SHOW PROPER: Grand Allure Collection, Philippine Fashion Week 2007

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It took me weeks to conceptualize, design, create this collection for the Philippine Fashion Week 2007. It was a great experience week for me. The day of the show itself saw us bringing in the collections at 3:10pm. Models and hair and make-up artists were busy preparing the models for the 4:00pm show of Triumph fashions. We headed straight to the backstage to keep my collections in place.
My three assistants, Glecy, Mercy and Paulo all got the dresses inside the small and
packed dressing rooms. I noticed that some designers are still having their gowns fitted by the models. We're 21 designers all in all for the evening's show. Their assistants were ironing, steam pressing, refurbishing their collections. What a busy sight!
I knew I came in prepared. We were very relaxed (Edwin, Susie, Dennis, Jerome of FWDP) while anticipating for the show to begin. I had to go back to the office for a while to prepare some more things needed for the show and making sure that all my staff gets the priviledge to watch the show and see the fruits of their labor. By 6pm I was back in the tent to wait for dressing time and for the show to begin. It was a big event and excitement for us FWDP members. The show was well presented, flawless without glitches. Comments I received was that as a whole, all the collections were ok. Over-all it was a successful show with dignitaries, celebrities, models, junior and senior designers both foreign and locals around and most of all our invited clients. The hair and make-up team comprised of Jackie Rivera who did the fabulous hair-styles of the models creating a one-look appearance, Jinky Ilusorio, Marlon Suarez et al. Raymond Villanueva was the formidable director for the show. The models who wore my collections comprised of Ornusa Cadness, Paulette Quinto, Michelle Panemanglor, Jasmine Maierhofer, Mia Ayesa, Ava Abejar, Rowena Rebosano, Chrisel, Melissa Frye and Gionna Cabrera. The ever pleasant Sao Salinda was the coordinator for the designers with Producers Audie Espino and Joey Espino of Runway Productions as the heads.

A Wedding March in March (Manlapig - Bolisay Wedding, March 24, 2007)

Almabelle and Stephen both based in Singapore came home for their wedding. Exchange of vows at the St. John Bosco Parish and the reception which followed at the Peninsula Manila. Arriving two and a half hours before the ceremony, Almabelle dressed up exactly two hours before marching time. The bridal suite which appeared like connecting rooms to me was an ideal place for the bride's preparation area. The second team of John Ong of Imagine Nation was doing the photography and videography I guess. Likewise, the second team of Madge Lejano's make-up studio was present for the hair and make-up preparations. It was a relaxed afternoon for Almabelle and not a bit showing of intensity nor stress from excitement. The bride's mom was with us relaxed and jolly and appreciated the well-fitted gown we made for her. She stood out on that occassion. I'm very certain.
At the church upon our arrival, we were greeted by the ever diplomatic and smiling Father of the groom. I think we did everything as requested by the nice and wonderful bride. The groom was likewise levelled, cordial and pleasant. There was just an overwhelming insistence on the mother of the groom's concerns about the female entourage designs and level of contentment. The issue of attire decency was on its peak. The good-natured bride just went on managing the situation along with the mother of the groom's persistence. No I don't feel sorry for Almabelle. I admire Almabelle's maturity and understanding. As they say, "its poise under pressure" . I thought it will be an ordeal with the mother of the bride as the usual circumstance. It turned out to be the other way around. It was manageable anyhow. My best wishes to the couple! CHEERS!

Fitting Time, Philippine Fashion week 2007

March 21, 2007, Wednesday, 1:00 pm 7th Floor, Manansala Towers, Rockwell Center, Makati City. Fitting schedule for my collection for the fashion week. There were were too many people during this time. Designers, designer assistants, models, organizers were all in one hall. Seasoned models are wearing my collections. Its not yet finished. My clothes were in to a lot of adjustments. Manageable on our end. We'll just have to wait till the day of the event to see the final look of the dresses on the models complete with shoes and accessories. I'm providing all the shoes and accessories for these ten tall ladies in shoe sizes 9 and 10 only for towering heights of 5'10 and 5'11 only!

Grand Allure Collection, Philippine Fashion Week

**I'm unveiling my 10-piece collection along with 20 other Filipino Designers**

**There's 5 of us FWDP members participating in this collection category namely:
DENNIS MARTIN
EDWIN UY
JEROME SALAYA ANG
JOEL BAUTISTA
SUSIE BONAOBRA

**A strictly BY INVITATION event**

Philippine Fashion Week 2007

PHILIPPINE FASHION WEEK opens today with its Gala Show at 7:30 Rockwell Tent, Rockwell Center, Makati City

**9 out of 12 of us FWDP members are participating in this annual event**

FWDP's booths lay-out, Wedding Expo, 10th Edition, Phase II

RIGHT END VIEW OF FWDP'S BOOTHS

Booth of Michelle Lim and Carmen Lazaro

Booth of Joel Bautista and Ruel Rivera

Booth of Edwin Uy and Delby Bragais

FWDP's booth lay-out , Wedding Expo, 10th Edition, Phase I

Booth of Joel Escober and Randall Solomon

Booth of Shanon Pamaong and Susie Bonaobra

Booth of Jerome Ang and Dennis Martin

RIGHT END VIEW OF FWDP'S BOOTHS

My Booth at the Wedding Expo's 10th Edition

I was sharing my booth with my colleague Ruel Rivera a Marikina-based designer. Initially, we came up with a concept of a receiving room meaning a space with at least a 2-seater sofa, a table lamp sitted on a side table. As we were setting up on our shared booth, we realized that with the bouffant skirts of our four wedding gown exhibits dressed up in mannequins, the space won't be enough. Together with the rest of our booths, we all decided to use mannequins instead of the usual body forms to showcase our craft.

Wedding Expo, 10th Edition, 2007, PICC Forum

And there were twelve of us occupying seven booths at the recently concluded Wedding Expo 2007, 10th edition last March 10 and 11. Twenty four wedding gowns were showcased and came out in various styles where potential brides can choose from the traditional ballgowns and A-line princess cuts to bridal beach dresses or garden wedding styled trends. There were indeed a variety of showcase that the group was able to come up with. Rosie de Vera of Flowers and Foliage came up with an all white floral ensemble for all the booths which looked very appropriate and matching with the gowns' colors.
It was two days of physical presence for most of us during the fair. We all agreed to be in white attires during the first day and black on the second day. The catalogue booklet we had printed arrived after lunch. It was so unfortunate that the outcome of the printed material was so ugly, disastrous, unprofessionally crafted, and poorly printed. There was much disappointed amongst the members. We will deal with our printer supplier accordingly. We felt sorry and embarrassed for our peers in the wedding industry who supported catalogue of ours by being our advertisers. It was such a pathetic result. We never had the slightest intention of profiting from it in monetary terms but just come up with the amount that would commensurate the cost of printing. There was too much ordeal with the outcome. Too much reasoning came from the printer's contact person hoping that his explanations were within professional know hows. Catalogues were still given out despite our dissatisfaction as promised to our wedding expo participant suppliers in accordance with our commitment with them. We will make up for this untoward incident. Dealing with the printer will be a target priority and make sure that an amicable arrangement is made for the succeeding copies.