25 cheers for JC Buendia

JC Buendia, one of the most accomplished fashion designers in the country today, recently celebrated his 25th anniversary in the industry via a fashion show at The Grand Ballroom of Marriott Hotel.

With inspirations coming from various movies that he has loved over the years such as Downtown Abbey, My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday, Sex and the City, Les Choristes, The King’s Speech, The American President, The Princess Diaries, Memoirs of a Geisha and The Last Emperor, JC featured five suites (10 pieces each) that included all his signature pieces from cocktail dresses to evening gowns, formal wear, menswear and even his bridal line.

Movies and TV series set in the time of Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel inspired JC Buendia’s first suite, English Rose. His designs consisted of black and white gowns, full-length, billowy skirts matched with sheer, delicate blouses and low-cut tops harmonized with wide-legged pants.

Jeune Fille was the second suite and featured yellow-dyed silk abaca and grey taffeta.  Mid-length pants and floaty skirts complemented blouses with bows and structured sleeves, which were an interpretation of looks from movies in the 1950’s, very much like Rear Window, Sabrina and High Society.

The third suite presented suits that were modeled by young men like Matteo Cu-Unjieng, Rich Lopa, EJ Trinidad and Noel Yabut.

The fourth suite was called State Visit. Natural colored abaca and gray gazar were used in this collection inspired by movies such as The Manchurian Candidate, Dave and The Queen.

Movies like Memoirs of a Geisha and The Last Emperor were the main inspiration for the fifth suite called Sakura, which featured black and yellow gowns inspired by the twists of the obi.

The screen behind the runway featured quotes from JC, which had some in the crowd laughing. The designer rode a bicycle on the runway as he received the accolades from the crowd.

Get ready for the Brit invasion!

Finding the perfect pair of jeans can be quite a challenge. As jeans remain a popular closet staple, it’s a must that yours have a great fit to make you look and feel your best. This is why the country’s latest fashion import is set to make waves in the local retail scene with its trusted brand of style and quality.

Brit heritage brand Lee Cooper has been around since 1908 – more than 100 years already – and still is very popular especially in Europe. Known for its ever-evolving style sensibilities coupled with urban practicality, the brand has managed to keep its edge in spite of the growing competition. By putting a premium on quality, a pair of Lee Cooper jeans doesn’t just look great but it’s also comfortable and built to last.

It is committed to bring fashionable clothing options that don’t scrimp on quality. This commitment has prompted the brand to not just continue coming up with new styles to excite its established clientele, it has also led the proudly British brand to venture into an aggressive expansion worldwide. 

Recently, Lee Cooper proudly opened its first store in the country. Aside from its signature denim jeans, it also carries a wide array of equally fashionable and high quality garments such as colored pants, denim shorts, capris, cargo pants and shorts, knits, blouses, woven tops and jackets.

Sleek, sexy and with a modern edge, Lee Cooper’s cuts and styles always mirror British style sensibilities while making use of high-quality materials and impressive craftsmanship. It’s definitely one fashion brand that everyone should look out for.

(Lee Cooper is available at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, SM Makati, SM Mall of Asia, SM Fairview, SM Pampanga, Robinson’s Magnolia and Gaisano Metro Alabang. It is exclusively manufactured and distributed in the Philippines by Red Diamond Global Trends.)

A game of wit and speed

The tech-savvy friends of Nokia Philippines recently had a fun and exciting time at the Nokia Maps Challenge.

The challenge took guests on a whirlwind tour of areas around Ayala Avenue in Makati City. Armed with Nokia smartphones, they completed the Amazing Race-inspired game with pit stops in Glorietta, Ayala Museum, Ayala Triangle, Philippine Heritage Library and Paseo de Roxas parking lot.

During the challenge, participants were asked to find the wild boar statue near Glorietta, the black sculpture near Dela Rosa Avenue and a hero’s monument at a landmark intersection, among other clues.

The clues were sent on their Nokia mobile via direct messages sent by @NokiaPilipinas. They had to quickly go to the correct landmark and check in their location via Nokia Maps. Then, they had to take a picture of themselves and this was automatically uploaded on their personal Facebook and Twitter accounts. A confirmation message gave them the hint for the next check point.

The Nokia Maps are preloaded in Nokia smartphones to give users a great out-of-the-box experience. It offers maps for over 110 countries with drive and walk directions, public transport and weather information. Its latest release features new additions such as voice search, geo-tagged photo display and a new and improved Route Planner. Even better, users can now avail of these features offline!

The top three winners of the challenge received a Nokia Lumia 900, Nokia 808 Pureview and Nokia Lumia 800, respectively. 

Follow @NokiaPilipinas on Twitter and add Nokia Philippines on Facebook for updates on an upcoming Nokia Maps Challenge.

(Check www.nokia.com.)