

I: your site really puts cebu fashion in the world map

E: wahahhaha! really? it's quite overwhelming. it's just one of our pass times really, we havent taken it that seriously

I:  so to conclude whats can u say about cebu street fashion?

E:  it's quite eclectic;  a lot of people are now really dressing up

   :  when they go out to work or to the mall or for school not just really for parties or what not.  its getting quite interesting and also with the healthy flow of foreign travelers which also pepper the scene and in some way also influence the locals in their modes of dressing

I:  Thanks for gracing me with this interview Eloise!

Part II: His Side of The Story

There is no such thing as a  Cebu fashion crowd.  All of Cebu is fashionable period.  It doesnt take a microscope to validate that fact.  *cough Monique Lhuillier, Kate Torralba, Jun Escario.  I may have a to do a big catching up on the fashion almanac but I know my island.

I love that Y101 FM is taking the step to showcase the unreserved and unpretentious Cebuano fashion sense.    This should serve as an official holler to my fellow fabulously noble dwellers of the Queen City of the South!

  

Submit photos of your normal fashionable self to y101stylista@yahoo.comand be hailed Y101's Stylista of the Week just like these two ladies!  

You get to win goodies too!

 Dale Wesley Banaag

Chennie Montero

You know how much I love joining giveaways for freebies.  I also have to share Y101's 3/21 Lottery and as of press time the pot is at PHP7000!  It's really easy to join and win.  

Y101 FM Always a First!