I’ve been attending Philippine Fashion Week for about two years now. While most people go for the clothes, for me it’s always been more about the spectacle. I love seeing what people wear just to attend the shows; it’s their chance to be a bit more avante garde in their fashion choices. Whether or not they look like a freak show is a different story. Hrhrhr.

I also love seeing how every show’s director can present the clothes and models in a different way. While the most usual change-up is the shape of the runway and the lighting/music arrangement, at the Resort Collection with Ipanema show on PFW Spring/Summer 2011’s Day 3 the director did more than that. Instead of the standard gait and pout, all the models who strutted their stuff looked and acted happy, skipping down the catwalk in their Ipanema flipflops and swimwear, sundresses, and leisure wear.

they’ve got happy feet

Although some of the designs from various designers were predictable and/or inappropriate to be worn with flipflops and open-toed footwear, I loved the flipflop and sandal designs because they were colorful and looked like so much fun to wear (I blame the models!).

I’m not sure if they’re the current styles offered at Ipanema retailers (such as Shoe Salon), but I will be checking them out, particularly the women’s sandals. I need casual footwear that doesn’t look like tsinelas; I don’t often wear heels and I need to wear open footwear to allow my feet to breathe, especially after workouts and runs. Yet I still want to feel a bit more dressed up rather than looking like I just stepped out of my bathroom. “If the shoe fits, wear it,” people say, and I think Ipanema footwear definitely fit with my lifestyle and fashion choices.

By the way, I was photographed at the Ipanema event; my look was featured on Stylebible.ph’s PFW S/S 2011 Day 3 gallery. I guess I wasn’t one of those who looked like freak shows, yay!

photo by Stylebible Digital

I’ve been attending Philippine Fashion Week for about two years now. While most people go for the clothes, for me it’s always been more about the spectacle. I love seeing what people wear just to attend the shows; it’s their chance to be a bit more avante garde in their fashion choices. Whether or not they look like a freak show is a different story. Hrhrhr.

I also love seeing how every show’s director can present the clothes and models in a different way. While the most usual change-up is the shape of the runway and the lighting/music arrangement, at the Resort Collection with Ipanema show on PFW Spring/Summer 2011’s Day 3 the director did more than that. Instead of the standard gait and pout, all the models who strutted their stuff looked and acted happy, skipping down the catwalk in their Ipanema flipflops and swimwear, sundresses, and leisure wear.

they’ve got happy feet

Although some of the designs from various designers were predictable and/or inappropriate to be worn with flipflops and open-toed footwear, I loved the flipflop and sandal designs because they were colorful and looked like so much fun to wear (I blame the models!).

I’m not sure if they’re the current styles offered at Ipanema retailers (such as Shoe Salon), but I will be checking them out, particularly the women’s sandals. I need casual footwear that doesn’t look like tsinelas; I don’t often wear heels and I need to wear open footwear to allow my feet to breathe, especially after workouts and runs. Yet I still want to feel a bit more dressed up rather than looking like I just stepped out of my bathroom. “If the shoe fits, wear it,” people say, and I think Ipanema footwear definitely fit with my lifestyle and fashion choices.

By the way, I was photographed at the Ipanema event; my look was featured on Stylebible.ph’s PFW S/S 2011 Day 3 gallery. I guess I wasn’t one of those who looked like freak shows, yay!

photo by Stylebible Digital

I just flew back from a very relaxing All Saints Weekend in Boracay (yes, it’s my third time this year… I’m planning a mega-post next week about all my trips). I’ve always thought I could be a savvy traveler and even passed an application for the Amazing Race Asia Season 3. But meeting TARA4 Philippine teams last Thursday at the viewing party sponsored by Misibis Bay and the City of Legazpi confirmed that there’s something special about these teams. More on that later.

Bloggers and TARA Racers Unite!

Ever since I switched away from SkyCable, I haven’t been able to catch an episode of TARA, so watching back-to-back Episodes 5 and 6 from the current season was a real pleasure. Episode 5 was the Philippines episode featuring activities around Legazpi City and Misibis Bay, which was the pit stop for that leg of the race. It was a great way to stimulate my interest in traveling to Bicol (with a little less stress and more time for sightseeing, of course). Episode 6 had the teams flying out to New Zealand from Misibis Bay.

What really struck me about “the Riches” Richard Hardin and Richard Herrera and “Party Girls” Lani Pillinger and Jess James (who couldn’t be at the viewing party) was their way of finding ways out of predicaments without freaking out. Basically, they were able to take the challenges on and have fun doing them. One incident that really stood out for me was when the Riches needed to get on an earlier flight in New Zealand, so they asked some people nicely if they could switch tickets. That shaved a precious three hours off their time and contributed to their first place finish for the New Zealand leg of the race.

Lani and Jess also worked really well together, being supportive instead of criticizing each other as some other teams would do. One of the bloggers present at the event commented that there was a lot of positive energy surrounding these teams. Rich & Rich and Lani were really nice as well, socializing with the bloggers by going around each table asking if we were okay, and saying the food would be coming out soon. (Hahaha!) Richard “Rampage” Herrera was even offering beer to bloggers. When I said I didn’t drink beer, he offered rum. I thought it wasn’t on the menu, so I said sure. To my surprise, he came back 5 minutes later with a rum coke.

photo by Azrael Coladilla

Overall our Philippine teams have great personalities and star power; it’s hard not to watch when they’re the ones on-screen. And, needless to say, they are all so pretty to look at!

The reason I shouldn’t be on the show is that during my flight back from Boracay, our plane was supposed to be diverted to Kalibo. I threw a fit, which may be good TV drama but isn’t really something I would like to see from someone representing the Philippines. Eventually we were able to check into an earlier flight which would leave from Caticlan — and on that same flight was Rich Hardin! I was so ashamed. I guess I need to keep watching more TARA4 to see great examples (like our teams) for how to deal properly with travel pressure.

Now if only Destiny Cable carried AXN so I could keep watching TARA4.

Two weeks ago my friend Liz Lanuzo from ProjectVanity.com invited me and a host of other bloggers to “Vanity, Vanity: A Vanity Fair” at SM North EDSA Sky Dome. It was the third day of the event, which was supported by several major beauty and health brands.

Face Shop and Body Shop offering makeovers

I’m not really a beauty and fashion blogger although I do appreciate good grooming. (It’s why I’m the Kikay Runner.) It was a bit intimidating to be among these stylish bloggers; coming over on the MRT I noticed one girl who was wearing something very LookBook-ish, and true enough she was also at the event!

We had a little game of Blogger Scrabble, where we were separated into two groups, all wearing two letters from the words “BLOGGER” and “I AM VAIN”. After a slow start, my group won and we took home bottles of acai berry juice! I’ve heard good things about the vitamin and nutrient content from this juice, so we shall see if it really works. I’ve been feeling a bit run down lately…

Liz also gave a talk about the Top Ten Tips to Level Up Your Beauty and Fashion Blog. Much of it was common sense, realy, but she presented them in such a way that it would be easy to remember and apply to each blog post made. They’re also actually good tips to apply to any kind of niche blog. Ü

At the end of the afternoon, the winner of the door prize was announced. Each of us bloggers had been asked to write down answers to two questions: “How vain are you?” and “When are you at your most beautiful?” So guess which question I won the prize for. I don’t remember exactly what I wrote, but it went something like this:

“I am so vain that everything I do comes from concern about my appearance. I started working out because I was concerned about gaining weight; now I’m a group exercise instructor. I started running because I wanted to tone my legs; now I’m a host for a television show about running. I started putting on make-up because I didn’t want to look shabby; now I’m invited to events such as this. Yes, I am that vain.”

For that honest answer about my vanity, I won a pot of Mosbeau underarm and inner thigh whitening cream.

My mom was happy to receive this from me.

That was on top of all the other loot bloggers received. I had to bring all these bags onto a crowded MRT, and there was just so much stuff that I could bless my friends with (sometimes I don’t get around to using stuff I’m given). Definitely a well-supported event.

SeriAsia Ganoderma Moisturizer

Clockwise L-R: NaRaYa bag and pouch, SkinFood whitening gift pack, Acai Berry, NuDerm Supreme White Soap, Dermclinic pen

Thanks so much for inviting me, Liz! I feel a yearning for a make-up post coming up soon… (Or maybe, on my friend’s blog Bless My Bag. *wink*)

Over the last four years I’ve written again and again about BODYJAM, a pre-choreographed dance party workout I teach at a local gym. In the years since I’ve become an instructor of the program, I’ve written about it less and less, simply because as an employee of the gym I don’t want to let too much of the mystique out of the bag (and because any occasional whining about work conditions might get me called to “the principal’s office”).

Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, which is teaching BODYJAM. Last week, I had one more reason to love my job more, and that reason’s name is Gandalf Archer.

otherwise known as “G”

No, this is not Gandalf from Lord of the Rings (although I think he’s just as cool =p). G is the program director, choreographer, and worldwide face of BODYJAM. He’s based in Auckland, New Zealand, and travels every quarter to take the experience of BODYJAM to instructors around the world.

This month, on his way home from those travels, he dropped by Manila. He’d been hearing a lot about how passionate we are about the program, and how Filipinos love to dance. So, last Monday night we BODYJAM instructors had a little meet-and-greet with him.

We usually get choreography for BODYJAM through DVD, and many of us had only seen him on our TV screens. So meeting him in the flesh was a completely different experience. My mind is still in denial, actually. It all feels like I was watching it on TV.

OMG. OMG! *hyperventilates*

I had my copy of BODYJAM 43 (my training release) signed by him. It was strange because I was starstruck up until I walked up to him and started talking to him. And then something switched on in my brain and I was just chatty all of a sudden. I was with a fellow instructor, Ryan, who had been having posters autographed for the past few minutes.

The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi. Sorry to bother you…
G: Oh, it’s not a bother.
Me: (holding my hand out) I’m Noelle, and I think you know Ryan. He’s back with another poster, I think he’s gone into business selling them…
Ryan: (laughs)
G: Well, it’s going to be a short-lived business, like, it’ll be over in five minutes.
Me: Would you mind signing my training release?
G: Sure. (scribbles)
Me: It was ten releases ago.
G: That’s a lot of releases.

We had a question-and-answer period; my trainer Arnold Warren told us to make it interactive, so we had to think up of some questions to ask G.

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I asked him “the hardest question” (4:07)

And then he wanted to dance with us a little. Once the music started playing, we just went wild, and we just lost ourselves in the experience.

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dance, dance like it’s the last, last night of your life

That wasn’t the end of it. The next night, we had arranged for a big event, called “G Live: The BODYJAM Main Event”. People could buy tickets to enter what we had billed as a two-and-a-half hour dance workout, led by G. He taught the upcoming release, BODYJAM 54, plus something he billed as “55” but was actually a freestyle routine. Fan-freaking-tastic.

kicking it

dancing up a storm

hit it!

There was a part of me that had gone to sleep and had just been going through the motions. It took an encounter with G, someone who lives a really creative life bringing BODYJAM to life, to wake me up again. The time he spent with us told us that we do matter, we do make a difference, we have something to be proud of. It was something I badly needed, and since then I’ve been supercharged.

The Philippines loves you, G. Come back soon!