stache december 2011 // maiden issue

Dear awesome you,

Wellfirstandforemost,belatedhappymerryChristmastoyouandwehopethatyouhadagreatone!

ThisisthewholeStacheteam’sprogeny,ourlittlebabywe’vebeenwork-ingonforthepastmonth.Fromalittleprojecttothishugexnumberofpagesspread,weallpresentyouourveryfirstissue.BasicallythewholeideaisStachewillbethestageofyoung,frustrated(yougetthepoint)artiststoshowcasetheirtalents.

Forourfirstissue,wewantedourcoverpersontodefinewhatStacheisallabout:art,dreams,loveandofcourse,theinternet(whereinitsexistenceisalsothereasonwhywedoexist.)OurcovergirlAfiannea.k.a.Fiamette,isoneofthemostamazingartistsI’vehadthewonderfulchancetomeetandIamincrediblygratefultocallhermyartsisterandmuse.Foryears,Ihaveseenhertransformasapersonandasanartist.Herarthasbeenoneofmybiggest(andI’msurealotofothers’)inspirations.Thecoverisasloudasitcangetwiththecombinationofmydoodlesandphotog-raphytometaphorically/visuallyscreamouteveryartist’sfrustration.We’reget-tingasmodernaswecangethereandIhopethat’salright,yes?

TheChristmasseasonisn’toveryet(whyofcourseweareinthePhilip-pines,itdoesn’tenduntilJanuary)sowehavelittleYuletide-relatedfeaturessuchastheStarbucksChristmasPlannerManiaandtheeversocontroversialP-popboyband,1:43.ThefashionportionisstillalsointheChristmasspiritcoveringthecollectionofZaraandTopshopfor‘tisseason(tobejolly).

Fortheartcontributors,weareluckyenoughtohaveBigBangTheory’sChristineandCamilleLuangplusPatriciaNabonghavetheirveryspecialsetofartworks(createdforus!)featuredonourmagazine.Ouronlineshops’edito-rialwasalsoshotbyaveryyoung(17,okay)andtalentedphotographer+aFlickrsuperstar,MerphiPanaguiton.Itwasalsoablastinterviewingoneofourfash-ionablefeatures,DavidGuison,sinceI’veknownhimsinceIwasinhighschool.Youheardthatright.Wehavesomuchinstoreforyouandally’allgottodoiscliclkitty-clickthatmouseofyours.

Toyouwhohavebeenfrustrated,toyouwhohavewantedbutcouldnothave,toyouwhohavetriedbutcouldn’t,toyouwhohavebelieved,thisisforyou.Withoutyou,wewouldhavenotdonethis.

EDITOR IN CHIEF:MaineManalansanART EDITOR:ElisaAquinoFASHION EDITOR: EcksAbitonaLIFESTYLE EDITOR:MareCollantesMUSIC EDITOR:MaanBermudezWEBMASTER:MarySilvestreCONTRIBUTING WRITERS: KarendelaFuente,GenFernandezCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER:MerphiPanaguiton,PatNabong

Mail us at getcreative@stachemagazineonline.com

Contributors

Big Bangs Theory Pat NabongArt’sintheblood. ForsistersChristineandCamilleLuang,thisistrue.Christineisa19-yearoldMultimediaArtsstudentfromtheDeLaSalle-CollegeofSaintBe-nilde.andyoungersister,Camille,isa17-yearoldJournalismstudentfromUniversityofSantoTomas. “We’rejusttwoofthemilliongirlsinManilawholikeart,fashion,musicandalotofotherawesomethings...andwe’vebeenplanningtocreatethislittleblogsincelastyear.Weneverreallyhadthetimeandcreativitytoputitupsooner.Wemadethislittlespacetodocumentallthecrazystuffhappeningtous.:)” Theirwonderfuladventurestogetherarecap-turedontheirblogthroughtheirvisuallyenticingphotoswithglitters,fashionandeverythingelseprettythatwillmakeyoureyescryunicorns.

Thisamazing17-yearoldshut-terbugfromtheUniversityofthePhilippinescapturesthebeautyoftheworldthroughherphotographsthathaveblownawayourmindsforitssimplicityandsplendor. Shestartedherloveforpho-tographythroughlearningfromherfatherwhosehobbyisphotography.EquippedwithaCanon60D,herim-aginationandhermagicalpost-pro-cessingprowess,shewillsurelygoplaces. ForhersetthatshecreatedespeciallyforStache,sheentitledit“ParallelUniverse”havingthethemeoftwodifferentworlds,thatofrealityandofmake-believe.

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Nuffnang: Filling Up Your Wallet While Blogging

By Elisa Aquino

Dearestblogger,everwonderedhowblog-ging(andsimplyhavingawebsite)canben-efityouwhenitcomestofillingupyouremptywallet?Well,sayhellotoNuffnang!

Youmighthaveseentheseonlineadver-tisementswhenyoucheckoutrandompeople’sblogsandwonderedwheretheycomefrom.ThesearefromAsia’sfirstandleadingblogadvertisingcommunity,Nuffnang.InthePhil-ippinesalone,thereareanestimateof11,000blogsthatNuffnanghandles.Nuffnangnotonlyhelpsbloggersearnmoneybysimplyem-beddingtheiradvertisementsonblogs,theyalsoprovideacommunityforbloggerstoin-teract,attendevents,winprizesandgettoknoweachother. WecaughtupwiththefashionableandperkyTrixieEsguerraofNuffnangPhilippinestoknowmoreaboutthem.SheiscurrentlytheirBloggerRelations&CommunityManagerandalsoanAdvertisingManagementalumnioftheDeLaSalleUniversity-Manila.ShesharesherexperienceworkingwithNuffnangandgivesyoualittlepeekinsidethewonderfulworldofblogadvertising.

1. WHAT IS NUFFNANG EXACTLY? NuffnangisAsia-Pacific’sFirstBlogAdvertisingCommunity.Ouradver-tisementsareseenon100,000blogsby3millionpeopleeverysingleday.Nuffnanghas4officesacrosstheglobe:Singapore,Malaysia,Australia,HongKong,andPhilippines.Otherthanserv-ingadstoatruckloadofblogs,wealsotakeprideinbeingacommuni-tyforbloggersbybloggersbyhav-ingalotofeventslikeparties,moviescreenings,andsomuchmore.

2. WHAT KIND OF BLOGGERS DO YOU LOOK FOR? AND WHAT CONTENT IN BLOGS DO YOU LOOK FOR? EveryoneiswelcometobepartoftheNuffnangcommunity!Wedon’tcareaboutcontent.Aslongasyoublog(andyouloooooveit),youarefreetosignupyourblogunderourfriendlynet-work.Justsoyouhaveanidea,wecur-rentlyhave20basicblogcategories-andweareexpanding!

3. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS THAT BLOGGERS CAN GET BY SIMPLY HAVING YOUR ADVERTISEMENTS EMBEDDED ON THEIR BLOGS? Therearealotofbenefits!BybeingpartoftheNuffnangcommuni-ty,bloggerscanembedtheNuffnangadunitstotheirblogswhichtheycanearnfrom.AlotofbloggersearnSOMUCH(withanexaggeratedtone,Iamnotkidding!)fromadsalone.Nuffnangbloggers,aswecallthemNuffnangers,canalsobepartofourclientcam-paigns(suchasNeutrogena,Nike,

Pond’s,HongKongDisneylandtonameafew)bywritingsponsoredposts. 4. WHAT KIND OF EVENTS AND FREE-BIES CAN BLOGGERS LOOK FORWARD TO/EXPERIENCE? Nuffnangeventsareprettydi-verse.Wehaveproductlaunches,par-ties,moviescreenings,blogawards,andalotmorecomingupthis2011.Forthisyear,wehad2moviescreen-ingsandduringthatmoviescreen-ing,wegaveawaymodemunits.Wealsohadproductlaunchesandpartiesfordifferentbrands.Thiscomingyear,NuffnangwillbehavingaBlogAwardsinKualaLumpur,Malaysia.Wehavesomuchmoreeventsthiscoming2011butIcan’tsqueal!Surprise!

5. FOR YOU, HOW IS IT LIKE WORKING FOR NUFFNANG? AND PARTICULAR AD-VANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES? WorkingforNuffnangisgreatx9999!Icanhonestlysaythatit’sthemostawesometiringworkI’vehad.

6. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? Igettomeetbloggers,andbepartofeventsatthesametime!Thisismytruelove.

7. A MESSAGE TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TRY BECOMING PART OF NUFFNANG? GuysjointheNuffnangcommunity!Hurryhurry!WehavesomuchinstoreforthiscomingyearthatIamsureyouallwilllove!

the wonderfulNUFFIES!

1strow:CarlosPal-ma(CountryManager),DaniSalasalan(Me-diaSales),DeniseCua(MediaSales).2ndrow:MarcelleFabie(MediaSales),PattyDayrit(Admin),RendhlEscobin(AdOperations).3rdrow:TrixieEsguerra(BR&CommManager.

*PlusJuddSta.Maria(MediaSales,notinphotos)andAnneFranco(MediaSales,notinphotos)

Theroadsarelitwithlightsandparols, the malls filled with gift-shoppers, the flights jam-packed withpeople flying home and Starbucks isagain teeming with sticker-collec-tors. It must certainly be Christmas!

It’s been a yearly tradition forStarbuckstoreleaseanewplanner.Thistraditionisavidlysupportedbypeoplewhotaketheiryearlyplannersveryse-riously.Inordertogetone,youneedtoaccumulateeightstickersforregu-larStarbucksdrinksandninestickersfortheirChristmasdrinks.Thisyear’splanner is available in three differ-entcolorsandtextures:Shinysilver,woodybrownandredsuede.It’sinter-esting to note that if you are lucky(oraveryfaithfulStarbucksvisitor),it is possible to get a sticker cardthat comes with a free sticker – butit’sonlygivenawayduringthefirstfewdaysofrelease.Thisyear’splannerde-signincludesasmallbookmarkthathasaminiaturecopperStarbuckscuphang-ingattheend–averynicetouch.Apicture of a Starbucks branch is fea-tured at the beginning of each month,the most remarkable being in August:the Intramuros branch with its stone-walls and nostalgic Old Manila feel.

Thespaceforappropriatedforeachdateisquitegenerous,allowingfordraw-ings,artandthelike(see,it’sreallyrecommendableforpeoplewholovetocus-tomizetheirplanners!).Italsocomeswithabunchofdiscountandfreebiecou-ponsthatarevalidthroughouttheyear.

Asidefromtheplanner,Starbucksalsooffersavariationofitemsthatcanbegivenasgifts.TheirtumblerscomeincuteChristmasdesigns–rein-deers, snowflakes, Christmas trees andredglitters.ThemugsareinChristmasprinttoo.Thesedrinkingcupscanbeboughtwitharedfeltbag,allsettobegivenasagift!ThenewStarbucksViaReadyBrewCoffeeisalsosoldinpackages–3and12.Itcomesinaready-to-give-awayChristmasbox.Ohandinrelationtosticker-collecting,apackof3ViaReadyBrewCoffeewillmeritone sticker and a pack of 12, three.

Ifyou’reaStarbuckslover-slash-addictorifyouhavefriendswhoare,dodropbysoyoucangetgiftsideas–foryourselfandforyourfriends.Butevenifyouarenotinterestedinbuyinganything, you should still go visit.Besides,Starbucksisnevercozierthanitisduringthiscoldandmerryseason.

1 7 days of Christmas

by Mare Collantes

It’s here! The wonderful time of the year when high school and college students alike live on coffee for the whole month of November and December just to get ahold of Starbuck’s new addition to their annual Christmas planner col-

lection.

Drive-thru

Giftideasanyone? Packof12=3stepstoplanner!

Yournewcoffeebuddy. 13/17?Closeenough.

Theproductofyourallowance. Laststep:fillwithprocrastination.

UNIVERSITY-BOUND COFFEE This is the epitome of instant gratification at everyone’s disposal, whether you’re in Diliman, Katipunan or Taft. If caffeine is not strong enough to boost anyone from the dismay of the crammed homework the night before, these little cafes also offer decadent treats that will satisfy anyone’s endorphine-deprived heart.

Chocolate Kiss(UP Diliman)

by Mare Collantes YouknowhowMrs.Darlinghadahiddenkissontheright-handcornerfromPeterPanhadakissontherightcornerofherlip?NomatterhowmuchMr.Darling,Wendyandherbrothertried,theycouldnevergetaholdofit.Thatkisswassosweetandsospecial,meantforonepersononly–PeterPan. That’swhatChoco-lateKissremindsmeof.Ibelievethatweareallluckythough,becauseun-likeMrs.Darling’s,thissweetkissisavailabletothosewhoseekit.NestledintheBahayngAlumniinUPDiliman,thefirsteverbranchofChocolateKisssetsaparfromits

agedenvironmentwithitscozyandhomeyambiance.

Theyofferawidear-rayoffood–fromsal-ads,pastas,ricemealsand,ofcourse,desserts.IpersonallytriedtheirHainanesechicken,anditwasquitesatisfyingtothepaletteandtothetummy.However,themostnotablepartoftheirmenuaretheirdesserts(astheirrestaurantname

suggests!).MyfriendsandIorderedCarrotCake,KahluaButterCake,Choco-lateChipCheesecakeandDevil’sFoodcake.TheonethatwelikedbestwastheDevil’sFoodCake–moistchocolatechiffonwithalayerofmeltedchocolateinthemiddle,toppedwithsweetwhiteicing.IwashappywithwhatIgot,be-ingthesweets-loverthatIam.

Manilascope

ThecostofeatinginChoco-lateKisswillrangefromPhp300-600perhead,dependingifyoude-cidetogetanappetizerornot.Theyareopenfrom7AM-10PMeve-ryday,andtheyhavespecialmu-sicalguestsonTuesday,ThursdayandSaturdaynights.AsidefromUPDiliman,theyopenedanotherbranchinRocesAvenue,QuezonCity.ThatbranchisopenMondaytoSaturday,from11AM-10PM.OnSundays,theyareonlyopenforbrunch,from9AM-1PM.Well,itdoesn’treallymatterwhattimeyourdropby,whatmat-tersisyoudo.You’llbemissingoutofasweet-toothindulgingkissifyoudon’t.

Cafe Noriter(DLSU-Taft)

by Maine Manalansan

Apparently,thewordNoriteriskoreanfor‘playground’,butitsdefi-nitionisnotreallyinlinewhatthisuniquelit-tlecoffeeshopisoffer-ing.Knownfortheirun-limitespapercupsthatyoucandoodleon,italsoservesamazingcoffeeataveryreasonableprice.Yes,itisasexpensiveasthatfamedcoffeeshopfromeve-rywherebuttheNoriterex-perienceisverydifferentfromanywhereyouhavebeenoreverwillbe.

Equippedwithfreewifi,thiswell-decoratedshop(mini-photoshootatyourdisposalandprobablyashortkoreanovela-ishskitsansthedramatic‘woe-is-me-he-doesn’t-love-me’act)isalsorecognizedasthe‘cafewhereyoucantakeyourshoesoffandsitonthefloor’.Theyhaveel-evated,woodenfloorswhereyoucansitdown,butt-flat,butbewareoftherecurringbackaches.

EventhoughNoriterletsyouex-pressyourcreativeheartsfreely,theyhavetheirlimitsaswell.Gonearethedayswhenthey‘allowed’peopletowriteontheirwallsandherecomesthe500-oesofeeforanyonewhowritesonanythingwooden,concreteorplastic(basicallyanywherebutthecups).I’mnotsureiftheydoimposethatrulestrictly,butlet’salljustcomplytothesafetyandbenefitofourallowanc-es.

Theyalsoofferthesignaturecof-

feeshoppastry:BlueberryCheesecake.Mytastebudswouldn’ttastethedif-ferencebutitstillsatisfiedmymildysweettooth.TheHoneyBreadandthegiganticHalo-haloaremust-tries!

ThenexttimeyouvisityourLa-sallianfriends,don’tforgettoforcethemtotakeyoutoNoriterortakethemtothemagicalplacewheretheyhaveneverbeentoo.LocatedontopofTapaKingnearYellowCabandArmyNavy.

Xocolat(Ateneo)by Maan Bermudez

Xocolatisarestaurantthatserves,youguesseditright,chocolates.TheyhavevariousbranchesaroundMetroManilaandallgivethesamefeelingofcom-fortthatonesearchesforinthedelightfully-dependablesweets.Theambiancediffersfrombranchtobranchbutingeneral,therestaurantsendsaveryhome-yvibewherecreativityjustflowsandwhereyoucanactuallyma-terializethehappyhormonestheirdishesgiveoff.Thecolor-fulwoodenchairs,theartonthewallsandonthetablesandchairs(well,everything),

andtherusticfeeloftherestaurantcanjustmakeyoufeelrightathome.Thefooddoesnotwanderoffthemotiftheambiancethatthelocationgives.TheirhousespecialtyistheTazadeXocolatthatisarichhomemadechoco-latedrinkthatisservedinamugwithmilkontheside.TheirChurrosaredeliciousaswell,aperfectmatchwiththeTaza.Ifyouaren’ttiredofthechoclategoodness,theircakesarealsoamusttotry.TheThatRedCakeisoneforthebooks.Itismoistandsweetandisbigenoughtoshare.But,ifyouarenotinthemoodtosatisfyyoursugartooth,Xocolatalsoservesricemealsandotherdrinkstoen-joy.Forthehealthconsciousandforthedietarily-challengedindividuals,therestaurantservesdessertswithnosugarandevenhasoneswithnoflour.But,contrarytopopularbelief,thetastedoesnotwanderfarfromthesugarloadedgoodnessofdessertsthey

serve.

Thegastronomicdelightthatthefoodgives,thehome-yambiancethatwouldtemptyoutoputyourfeetupinpublic,andeventheinterest-ingmusictheyplayonthespeakersbringacertaincomforttoeveryper-sonwalkinginaXocolatshop.Itisthiscomfortthatmakesoneentertherestaurantandtomakeonestayforacupofcoffeeorasliceofcake.Anditisthiscomfortthatpeoplegobackformore.Truly,Xocolatisthecom-fortthatanyoneneedswhentheyarelowongivingsomeforthemselvesorforothers.Itnotmerelycharacteriz-escomfort;butrather,itIScomfort.Itisaplacetobe—aplaceforphysi-caleaseandfreedom.

Audiophilia

Reese & Vicaby Mare Collantes

ThepartnershipbeganwhentheAteneoMusician’sPool(AMP)hadanAcousticSolo-istnightin2009.PaoieMinerales,thepro-jectheadfortheevent,decidedthatitwouldbeinterestingtoputthelikesofsoloistsReeseLansanganandVicaHernandezforaset.Althoughthetwometintheirfirstyearaf-tertheywereacceptedinthesoloistrosterofAMP,theywerenotreallyclose.However,theywerebothgoodsingersandsongwriters–whatcouldgowrong?SoPaioewentonandgavethemasetintheacousticnight.ThatwasthefirsttimeReese&Vicacametogether.Theycoveredafewsongsandwrotetwooriginalonesforthatsoloistnight:“OpenYourEyes”and“Copycats”.Theirperformancewasquitemagical,andeve-rybodyknewatoncethattheywereperfectforeachother.

Thisyear,theywereofficiallyacceptedintoAMP’sbandroster.ItwasalsothisyearthattheirfriendsfromNeonSodaManagementofferedtomanageandhelpthemreleaseanEPfortheirthesis.Thissuggestionwaswelcomedbyahugeamountofgratefulnessandexcite-ment.TheofferwasverytimelysinceReese&VicawerealreadythinkingaboutrecordinganEPrightbeforetheoffercame–itwasliketheuniversewassendingthemasign.Afteramonthorsoofendlesswriting,recordingandpackaging,Reese&Vica’sEPentitledCrossingNeverlandwaslaunchedatClubDreddonSep-tember3,2010.TheEPcontainseighttracksandischaracterizedbytheflawlessblendingoftheirvoicesandmelodicacoustictunes.Theyproduced150copiesandallofthemarenowof-ficiallysoldout!

AsidefromtheirepicEPrelease,Reese&Vicaalsohaveotherprojects.TheyregularlydogigsindifferenteventsandevengottoguestonNU107.5afewmonthsback.ButnothingpreparedthemfortheshockingnewsthattheygotinNovember:TheywontheU-RockCollegeBandoftheYearaward!Theysaidthatitwassounex-pected–theydidnotevenknowaboutthenominationuntilafriendtaggedthemonFacebook.WhenU-RockAwardsNightcameandtheirnameswerecalledtoreceivetheaward,thetwogirlscriedhappytearsunderthespotlight.

“Wewerebandmatesbeforewewerereallyfriends.Iguessitworkedoutintheendanyway,”–VicaHernandezhadthisontheReese&Vicafacebookpagestatusafewweeksback.Yes,Ibelieveitdid–anditworkedoutwonderfully.

Tune-upTeaching old dogs, new tricks.by Maan Bermudez

Thereisanoldsayingthatgoes,youcanteachanolddognewtricks.Buthasanyoneeverreallywonderedifyoucanteachanewdogoldtricks?Thesay-ingdoesnotliterallyapplytocanines,butalsoincludesthetotalityofany-thingoldandnew—muchlikemusicandallthenewsongscomingouteverydaylikematingrabbitsonsteroids. IntheboomingofChristmassongsduringthefestiveDecember,therecomesadilemmahauntingthevarioushouseholdswhenitcomestoholidaymu-sicusedduringparties,dinner,orevenwhendecoratingthetree.Whichversiontouse?DidJimmyEatWorlddeliverthesongwell?OrDoIusetheclassicsin-stead?Allthesequestionsrunthroughthemindsofthepeopleleftwiththeimportanttaskofcreatingtheveryim-portantandverycrucialChristmasplaylist.However,fearnomorebecausethegreatmindsoftheworldhaveconspiredtobringaboutthreecasestowhichthebattlebetweentheoldandthenewcanberesolved. CASE 1: CHRISTMAS WRAPPINGThetwocontendersforthiscaseareTheWaitressesandTheDonnas.ThetwohavebattleditoutandthewinnerseemstobetheDonnaswithhowtheyhavecleaned

upthepop-nessofthesong.Theyhavebroughtanedgetoanotherwisebubblysongbutkeptitsupbeatfeel.

CASE 2: LAST CHRISTMASAsmuchasanyonetries,thissongwillhaveatingeofmushinessthatcannotberemoved.TheoriginalversionofTheWham!Haveallthereasonintheworldtocarryitsmushylyricssinceitwasthe80’s,butinthistimeofblunt-ness,thepopbeatofthesongandthelovey-doveylyricshavefoundadif-ficulttimefindingaproperversion.SavageGardenandJimmyEatWorldhastriedbutwasonlyabletominimizethe80s-nessofitwiththeiruseoftechnoandfeelgoodrhythms.Intotality,themushinesswasstillthere.Sointhiscase,atie.

CASE 3: JINGLE BELL ROCKBobbyHelmsperformedtheoriginalver-sionofthesongandhepaintsthepictureofsittingnearthefireplaceenjoyingsmoresasonehearshimsing-ingthesong.ArcadeFire,ontheoth-erhand,renovatedthefireplaceintoagrungeplaceandthrewthesmoresoutforsomesloppyjoe’s.Inthiscase,theoldiestakethewinsincetheclas-sicversioncarriedwithittheChrist-masfeel,butArcadeFireseemedtolackthe“athome”feeltotheirver-sion,adeviancetotheideaofChrist-mas.However,propstothebandforgivingthesongsomerockandmakingitamoredefinitiverocksong.

Relationship Status:It’s Complicated

by Maan Bermudez

Kimchi,Koreanovel-as,plaidscarvesthatwraplooselyaroundtheneck,andthosegreenorgray-coloredseaweedfacemasksareonlyafewofthemyriadofthinsthatmankindhaveacquiredfromtheirasiansourcewecalltheKoreans.Theyhavebeensaidtohaveinvadedthecountrywiththeirultralonglegs,JustinBieber-inspiredhairdo’s,andunusuallyhighheelsthattheyseemtouseinaneverydaybasisliketheywereus-ingtherunonthemillbeachwalks.Theyhaveinfluencedsomuchofpeo-ple’stastesinfashion,food,happycrushes,andnowmusic.

Kpophasbeenanemerginggenreofmusicinthecountryandevenhasitsownsegmentinmusicshowsthesedays.EversincethisKoreaninvasion,everyone,andImeaneveryonehasbeenallabouttheBieberhair,matchingsuits,and

DanceRevolution-lookingchoreography.Thisin-stantclaimtofamehasledtotheemergenceofvariousrenditionsofthegenre.Oneofwhichis1:43.

1:43isagroupthathasembracedtheKpopfeelsomuchthattheyhaveembracedthesameconceptasthatofatyp-icalKpopband.Theydubthemselves,however,asPpoporPinoypop.AndforthisjoyousChrist-masseason,theygiveus“MerryChristmasNa”,asongthatachievedfameonYoutube.MuchliketheshowingofHarryPot-ter7,threemajorreac-tionshavecomeabout:1)theyloveitwiththecapitalLandnakedbabycherubsshootingarrowsonhearts2)Hateittotheextentofwantingtoburnthousandsofcop-iesofthesong(andnotthesavinginaCDkind)3)Theyjustdon’tgiveadamn.Thefirsttwoseemtofeeltheneedtorec-

reatethebattlesceneinStarWarsthattheybashoneachotherbecauseofthesong.Soaperson,mostlikelyfromtheI-don’t-give-a-damnper-suasion,wouldstoptheimportantthingthey’redoing,turntothecameraasitpanstozoominonthem,andask“Whatthehellisupwiththesongthatmakesitsocontro-versial?!”Andintruth,itisanunsolvedmys-terythatsciencecannotsolve.AmyththatisnotbustedbyMythbusters.Somethingsodiscombobu-latingthatitmakesArea53seemlikeaKindergar-ten’splayroom.

Untilnow.

Hitting Rock Bottom

Intheheroicpursuitofunder-standingthepsychology,philosophy,sociology,andKoreanology(Yes,inmydedicationtothisstudy,IhaveevensuccessfullycoinedatermaboutKore-ans)ofitall,Ihaveexposedmyselfto24hoursof“MerryChristmasNa”withthefullknowledgeofitsdetri-mentaleffectslikeunconsciouslymem-orizationofthelyricsandLSS.ButImustsay,Ihavemadeitoutalive. Thefirstthatmustbenoticedaboutthesongisthequalityofitsmusicvideo.ItseemssoHDthatnotevenNBAHDcancompetetothequalityofthecinematography.Thedirectorknowshis,well,directing.Moreover,thesetsthattheyusedwerewell-cho-sentothepointthatonewouldwanttohuntdowntheinteriordesigneroftheroomstheyused.Video-wise,Icommendthemforajobwelldone. Butthen,aftermesmerizingattheshotsofvariousChristmasdecorsandFairylights,themusicstartsplayingandtheboysstartsinging.TheirvoicesaregoodandImustsay,theirblendingmakesaprettygoodvoicingsmoothie;but,atthebegin-ningofthevideo,theylookedlikeFilipinomaleversionsoftheeversoexpressiveKristenStewart.Butworry(oranykindoffacialexpressionthatshowsaslighthintofemotion)nomore,

theysoonstartshowingthesamewarmnessofthelyricstheytrytoconvey.Theystartsmiling,andlaughing,andsingingsomemore—butwait!Theystartdancing! Andjustwhenyoudon’tthinkthingswouldn’tgetanybetter,theystartrap-ping!Now,theyhavetrulygonefullcir-cleonthewholePpopasthelocalver-sionofKpopsincetheyhavecompletedthenecessitiesforaKpop-inspiredmusicvideo. However,totheircredit,thesongattainedfamewithitscatchiness(Obvi-ously,IcaughttheLastSongSyndromewiththisone).Afterlisteningtothesongforntimesraisedtothepoweroftenmultipliedbythesummationofxsub-scriptabasxequalsinfinity,thebeatofthesongcaughtmeandmademehumthesong,andthensingingthelyrics.NowIknowhowEmmaStonefeltaboutPocketfulofSunshine. Inanutshell,allIcansayisthatasonghasitsgoodandbadsides.It’sjustuptothepeopletodecidewhichtoaccept.“MerryChristmasNa”posessomuchtobedebatedupon,butthinkingaboutit,sowhat.Thesongisstillasong—aworkofart,whethersomeappreci-ateitornot.So,IguesstheonlythinglefttodoistoclickthatIt’sCompli-catedicononyourand1:43’sfacebook(Ifithadone)andgoyourmerrylittlewaybecausenomatterwhat,it’sstillamerryChristmas…dahillovemoko.

Mega Boob Tube

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Filmedwithatouchofveracityandacertainbearingthatwoulddefi-nitelymakeyouthink,ohcrapwe’reherealready,thefirstfractionofthefinalinstallmentunquestionablystrikesthatproperfarewelltheseriessurelydeserves.It,beingaverymuchcher-ishedseries,warrantsanendingthathasgrownnotonlyintermsofitskeyplayersbutwithitsfocusandcentreaswellthatisamuchstirringlayertothesixotheryearsofplayfulnessandinnocence.HarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows(Part1)isincontest-ablyoneofthemoviesonewouldlaugh&crywith(prettymuchlikewithpastsixones),onlythistimethereisthatawfullingeringfeelingthattheendis,indeed,near.

FRIENDSHIP CASINO

Since2001,weallhaveseenHar-ry,Ron,&Hermionebeing,well,Har-ry,Ron,&Hermionewiththedistinc-tiveassociationswehaveboxedtheminto.Fortenyearswehavebeenac-customedtoseeingthembethemselves;theboywholived,theonewhoprovid-edthelaughs,andtheonewhohadtheanswerstoeverything.Itisinthismoviethattheyallbrokeawayfromthesestereotypesandgrewintodevel-opedandestablishedcharactersbutitwasRonwho,asacharacter,ex-celledthemost.ThedynamicsoftheirfriendshipweretestedwithRon’sjealousyandfrustrationwhichledhimtoleavetheothertwobehind.Har-ry&HermionebeingleftaloneshowedRon’splaceinthegroupthey’vees-tablished.ItisalsobecauseofRon,notbeingthatfunnysubordinateofHarrybutaheroinasensethatHar-ry’slifewassparedandaHorcruxdestroyed.Itprettymuchhighlight-edthatnotoneofthemwouldsurvivewithouttheother;thegenuinenessoftheirfriendshipconstructedamoviethatreflectsreality,onethatreflectsboththeessenceoffriendship&theessenceofbeing.

Thismovieisn’talllaughsandbattles;itismoreabouttheselfes-peciallynowthatdeathispracticallytangible.Itshowshowoneconquersfears,experienceslove,sensesreal-ity,andhowonematuresinfaith–inoneself&inothers.

THE DARK TIMES

Thefilmrunshourslongofgloomandlethargy.Iguessitcouldbesaidthatit’sthestartoftherealthing.AllthoseyearsatHogwarts,learningaboutmagic,playingquidditch-allthoseyearsportrayinginnocenceandyouthturnsintodimandthreateningdays.Thefilmit-selfhadonlyafewcomicscenesthatweren’tthatmuchpolished;itwasdrama-heavy,anditsome-howthrustsitsmorecrucialandmomentousfunctionasaseries.Part1wasdefinitelypleasing,aestheticallyasitsplotcomplexandcharactersdefined–nottomentiontheverymuchacclaimedactors&actressesinthismovie–Rickman,Nighy,BonhamCarter,Griffith,Fiennes,andsoon.Itsspecialeffectsweredecentandtheentiremovieitselfisabat-tlecrytothenextone.

I MUST BE THE ONE TO KILL HARRY POTTER

Initself,themovieshowshowhopeisvital–whichisoneofthemovie’sprevailingthemesalongsidesacrificeand,obvious-ly,friendship.AllarelongingtowitnessthePotter-Voldermortfight,abattlebetweengoodandevil.Averyuncertainfightitis,prettymuchlikeinreallifewherecertaintyisn’talwaysaprivilege.Whatmakesthismovieoftheessenceisitsparallel-ismtoreality;howeventhoughweliveinamuggle-fulworld,magicisn’tatallnon-existent.AlthoughHogwartsisagalaxyfarbeyondourimagination,weallfightourownbattleslikethewizardsdo,theymayhaveex-traordinarypowersbutitisthesamecourageandhopeinsideallofusthatwouldimpelustopre-vail.AsmuchasweallwouldliketositinthetheatresuntilJuly2011comes,Iguess,thereisn’tathingtodobutwait–oryouknow,readthebook.

StapledThe OtherCampbell

by Ecks Abitona

For10years,theL.AbaseddesignerwhomanufacturesinSpainfirstlaunchedhisfirstfootwearcollectionlast2000hasnowbecomeaninternationallyrecog-nizedbrandname.JeffreyCampbellismuchknownforhighcreativityinsmallquantitiesbecauseheproducesinquanti-tiesoflessthan100pairs.WithJeffreyCamp-bell,yousureareget-tingararepairofshoesalthoughhisdesignsareoneofthemostcopiedintheindustry.Believeitornot,JeffreyCampbellstartedinhisgarageandnowheisoneofthemostsoughtshoedesignersintheworld. Crazyandsexy,JCsurehasearnedalot

ofloyalcustomerslikeLindsayLohan,EmmaWat-son,NaomiCampbellandChloeSevingywhoareveryfashionforwardce-lebrities.WomenwhowearJeffreyCampbellarefunandfree-spiritedbecauseittakesalotofcon-fidenceforsomeonewhowearsshoeswithfunkypatterns,vibrantcolorsandunconventionaluseofmetalandchains.JeffreyCampbellisverypopu-larwithhisout-of-this-worldshoestyles(e.g.:theunicornheel).Hisdesignscanalsobemorerestrainedbuttherewillalwaysbesomethingabouthisshoesthatmakesitnoticeableandveryin-terestinganyetveryaf-fordable.($100-$200)

Havingbeenincreas-ingtheirpopularityallaroundtheglobe,JeffreyCampbellnowhasmorevarietyofattention-grabbingshoes.Fashionbloggersworshiphimforhisfabulousdesignsonwedgeheels,clogs,boo-ties,kneehighboots,studs,masculinein-spiredbrogues,loafers,andsandals.Hisverypopular“LITA”shoesareallovertheWorldWideWebandownedbypopu-larbloggers–Chictopi-ans,Lookbook-ers,et.al.AsforhisSpring/Summer2011Collection(SmallTownHero),hemanagedtocontrastclassicdesignswithmoderndetailsmak-inghisdesignsadelighttowatch.

FOREVER 21 TAKES OVER MANILA

By Elisa Aquino and Ecks Abitona Forever21isanAmericanchainofcloth-ingretailersthatwasoriginallyknownasFash-ion21foundedinLosAn-geles,California.Estab-lishedintheyear1984,itiscurrentlyoneofthefiftylargestprivate-lyheldcompaniesinLosAngeles.

Fromcomfortabletrendstochicstreetstyles,Forever21isnowabranddefinitelyfamil-iartoall.Thisbrandstartedwithonlywom-en’sclothingbutnowhasstretchedouttheirprod-uctstolingerie,acces-sories,shoes,bagsandevenmen’sclothing.Withitsveryaffordablepric-es,thisstorehasbeenafavoritetoallandnowevenFilipinos.IthasnowconqueredthestreetsofManilaanddefinitelytheheartsofyoungteen-agersoutthere!

Fortheholi-days,Forever21Phil-ippinesnotonlyintro-ducedtheirgiftchecksbutalsotheirfashion-

ableandbeautifulfivebrandambassadorsTri-ciaGosingtianforFor-ever21,PatriciaPrietoforLove21,LissaKahay-onforTwelvebyTwelve,DominiqueTiuforHerit-age1981andDavidGuisonfor21Men.Wewereluckyenoughtohaveaninter-viewwithForever21’sonlymaleambassador,Da-vidGuison.

Atonly19,Davidnotonlycanbeconsid-eredafashionicontomanybutheisalsoablogger,photographerandwriter,tonameafew.WithanestimateofathousandoffansonLook-book,thousandsmoreonhispersonalblogandtoaddtohisresume,workinPreviewMagazineandThePhilippineDailyIn-quirer,weallknowthisguy’salreadyestablishedhisnameinthefash-ionandbloggingscene.Let’shearwhathehastosayaboutthebrandandhisexperienceasForever21’sambassador.

1) PLEASE DO COM-PLETE THE SEN-TENCE: FASHION IS _____________________. Simplystating,fashionisartthatweweareveryday.

2) WHO ARE YOUR FASH-ION ICONS? (INTERNA-TIONAL, FROM LOOKBOOK, BLOGGERS, ETC. IlookuptoJamesDean,KanyeWest,AndreasWijk,AdamGallagher,Sa-chaDumain,PelayoDiaz,CarlosConcepcionandmore!

3) WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE BRAND/STORE FOREVER 21 (CLOTHES, SHOES, ACCESSORIES, ETC.)? Forever21fitsany-one’spersonalstyle.Theyhaveawideselectionofbasicshirts,sweaters,graphictees,jackets,jeans,buttondowns,ac-cessories,etc.IalwaysgetlostwhenI’minthestore!It’sawesomeandIlovetheirclothes!

4) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION WHEN YOU FOUND OUT THAT YOU ARE AN AMBASSADOR FOR FOR-EVER 21 TOGETHER WITH THESE VERY INFLUEN-

TIAL AND ICONIC FASH-ION BLOGGERS TRICIA GOSINGTIAN, LISSA KA-HAYON, PATRICIA PRIETO AND DOMINIQUE TIU? Iwasattheair-portwhenIgotamessagefromForever21’sbrandmanagerandIseriouslythoughtitwasajoke!IfollowDomz,TriciaandPatriciaonTwitterandIsawtheirtweetsaboutbeingabrandambassadorforForever21andthoughthowcoolthatwouldbe.IwouldhaveneverthoughtthatIwouldbeoneofthefivehand-pickedam-bassadorsforForever21.Beingtheonlyonerep-resentingtheirclothinglineformenissuchanhonor!Iamoverwhelmed!

5.) WHAT DO YOU DO AS AN AMBASSADOR FOR A STREET CHIC SHOP LIKE FOREVER 21? BasicallyIamanonlineendorser.Iletmyreadersknowwhat’snewinthestoreandwhatthecurrenttrendsareandotherthings.OfcourseIincorporatemyoutfitstomypersonalstyle. 6.) HOW IS THE EXPERI-ENCE SO FAR? ANY REL-EVANT STORIES YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

Ithasbeenapret-tyawesomeexperience!I’vebeengettingalotofmessagesfromread-erstellingmethattheypurchasedsomethingfromthestorebecauseofmeandotherneatstufflikethat.Plus,Ialsobe-camegoodfriendswithmyfellowbrandambassadors(whoareallsoprettytalentedandnicetoo)

7.) WHAT ARE THE PERKS OF BEING AN AMBASSA-DOR? Well,otherthanhavingthetitleof‘brandambassador’(whichIhopeIcanputonmyresumehaha),Igettoweartheirclothesandgettokeepsomeofthem! 8.) ANY FASHION TIPS YOU CAN GIVE OUR READ-ERS? Wearwhatyoulikeandwhatyouthinklooksgoodonyou.Alwayspre-sentyourselfwell!

9.) BEING A FASHION BLOGGER AND AN ICON TO SOME, WHAT MESSAGE CAN YOU GIVE THEM? Keeponinspir-ingothers.Everyday,wecreateourhistory!Sogo,go,goandmakeithappen!

Style Guide

Holiday collectionsZara Popularbecauseofitsedge,sharpness,

andsophistication,Zaracontinuestoendowus

withtheircollections.Thisholidayseason,you

canputtogetherachicandfestiveoutfitwith

ahintofelegance.Zaraprovidesuswithreal

jewelryandfemininepiecesforeverystyleand

tastethatisveryperfectforholidayparties.

Dresseswithperfectshapesandaroman-

ticfeelandskirtswithBohemiansatinbowsare

key-piecesinthenewZaraEveningCollection

for2010.Thebeautifulreddressgetsalit-

tlesophisticationandahighernecklineandthe

shorttulledresswiththeleatherjacketpaired

withitwilldefinitelycatchotherpeople’sat-

tention.

Zara’slatestcollectionalsoputsforward

anewtrendwithitstuxedo-inspiredoutfitwith

hotleatherpants,velvetblazersandbowties

matchedwithshimmeryclutchesandsatinpumps

thatclearlystatesthatdressesaren’tmanda-

toryforupcomingholidayparties.

Theleopardprintthatwe’realloh-so-fond

offisonechicandsophisticatedelementthat

ifnotwornproperlywillresulttoatotaldis-

aster.Theleopardprinteddresshasaveryso-

phisticatedcutbutithasaverysexyfeelto

itthatyoucanweartoanightoutwithfriends

andyouwilldefinitelystandout!

by Ecks Abitona

TOPSHOP UK’smostbelovedTopshopisfloodingthe

streetswithwearableandchicadaptationof

catwalkstylesthatyoucanjusteasilyputin

yourcloset.Fromtrendsinthe60’sand70’s,

tosharpandfemininepieces,youwilldefinite-

lyenjoyTopshop’sversatility.

Thinkofcocktaildressesandfauxfurs,

Topshopbringsbackthe60’sand70’sbackto

life,providinguswithjumpsuits,fringes,

belly-bottomjeans,patentMaryJanes,and

dressesthatarepoppingwithcandycolors.

Andoh,don’tforgettheperfectblow-dryand

you’regoodtogo!

Bringoutyourfemininecharmwithsheer

andshirtdresses,tullegownsscatteredwith

crystalsandpierceitwithfeatheryitemsto

giveyouamorestatementlook.Togiveyoua

morelaidbackandcountrylook,plaidwill

neverfailyou.Additwithknitscardigans,

knee-highsocksandsweaterdresses–you’llbe

themostfashionablegirlintown.

Youwillalwaysturntoblackandwhite

ifyouwanttoplayitsafe.Revampyourwhole

outfitbyaddingatouchofredtoit.Topshop’s

red,whiteandblackpalettegivesyouamore

strikingandrazorsharplookwithitsbutton-

upshirts,leantrousersandtuxedojackets.

Thismixofminimalismanddecadencewillin-

fusehighglamourinyourwholewardrobe!

Season’s SpecialLanvin for

H&Mby Ecks Abitona

Itstartedasrumorsspreadingwidelyovertheinternetlikeadeadlyvirus.Acoupleofmonthsago,thoserumorsturnedouttobetrueasH&Mfinallyan-nouncedthattheywillbeteamingupwithoneofthemostprestigiousandsizzlinghotParislabel,Lanvinfortheirnewestcollaboration:LanvinforH&M.Astateofhighexcitementper-vadedthepublicasH&Mwhetsourap-petiteswithvideosandphotosofwhattheircollaborationwilllooklikeandassoonasitwasreleasedlastNovem-ber23,2010,peoplewent“bananas”.Thelongawaitedcollectionbythefa-mousAlberElbaz,Lanvin’sartisticdi-rector,isdefinitelyacollectionworthgettingupearlyfor!

“H&M approached us to collaborate, and see if we could translate the dream we created at Lanvin to a wider audi-ence, not just a dress for less. I have said in the past that I would never do a mass-market collection, but what in-trigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going pub-lic,” Elbaz says. “This has been an ex-ceptional exercise, where two companies at opposite poles can work together because we share the same philosophy of bringing joy and beauty to men and wom-en around the world.”

Thefloralprintedandone-shoul-derdresses,voluminousshortskirtsandpointy-toedfeminineheelsareonlysomeofwhatyoucanfindinthiscollection.Gethigh-fashionclothesatamoreaffordablepricethisholi-dayseasonandyou’lldefinitelybethetalkofthetown!

clothing pieces

Web Retail

“Whyendurefeelingcoldandlookingglumwhenyoucanbeall-happyandvi-brant?Dainty,chic,pre-lovedandcarefullyhand-pickedforthetrendygirlinyou,ourcollectionskeepapromiseofbril-lianceandbeauty.So,lightenup,getready,andindulgeintofeelingofwarmththatisTheAfter-glow.”

TheAfterglowwascreatedrecentlythisOc-tober2010bybestfriendsCarmelaManiegoandAsherDimaculangan,bothjuniorsfromtheUniversityofthePhilippines-Diliman.Theyprovidefashionistaswithpre-lovedclothesre-de-signedfortheircomfortandlove.Theyprovideeverythingfromdresses,blouses,jackets,blaz-erstoskirts.With5col-lectionsasofthemomentandgrowing,nodoubtthattheironlineshop’sgoingtobeahugesuccesssowhatareyouwaitingfor?GoshopnowandfeelthewarmthofTheAfterglow!

by Elisa AquinoPhotos by Merphi Panaguiton

Afterglowownersandbestfriends4-like-everAsherandCarmela

VanillaZooisthear-tisticprogenyofValerieVillaflor,a19-yearoldjun-iorVisualCommunicationsstudentfromtheUniveristyofthePhilippines-Diliman.Sheexplainsthatthenameofheronlineshopwasbroughtaboutbyherloveforani-malsandzooswhiletheword“vanilla”foritscatchiness.Shestartedherbusinessasaschoolprojectandsincethenhascreatedafashion+art-sy-fartsyexplosionforherhand-madeaccessoriesandinadditiontothat,shirts!

Heruniqueaccessoriesthatrangefromnecklaces,ringstobroocheshavetheveryprominentandalwaysfunmu‘stache’sinthem(Hey,Iknowwhatyoudidthere)Shehandmakeseverythingsobesurethateverypiecesoldiscreatedandhandledwith101%loveandcare!

V-Zoo’screativeowner,Valerie

A-Muse

The b

uddi

ng ph

otog

raph

er

that

is A

bby B

ayan

i.

1. WHO IS ABBY BAYANI? Goodquestion.Justkidding.AbbyBayaniisa13yearoldaspiringpho-tographerandgraphicde-signerwholikestodrinkcoffee,doodleandmakepa-percranes.Sheisnotgoodatmakingintroductionsandthisisproof.

2. HOW DID YOU START IN PHOTOGRAPHY? ThefirsttimeI’veeverusedacamerawasbackin2003anditwasduringaschoolfieldtrip.Ilikedthefeelingofbeingabletocapturemoments,orevenjustthingsandkeepingthemforever.However,thebat-teryofthecameradiedsoIwasonlyabletotakearoundfivephotos.Somuchformyfirsteverphotographyexpe-rience.

Anyway,Ididn’treallyhaveaproper‘history’inphotography.Ijuststart-edtakingphotosonedayandthat’sjusthowitallstarted.

3. CAN YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST CAMERA AND FIRST PHOTOGRAPH? ThecamerathatIhavenow,aSonyAlpha200,ismyfirstcamerabutifyoumeantthefirstcamerathatIhaveeverused,itwasanoldOlympuscamera.Myfirsteverphotograph,Ithink,wasaphotoofsomewormsduringaschoolfieldtrip.Haha!

4. WHAT’S YOUR RESTRIC-TION IN POST-PROCESSING YOUR PICTURES?

Iusedtolikeus-ingactionssinceIwaslazyandIthoughttheymademyphotoslook‘pretty’and‘cute’.ButIeventuallygrewupandstartedthink-inghowoversaturatedandprocessedmyphotoslookedsoIstartedmak-ingmyownactionsfromscratch.Ionlyhavetwoorthreelayers:twolayersofcurves,oneisautocorrection(Idon’tevenknowifthat’stheproperterm)andtheotherisacurveslayerthatIjustplaywith‘tilIgetthetonesandcoloursthatIlike.Forthelastlayer,it’seitheragraycolourfilltosoftentheimageandgiveitafilm-ishlookoraHue/Saturationlayertodesaturatethephoto.

Okay,Istilluseactions(thatIhavedownloaded)fromtimetotimebutonlyifI’mlazyandaslongastheydon’tmakemypho-toslookoverprocessed/pretty/cute.

5. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES YOUR PHOTO-GRAPHS STAND OUT FROM OTHERS? Somepeoplehavemessagedmesayingwhenevertheyseemyphotos,theygetthiswarm,fuzzyandsome-timesevennostalgicfeeling.Iguessthat’swhatmakesmyphotosdifferent.

6. WHAT DO YOU TAKE PICTURES OF MOST OF THE TIME? Justsimpleevery-daythingsandwhatevercatchesmyeye.

7. WHAT DRIVES YOU IN DOING WHAT YOU DO? Fearandpeoplethatarealotbet-terthanme.They’resortofaremindersay-ing,‘Ifyouwanttogetsomewhereinlife,shoot/createamazingthingslikethem’.It’sprettymuchexplainsitself.IafraidofthefutureandIdon’twanttomessmineup.

8. WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? Innoparticularorder:EzgiPolat,NirrimiHakanson,GrantHeinlein,Jean-nineTan,ShalamahTautaiolefue,JuloCope,AfianneCope,JudithSombilon,JackToohey,AnnettePehrsson,TriciaGosing-tian,SimonFilipandsomuchmore.It’sweirdhowmostofthemareportrait/peo-pleandcandidphotographersandIlookuptothemsomuch,yethereIam,tak-ingphotosofinanimateobjects.

9. IF GIVEN A CHANCE, WHO DO YOU WANT TO SHOOT WITH? Iwanttoshootwithsomanypeo-ple!ButmytopthreewouldhavetobeAgynessDeyn,TiffanyPisaniandNirrimiHakanson.Why?AgynessandTiffanyaremyfavouritemodelsandtheysimplylookamazing.Nirrimi,however,isafashionphotographerwho’salreadydoingcam-paignsatsuchayoungageandI’dliketoseehowsheworkswithmodels,takesphotos,askhersomequestions,etc.

10. WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE (AS IN THE WAY YOU DRESS)? I’mprobablyoneoftheleastfash-ionablepeopleonthefaceoftheearth.I’mjustashirt,jeans,cardiganandDocs/Conversekindofperson.Idon’twear/puton(?)makeupeither.

11. DESCRIBE A NORMAL DAY IN YOUR LIFE. Whathappensinmyeverydaylifeisjustthesameaseveryoneelse’s.Seri-ously.

12. YOUR MESSAGE TO ASPIRING PHO-TOGRAPHERS. Takeaphoto,pointoutallthemistakesthatyouseeandlearnfromthem.Inmyopinion,photographyisaprocessoftrialanderror.Justkeepontakingphotosandtrytolessenthosemistakesonebyone.Andyouknowthepeoplewhotrytobringyoudownbysay-ingthatyourphotosaren’tgoodenough?Provethemwrong.

13. LIST OF YOUR TOP FIVE FA-VOURITE PHOTOGRAPHS

Submissions?Contributions?

Dream collaborations?

Mail us at getcreative@stachemagazineonline.com

by Gen FernandezPhotos by Elisa Aquino

Thisbrunette’stimelessbeautyisscreamingpolishedperfection,herfeaturesexudinganelevatedsenseofyouth-fulvibranceandglow.SheischanellingarenaissancelookwithasumptuousScarlettJohanssonpoutandsultrywavesechoingtheunadulteratedoldHollywoodglamour.Herremark-ablepersonalityreflectsthemultiplicityofherworks;itmirrorstheterrainsofhermind-acharacteristicwhichhasdrawnherquiteanumberoffollowingthatwithstoodthetestoftime.FromtheCinnamonedaysonMultiplyuptoherdazzlingFiamettepersonaonTumblr,andnowcontinuouslyenchantingherpatronswithVivaLaManika’smesmericcharm.

Herartputsamodernspinonromance,seduction,el-eganceandgrandeur;itbringsusalltotheheartofRuedeglam.

Afiannepepperedherworkswithasaccharine-sweetspellandanindispensablespiceoffeminity,infusingitwithcosmeticrefinementandfemmefataleallure.Sheinstigatethemostinnovativeandawe-inspiringideaswhilepush-ingthefrontiersofdesignwithherdistinctfreshstyle.Butwhatmakesthisladyafarcryfromtheordinaryisherthoroughlyexecutedcraftsmanshipwithherhighlyregardedtechnique.

Shetakesdetailintoadifferentlevelanddefiescon-ventions.Itisinterestinghowshebreakstheflatnessofanimageandhowshegoesfarbeyondthelimitsorthenorm,andchosetodeviatesfromthemorecommonstandpoints.Byleeringatherartwork,you’llseehowsheplayswithprismofshadesanddeliciouslyboisterouspaletteofcolors,withsubtleopulentdetailingandsuperioraestheticsadornedbyoccasionedbouquetsofvintage-stylelushpatterns.Shebrilliantlymakescomplexcompositionsthatinvitetheview-ertothinkandponder.Hercreationsstandoutamidstavalleyofstandardizedartworks,noteworthyisthewaysheembedlavishovertonesofbeguilingromanceandgrownupso-phisticationtoeachandeverypieceshecreates.

Onecouldonlyimaginehowsheplayedwithdetailsandyetmanagedtoputeverythinginperfectharmony,thereisanexuberantblendingofentriesbutconsistencyremains.Herartworksarebutavehicleforexplorationsintotherealabstract.Abroaderlookintohervisualswouldgiveoneabettercomprehensionofallhercomposingelementsandsymbols.Opulent,sensualanddramaticcolorsandtexturesareallyoursforthetaking.Thisladywillsurelytakeyoubystormwhileunleashingherfull-blowngrace.Grandslamglamisthenameofhergame.

HOW IS FIAMETTE AS AN ARTIST? She’sdoinggood.Feelingjustfineanddandy.Busierwithprojectsthaneverbutabsolutelyhappier.

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU DISCOVER THE ARTIST IN YOU? Iwasnotreallythekidwhoknewwhatshewantedbackinthedaysun-tilIdiscoveredDeviantArtinhighschool.Itopenedmymindtothepossi-bilityofahumanbeingasyoungas16,17,18todomagicwiththeirimages.Irememberreligiouslyvisitingthesiteandjustbrowsingaroundthewholeday.Forthefirsttimeinmyearlyyears,Iwassoblownaway.IknewrightthenIwantedSOBADtodowhatthese‘deviantartists’doandpromisedmyselfIwillcreateartthatwillleaveimpressionssomeday.

WHEN WE LOOK AT YOUR ARTWORK, WHAT DO WE SEE?

AsIhavestatedinmyproject,VivaLaManika,Ihavealwaysbeensofascinatedwithyounggirls–fromthemannertheyconductthemselvestotheirrebelliousnesstotheirfashionandphantasmsandsoon.Theyhavealwaysbeenmygreatestinspirationintermsofart.Othersmayfinditdifficulttoappreciateanything‘girly’,sotheysay,orteenybopperbutIamonetoem-bracethat‘culture’throughmyseriesofbrightlycoloredmixedmediacompo-sitions.Itmusthavebeentheresultofgrowingupwithanultra-femininemotherwho’vealwaysgroomedmetobeladylikeandall(thoughshedidnotentirelysucceedforIcanbeaslightriotattimes)and2sisterswhowereverydeartome.

DO YOU DO ANY ART-RELATED ROUTINE IN PARTICULAR?

Ilovethisquestionalot.Art-istsareanti-routine.Mostofthemareinlovewithspontaneity.Iusedtotreatitinsuchaway.IonlydowhatIfeellikedoing.VLMwascre-atedtostopmefrombeingaloosecannonandstarttrainingmyselftoplanbeforepublishing.There’salotofdisciplineinit,actually.Justbecauseyou’reanartistdoesn’tmeanyoushouldn’tsetregulationsforyourselfanymore.Thereisnothingpracticecan’timprove.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CUR-RENT PLACE IN THE ART SCENE?

Itiscurrentlyastruggle,tobebrutallyhonest,butI’mhappilystruggling.ThepeoplewhoappreciatewhatIdo(byfriendshiporbychance)arepreciousasdiamondstome.Theykeepmemovingforward.

WHEN IS YOUR MOST CREATIVE TIME?

WhenIampart-relaxed,part-ex-posedtosomeone’sstunningsuccess.EverytimeIseealotofpeoplemyagewho’vealreadymadeoverwhelmingbreakthroughs,Ifeelthepressure.Pressuredrivescreativitythoughitcanbeatraitorifover-felt(ifthereissuchaword).Thisisthereasonwhykeepingthecoolisequallyimportant.

WHO ARE YOUR ART ICONS?

EdwardRecife,RaphaelVicenzi,TerryRichardson,TimWalker,SofiaCoppola,EllenVonUnwerth.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF BEING AN ARTIST?

Theloyaltyofthepeoplewhogenuinelyappreciateyourstyleisforeverablessing.I’vebeentrainedbyaCEOfriendtoalwaysvaluetheloyaltyofonemorethanfame,money,numberofone-timefollowers/clients/friendsorwhateveryouwishtocallthembecauseloyaltypowerfullydoeswhattheotherfactorscan’t.

WHAT ARE THE STRUGGLES YOU’VE EX-PERIENCED ALONG THE WAY?

Toproveyourselfisforeverthegreateststruggle.I’vebeendoubted,cursedat,leftbehind,misunderstood,thelistofbitchslappingmomentsisendlessandIhumblyacceptthattherewillbemoreinthefuture.ItisonlyvitaltobefirmandtokeepinmindthatIamnevergoingtopleaseevery-one.

WHAT KEEPS YOUR CREATIVE FIRE GO-ING?

a)passionandb)survival

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT PHASES YOU WENT THROUGH BEFORE BEING THE ART-IST YOU ARE NOW?

Thephaseswerenotreallydif-ferentfromeveryotherbuttheyhavelingeredforquiteatime.Be-forebeingtheartistIamtoday,Iwasbaduy.Ididn’thavetastethen,myworksweremessyandeverything.Ihadlittle-to-nohigh-endtools.IfIcouldonlyshowthemtothosewhodreamtobeanartistovernight,Iwould.Thatway,itwillbeveryeasyforyoutounderstandthatitdoesn’t’workthatway.Creatinggoodartisnotanimmediateprocess.EvenImy-self,atthispoint,stilldon’tthinkI’vedoneenough.Istillfeeltheneedtoevolve.Tomakeit,youshouldwholeheartedlydevote10,000hoursofyourtimetowhatyoulove,noeasierway.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS?

IusedtobeverybadathandlingitmainlybecauseIdidn’tknowhowtosay“no”beforeuntilIexperienceditsultimateeffectsfirsthandwhenIstartedworking.Itwasn’tgoodsoIforcedmyselftolearnhowtoweighmattersdownandassertandacceptonlythetasksIcanfinishontime.ThatandDairyQueendoesthetrick.

HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO BRIDGE THE GAP FROM ART BEING A MERE HOBBY TO AN ACTUAL CAREER? WiththiseraofNewMediawehavenoexcuseanymoretonotbeintheknow.Everythingisfoundinwwwalready.Iwouldreadalotandedu-catemyselfwithproperinforma-tion,avoidfallinginlovewithmyfirstideas,planthingsout(itneverhurts),pushmylimits,makemyfinalideasconcrete,findtherightaudi-ence,buildapersonalrelationshipwiththem(treatthemnotliketheyareallthesame,consumersdon’tlikethat),monitortheirbehavior.Regard-lessofhowharditis,justkeepgo-ing.

ANY PARTICULAR MAGAZINES/BOOK/BLOGS/ YOU FIND YOURSELF GOING TO FOR INSPIRATION OVER OTHERS?

IndependentFashionBloggers(in-dependentfashionbloggers.org),Au-thorsMalcolmGladwellandSethGodinhaveabunchofawesomestudiesthatarehelpfulforthosewhowishtopur-sueacareerinart,andSmashingMag(smashingmagazine.com)

DO YOU THINK YOUR DESIGNS REFLECT THE TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE?

Yes.ItwillhavetotakeLOTSofmoodsinordertocreatethosedigitalcollages.Ihavesuchmoods.Lol.

WHAT TYPE OF MESSAGE/MOTIF DO YOU TRY/WANT TO GET ACROSS THROUGH YOUR PHOTOS?

Howbittersweetitistobeyoung,beautiful,inlove,insane,andflawed.

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER PLANS?

Sofar,torecruitwritersandotherartistsforVLMinthefutureandcollaboratewithyoungdesignersonafashioncollection.

THERE IS NO CHANCE, NO DESTINY, NO FATE,

CAN CIRCUMVENT OR HINDER OR CONTROLTHE FIRM RESOLVE OF

A DETERMINED SOUL.GIFTS COUNT FOR NOTHING;

WILL ALONE IS GREAT- ELLA WHEELER WILCOX

YOUARTMANTRA?

Appliesnotsolelytoartbuttolifeinthesameway:

Big Bangs

Theory

Parallel

Reality

Parallel Reality

Make-up:NixonDizonofBCGSalonModels:AngelaMuhlach,InnaNaval,

LuigiMartinezStyling:EsmePalaganas

byPatNabong

RSVPPhilippine FashionWeek

by Pat Nabong

Fromtop:Axe,Jellybean,Fold-edandhung,Jellybean,Oxygen,Foldedandhung,andAxe.

Creditshttp://www.zara.com/http://www.topshop.com/http://jeffreycampbellshoes.comhttp://solestruck.com/http://hm.com

STACHE MagazineOnlinedoesnotclaimownershiponanyofthephotosincludedinthemagazine.Theybelongtotheirrespectiveownerswhichisquiteobviousbynow.Ifeveryouseeanythingleftuncredited,don’thesitatetoemailusatgetcreative@stachemagazineonline.com

WHERE TO FIND THE PEOPLE INSIDEMaine-darkpantomime.info

Elisa-thundepopcola.tumblr.com

Mare-aninstantoutoftime.tumblr.com

Maan-missmcsmitty.tumblr.com

Mary-dearmary.info

Karen-selfishmustard.tumblr.com

Gen-thiskidlovesvintage.tumblr.com

Merphi-merphilline.tumblr.com

ReeseandVica-facebook.com/ReeseVica

Dave-davidguison.tumblr.com

Abby-thecoffeejunkie.tumblr.com

Pat-dorkoinvasion.tumblr.com

BigBangsTheory-bigbangstheory.blogspot.com

AfianneCope-vivalamanika.com