EXODUS

I am glad that finally, our designer-friend ESTIEN QUIJANO has something new to showcase his creative talent and love for fashion. A few years back, Estien rocked the style community with his avant garde take on garter materials that he used in producing groundbreaking killer dresses, maillots and separates.

This time around, Estien shifts his focus on making edgy but wearable accessories - still with his trademark use of garter and metal chains. This collection of handcrafted and statement pieces probably screams freedom from fashion stereotypes, and is called "EXODUS". 

Check out this dark and sensual lookbook that Estien himself also styled and art directed - with an obvious message that his accessories look good when worn without anything else. Dare to go bold?

"Ptolemy" - Statement Necklace

 

"Imhotep Ressurected" - Statement Necklace

"Anek-Su-Namon" - Garter & Chain Maillot

"Jewel Of the Nile" - Arm Cuffs Made of Tropicana Bottles, embelished with Antique Glass Crystals

"Slave I" - Garter & Chain Necklace

"Slave II" - Garter & Chain Necklace

"Slave III" - Garter & Chain Necklace

"Slave IV" - Garter & Chain Necklace

"Slave V" - Garter & Chain Necklace

"Slavery" - Garter & Chain Necklace

"Slavery II" - Garter & Chain Necklace

"Batsheba" - Garter & Chain Body Accesories

"Semiramis" - Garter & Chain Body Accesories

"Nefertiri" - Garter & Chain Maillot

The EXODUS accessories by ESTIEN QUIJANO is now available at the VATICAN FASHION MUSEUM, 4th Level Markati Palazzo, The Podium Mall.




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Photography: Mark Acuña
Concept, Styling & Art Direction: Estien Quijano
Lighting Design: Estien Quijano
Model: Inyakie Contreras 

MAKING N.E.W.S.

I am so impressed, SM MEN'S FASHION is leaping with giant strides and gaining higher grounds with pictorial after pictorial, spoiling us with delightful images of the hottest male specimens in the country - oh well, don't we love men, afterall?

And this as a caution to other local menswear brands: it wouldn't take long before the in-house labels of SM MEN'S FASHION dominate the scene and share the top spot along with other existing retail giants. And with such fearless forecast, SM MEN'S FASHION is making big N.E.W.S. this midyear season, and is headed in all the right directions.

SM MEN'S FASHION encourages you to free your mind from the stern rules of manhood in this new Style Manual (Vol. 10) that you'll get free when you buy the latest issue of PEOPLE ASIA Magazine. For in the unchartered corners of the earth, you will find freedom in every direction imaginable - whether north, east, west or south - stylish expressions stripped of restrictions.

Let spirits soar and experience life from here and beyond in an all new collection by SM MEN'S FASHION targetted for pre-fall. I am particularly excited about this style manual that I art directed all throughout. Thanks Ayen Florendo (Marketing Head) for entrusting me this shoot done with some editorial flair. Thanks everybody in the creative team, our Tagaytay Highlands experience is definitely one for the history books!

See the product of our hardwork while the journey of SM MEN'S FASHION begins now.

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Photography: Jo Ann Bitagcol
Concept & Art Direction: Mike de Guzman (MGP)
Styling: George Palmiano (MGP) - for Boys Teens (assisted by Sheila Marie Danipog)
             Luis Espiritu - for Menswear
Associate Styling: Rudolph Leonor & Mikka Velasquez
Makeup: Bobby Carlos
Assisted by: Ria Aquino
Hair: Jaime Sy
Models: Hideo Muraoka, Daniel Matsunaga & Nat Kiefer (Mercator); Benjamin Tang (Reco);
             Zaydan Timpani & Diego Furoni (IM Agency)
Produced by: Ryan Calmante
Shot on location at Tagaytay Highlands

MEN WHO MATTER 2012

For the 2nd year now, George and I have been fortunate to be part of the styling team for STARGATE PEOPLE ASIA Magazine's special annual issue of MEN WHO MATTER. It's not everyday that you get to style people with high profile, or accomplished men of this magnitude.

Of the nine men gracing its cover, we were tapped to style for The Philippine Azkal hotties, brothers PHIL and JAMES YOUNGHUSBAND, as well as HOWIE SEVERINO of GMA 7 News & Current Affairs. It wasn't our first time to work with the super-cute James (he was our model for a MILANOS Shoes ad campaign shoot before), but imagining him with his brother is like ordering double happy meal!

Other prominent men who made into the list are Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, TV host Boy Abunda, founder of the program Bikes for the Philippines Joel Uichico, maverick businessman Tony Tiu, running coach Rio dela Cruz and president of the Philippine National Shooting Association Mikee Romero.

Can't wait to watch their big event happening sometime this month.

Grab your copies now! For more info, visit their Facebook page "Stargate People Asia" or log on to www.peopleasia.ph.

Men Who Matter Cover Option 1

Men Who Matter Cover Option 2

GMA 7's Howie Severino

James Younghusband

Phil Younghusband

The husbands we all want to have - The Younghusbands!

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Photography: Dix Perez
Art Direction: Chino Corrales
Styling: Mike de Guzman & George Palmiano (MGP) - on Phil & James Younghusband, and Howie Severino
Luis Espiritu - others
On the Younghusbands: All outfits by Rhett Eala
On Howie Severino: Outfits by Jeffrey Rogador and Myth
Shoes by: Traffic

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

So he's back... Well, he never really left! Controversial designer PUEY QUINONES has obviously moved on from an unlikely past, and now he's making a second coming. This time, Puey strikes back by showing his real "colors" and a renewed vibe that holds the sentiment - the future looks bright ahead.

The designer recently launched his new lookbook (as photographed by our friend Filbert Kung) that is composed of intensely-colorful, geometric pieces made of body-hugging stretch materials in a collection aptly called "Color me Life (Back to Basics)". Quinones makes no hokey-pokey this time, the new collection has a revitalized feel and a positive outlook into it, and the pieces are extremely wearable as opposed to his trademark couture creations before.

According to the designer, there will be a private viewing (as announced on his Facebook page) on June 12,13 and 14, from 4pm-10pm at Puey's Penthouse, The Bel Air Place, 5013 P. Burgos St., Makati. They will be serving cocktails as well. Pls call 5476155 or text 09287309372 for details.

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Photography: Filbert Kung
Make up: Noel Flores
Hair by: Charlie Manapat
Assisted by Joanna Marie Sablad and Jhunel Beljot
Models: Ria Bolivar and Rodina Luspo

DRESSED TO THRILL

"You may have missed our hot men in this season's Philippine Fashion Week, but they are definitely making the fashion headlines their runway! Grab this month's ESQUIRE and get the latest (Volume 9) SM STYLE MANUAL" said Ayen Florendo, Marketing Head of SM Men's Fashion, in her Facebook status last week.

This new style manual also officially welcomes its new endorser, Brazilian-Japanese hunk, Daniel Matsunaga for SM Men's Wear. However, this blog article will only dwell on our work with SM Boys Teens.

Sure enough, the pictorial we had for this was hard-lucked -- we were kicked out of our original location during the time we're about to shoot by some bad, fat-assed guy from MAPSA lording over that piece of abandoned property somewhere in Guadalupe, Makati. This swell-headed guy denied us the permit to shoot, even when we initially received an approval from the caretaker of the poor property. Our team even called on the higher officials of MAPSA, somebody from Makati City Hall, and a military general allied with Vice President Jejomar Binay to process the required permit he was telling, but still he refused to accommodate us... Really? With the VP's name already involved as well as a higher official intervening, and with the gigantic SM obviously one of the biggest companies in the Philippines, I wonder what happened to this guy after that untoward incident. Do I foresee somebody being axed because of arrogance, irresponsibility and disrespect? Tsk tsk...

Sigh, we have to thank Raffy Tesoro for allowing us, without batting his eyelash, to shoot at Edifice Studio in a hush-hush. Just imagine all the inconvenience if the shoot didn't push through - SM Men's Fashion would still have to pay everybody if everything was cancelled!

Anyways, praise God, with all the things that happened, we were able to adapt and do the concept we had in mind, and definitely, you would have to agree that this pictorial is not your usual SM stuff. Glad that Ayen is also thinking forward, and kudos to everyone for doing a great job despite of the odds. Thanks photographers Filbert Kung and Glenn Peter Perez, glad we were able to work again after a long while!

So here it goes, DRESSED TO THRILL. Definitely spine-tingling underground fashion by SM Boys Teens Wear that takes you to the far limits of your weirdest and darkest imagination!

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Photography: Filbert Kung & Glenn Peter Perez
Text & Art Direction: Mike de Guzman (MGP)
Styling: George Palmiano (MGP)
Assisted by: Sheila Marie Danipog
Makeup: Bobby Carlos
Hair: Bea Misa
Models: Diego Furoni (IM Agency), Gonzalo Mena (Elite), Samir Ayeb (Reco) & Nat Kiefer (Mercator)
Ad Agency: Adfolio