fresh mess for garage feb/mar 2010: eye of the taiga

For my third column for Garage Magazine, I put the new Louis Vuitton Taiga accessories collection under the spotlight. 

Devoid of any monograms which the house of Louis Vuitton is known (and maliciously copied) for, these new bags are a study in restrained elegance. Either that you hate it and find it boring, or like me, you like it and find that it only leaves room for self-expression. I have to admit that when I started buying Louis Vuitton not too long time ago, it had to be about the monograms, quatrefoils, and the trademark checkers. But lately, I tend to appreciate the more subtle bags with minimal branding. In this new set of bags, only a discreet LV stamp can be found. That’s the kind of luxury that is whispered and not shouted, to borrow a quote.

I am eyeing for myself the Cabas Zippé in Boreal (deep, dark cobalt blue), the standout oversize tote that can be flipped and carried two ways – via the top rounded handles or the flat side handle. The two handle option and the zippered outer compartment are too good of structure details to miss. Not to mention it’s one of the three one-shot pieces from this collection.

Show some LVoe and grab your copy of the latest Garage Magazine! It’s available in many newsstands in the Philippines from today.

garage magazine feb/mar 2010

I need to breathe.

The news of a fresh issue of Garage Magazine, with my third column in it, comes as a breath of fresh air.

Grab your copies in newsstands from February 1!

fresh mess for garage dec/jan 2010: shiny, happy people

Pop a happy pill of Nordic cool.

For Garage Magazine’s travel and arts issue, I wrote about Norwegian-born fashion brand, Moods of Norway. Founded in the small, picturesque town of Stryn where Moods of Norway still has its headquarters and showroom, the brand has grown into an international name in fashion. With stores in Europe, the US and Japan and a celebrity following, Moods of Norway continues to set men’s fashion on the edge in its sixth year now with fun, frisky use of colors, sheen and outrageous prints.

For its current collections, Moods of Norway offers sharp suits in either tartan or romantic folk prints. The latter seems to get inspiration from the traditional Norwegian art of rose painting – the prints are ornate and rococo. My personal pick would be this bordeaux jacket (pictured upper right corner on the page) emblazoned with tone-on-tone floral patterns and features a contrast piping on the lapel. It looks so lavish and luxurious!

Also captured in this column is the magnificent Norwegian nature – the snowcapped mountains and the fjords. No wonder Norwegians are happy people (but the award went to their neighboring Danes), they are blessed with good looks and a stunning country to live in.

Show some love and get your copy of Garage Magazine’s December/January 2010 issue. It’s available in many newsstands in the Philippines.

garage magazine dec/jan 2010

The holiday/travel and arts issue of Garage Magazine is now available in the Philippines. For my column, I wrote about Moods of Norway, a Norwegian fashion brand that is taking over the world like a pink tumbleweed. I cannot wait to get my copy. Grab yours now! :)

fresh mess for garage oct/nov 2009: out of africa

I am still over the moon about my debut as a writer for GARAGE Magazine – the Philippines’ ultimate style guide for guys. In this issue, I wrote about Louis Vuitton (what else?) and my personal picks from its fall/winter men’s accessories collection inspired by the “travelling wardrobe of an African king.”

You’ll read about pieces that pay homage to the monogram that the house built, and then some; styled scarification techniques, soccer ball inspirations and classic checks interpretations. I also found the “perfect man bag” and a worthy touring companion to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

If you’re in Manila and you haven’t grabbed your copy of GARAGE Magazine yet, please run to your nearest newsstand and show some love. I myself can’t wait to receive my own copy of this Big Fall Issue with actor Jon Avila (I do love his sweater) and Brazilian model Daniel Matsunaga on the cover!

Again, thanks to my editor Rey Ilagan for making this possible for me. Like what I wrote previously, this is something I never expected to do but was totally a dream come true. It is such a great honor for me to write for GARAGE and I am truly proud of myself for this personal achievement.

GARAGE Magazine can also be found here.