Urban worker

Enough pockets for everything.

Except the heat.

Shirt, Bossini; tank top, United Colors of Benneton; cargo pants and camouflage ribbon belt, Izzue; sneakers, 5cm

Photos by Patricia Suzara

Black and white

A friend once read my palm and told me that I'm the type of person who always tries to see things - you guessed it - in black and white. Don't ask me though how he deciphered that from my hands.

I had to agree with him, since as a writer, my method has always been to wade through every complication and uncertainty to reach something with substance. I guess I aim for the same in my personal style and in my fashion commentary.

Black and white, beyond being safe and strong statements, can be a refuge one comes back to every now and then to scrape away all the muck that has built up.


Pleated shirt, Zara; faded black jeans, United Colors of Benetton; skinny leather belt, APC; thrifted sneakers, Comme des Garçons Shirt; nylon jacket, Izzue; silk tie, thrifted

Photos by Patricia Suzara

More goodies from Benetton

Guess what I found in my mail today? Not one, not two, but three items from United Colors of Benetton, as a token of thanks for blogging for them.

Nice clean IT'S MY TIME logo for the t-shirt. I remember the first tee I bought from the brand was more than a decade ago, when I went to Rome. I think I still have it, the fabric still soft. But what I am more excited to use is the navy blue tote underneath it.




Insects and crustaceans! This will be perfect for those days when I wake up late and have no choice but to throw in everything I need in one single container. The bag was designed by Catarina Carreiras for Benetton Bags by Fabrica. Fabrica is the Benetton Group Communications Center, based in Treviso, Italy.

Fabrica is not a school, advertising agency or university. It is an applied creativity laboratory, a talent incubator, a studio of sorts in which young, modern artists come from all over the world to develop innovative projects and explore new directions in myriad avenues of communication, from design, music and film to photography, publishing and the Internet.

These artist-experimenters are accompanied along their research path by leading figures in art and communication, blurring the boundaries of culture and language and transgressing the traditional borders between a diverse range of communication mediums.


Communication research at Fabrica services a wide variety of social causes and disciplines such as economics, social or environmental sciences. Fabrica’s aim is to grasp the future by giving innovative exposure to cultural or scientific projects which open a window onto tomorrow’s world.


Sounds amazing, like something from Google's creative headquarters. Take a look at the ancient villa that houses Fabrica. It would definitely be Fab-ulous to see the place in person.




Aside aside (isn't life all about asides?), here is another tote/shoulder bag that came with the package. Not so sure though if I can pull off a monogramed article, as I've tried to avoid anything in that sort of pattern. But even if my sister wants it for herself, I will definitely keep this 100% bamboo fabric scarf, which is woven like mesh and feels like something between socks and stockings.

You know what I'm thinking? I'd think I'd like to wear the soft, breathable fabric as a shirt! (Yes, of course, it will also be a little sheer.)




Last but not the least is a cute little USB disc that I most probably be enjoying just looking at. Oh, wait. It can hold 1GB!


Special thanks to Sarah for all your help along the way!

Benetton IT'S:MY:TIME Fall 2010 campaign preview

After three days in New York (more for those stranded because of ash fall) and lots of conversations with new IT'S:MY:TIME friends from almost all parts of the world, some of the campaign shots for the Fall-Winter 2010 campaign of United Colors of Benetton are finally available for preview on Benetton's site.

Can't wait to see all the images splashed on magazines, newspapers, and Benetton stores globally.


From left: Janelle Quick, Magali Berthon, Michelangelo Loppo, Abe Kober Gueye, Tania Shcheglova, Melanie Alexander David, and Francis Lane


Janelle Quick, Kiko Rustia, and Nataliya Reznichenko


Francis Lane, Soraya Khalil, Patricia Nooyen, and Abe Kober Gueye


Melanie Alexander David, Nataliya Reznichenko, and Tania Shcheglova


Excited to see pics of the others: David Sheldrick, Benny Asgari, Kevin De Vuyst, Sarah Droste Santana, Elizabeth Ho, Gisela Guerra, Tera Kunderová, and Sumit Patwari. Only a few more days!

Welcome to the United Blogs of Benetton

Today is the launch of the United Blogs of Benetton, a global magazine composed of nine blogs from around the world: from China, France, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Some of the bloggers I met last year for the IT'S:MY:TIME shoot in New York, and some are new.

I only started last Monday, and I shall be updating the Philippine blog daily on weekdays, for about six months. The blog is written in Filipino, kaya sana bumisita naman kayo, mag-iwan ng comment, mangumusta, magtanong…alam niyo na 'yon! For international readers, I hope Google translate doesn't mess up the translation too much.

See you there!

Fellow Filipinos at the Benetton party

Kiko Rustia, the winner from the Philippines; Mara Binudin (half-Filipino and half-French), who accompanied another winner, Magali Berthon, to New York; and of course me, with my shiny forehead.


Photo by Tina Weiss

Blogged for Benetton: Style in Manila

Below is something I submitted for the blog page of Benetton's IT'S:MY:TIME global casting competition.




At first I thought it was impossible to even think about it — a streetstyle blog that documents style in Manila. My apprehensions included my perception that there just weren’t enough stylish people, that it’s impossible to dress up well in a tropical country since we couldn’t use many layers, and that, well, the Philippines is a third-world country and one needs money to dress well.

Guess what? I was proven wrong time and again.




The pictures I have taken for my other blog, La Folie Douce, show that people with different personalities have their own way of showing them through their clothing, which even in a single layer are more than enough. I have found stylish people not just in fashion shows and amongst the fashion crowd; I have also spotted them in the numerous malls scattered across Manila, bumping into them while walking in the business district or finding my way in the dirty, littered streets of the old capital. Of course, not all of them were wearing designer clothing. I have found that the more creative and sophisticated are the most well-versed in flea-market bargaining.




Indeed, style is everywhere. One need only to pay attention and look close enough.




Someone asked me what I looked for when I took pictures. I said that no matter what they were wearing, every piece should be “them”—a part of their identity, like an unmistakable badge. I know it’s very abstract, but you’ll know it when you see it.




I find that such stylish people find it easier to smile and laugh at themselves while staying confident. This I’m sure is true not just for Manila, much less, just for the "third-world".

More on scarves

Taking off from my post yesterday on scarf tails, let me show you the 11 – more than I need – that I have unconsciously accumulated. All of them were thrifted except for the second checkered scarf, which used to be my dad's; the fourth and tenth, which came from Benetton; the ninth, which bought from SM department store; and the rightmost, which I got from a seller in Kalinga Apayao, one of the northern mountainous provinces in the Philippines.




I like the fact that this collection comes in a wide range of textures.




Yes, they come in safe colors. Maybe it takes some getting used to, before I can don bright oranges or even pink.




Some have tassels and some do not.




Only one has a sheen to it, but I must admit that I have cultivated affection for all of them.

Benetton shoot at Industria, Washington Street

That's Jackie of Show Me Your Wardrobe, poring over her laptop. I love her outfit. She tells me she started as a stylist before going into photography. Mai, who you've already met shows me something as she bites into her pastry.




Fellow bloggers Maurizio of Mau Fashion, Chiara of The Blonde Salad, and Laia from Trendencias. (Both photos by Chris Saunders)




Love Mau's accessories. Even more the ones he was wearing the next day and the ring he got in New York.




Chiara is right, you now.




Here's a snap she took of me. Think I was a wee bit overdressed, but what the hell.




Susie talking to the winners (Sarah, Tetyana, David, and Gisela). She asked them each to pose for her with their "funny faces".




Ben doing an interview. Black and white, nice and simple.




Winners ready for their close-up: Tetyana, Abdou, Lorenzo, and Gisela.




Kiko and Lorenzo agree on their earrings.




Soraya and Janelle.




The twins: Tereza and Patricia.




Scarves at the dressing room. I am eyeing the one with lots of the colors, to the right.




The inexhaustible Melanie, sharing a moment with Abdou while waiting for their turn at the shoot.




A shawl-collared sweater with four pockets.




The model list backstage.




One of several rows of shows. Notice the shearling and the leather-and-knit combination.




Took some time to chat with Elizabeth, with Sumit beside her.




Janelle with her bright red-orange nails.




One of the accessories tables.




This is how you accessorize your dreads, according to Kiko.




He echoes the color combination with his tangle of bracelets made of wood, rubber, fabric, and stones.





Abdou prefers to keep it simpler, contrasting his outfit with a single red band. The small white strands you see are for keeping his hair bundles tighter and smaller in width.

What a tiring day it must have been for the models! They continued their shoot the next day, Sunday. Together with some of the bloggers, the winners from Europe are now likewise stranded because of the volcanic ash mishap.

I feel so homesick for New York, that I wouldn't mind being stuck in the city. Thank you Benetton for such a wonderful experience! It was great being part of it and being to able to meet lots of fantastic people.

Till my next trip!

Benetton IT'S:MY:TIME winners by the hour

I'm sure those among the top 100 (by popular vote) in Benetton's IT'S:MY:TIME global casting campaign competition are not getting much sleep these next few days.




Benetton has already announced 5 of the 20 winners who will fly to New York for next season's ad campaign. One winner per hour will be announced until the 20 are complete.




I am glad that Melanie Alexander, 32, from Switzerland, has been an early pick. She is among my contestant favorites.

I wrote this about her in my top 5 blog post: Yes, Melanie has wonderful hair, but it doesn't look simply put on. It is the mane for her tigress within. Her style is as smooth as her dance moves.




Also notable among the winners so far is Sarah D., who is only 14 and from the Dominican Republic.




Among those in the top 100, I like the style of Aitor87, 22, from Spain.




David Sheldrick, 19 from South Korea, is also someone to watch out for.




And so is Nacym, 27, from France.




Unfortunately, among my top 5 picks, only Melanie was able to get into the top 100 and became eligible to be picked.

LSjoberg, 20, from Sweden, could have been a sure win.

LSjoberg dreams of being a model, and he certainly has the looks for it, but what gives him the edge - strange to say it - is the sadness and melancholy in his eyes. There is the promise of much more to discover about him, just through his looks.




And there is, of course, Burger Kim, 22, from the United Kingdom.

Like his favorite arcade games, Burger Kim comes at you from every direction. His style is unexpected, but he carries it well; he is totally himself. Crazy as his Mickey Mouse jumper and goofy as, well, Goofy.

. . .

There have been many complaints among entrants of the flawed structure of the contest, especially how many early contestants were able to use the vote-for-me-and-I'll-vote-for-you ploy to their advantage.

That is the downside of opening something to the public, of making things democratic. No different from reality show competitions with audience votes. I think the immense opportunity made available to aspiring models, the new friendships formed, and the discussion and exchange fostered online are more than enough to compensate for any (inevitable) limitations.

A few more hours and all 20 winners will be known. Stay tuned!