At Dongdaemun in Seoul the markets are like Extreme Divisoria, only clean, organized, specialized. There are shops that sell nothing but neckties, shops that do only hats, and shops that have only eyeglass frames as far as the eye can see.
On Friday we attended the launch of My City, My SM at the SM mall in Masinag, Antipolo.
Robin Tomas’s winning t-shirt design will be launched at a cocktail reception at Bloomingdale’s New York on March 19, in time for the Spring Season kickoff. The design, a v-neck tee in layered tonal Supima cotton knit, was picked from among 6 finalists in last year’s competition. The TOMAS t-shirt will be sold as a special edition shirt in Bloomingdale’s flagship store in Manhattan.
Founded in 1954, Supima (short for Superior Pima Cotton), is a sumptuous cotton fabric unique to the U.S. that is used by luxury brands. The design contest was inspired by the legendary Wool Secretariat competition that launched the careers of designers Yves St. Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld.
Robin Tomas is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York, and has interned for Anna Sui and Valentino. He is presently showing his Fall 2011 collection in New York.
Robin Tomas photo by Giulia Piccari
For more information: info@robintomas.com, or visit www.robintomas.com and www.supima.com.
There’s something about the season of peace on earth and goodwill to all men that brings out the worst in people. So I knew traffic would be hell and the taxi situation impossible. There’s some comfort in being right.
I needed prescription lenses for my new frames so I went to see my optometrist Nella Sarabia at UP Shopping Center. (Incidentally if you are in desperate need of signed copies of Twisted 9 and 8 1/2 they are available at Nella’s shop. Her number is 4355685.) My appointment took ten minutes; getting out of UP Diliman took over an hour. After waiting outside the shopping center for several minutes I figured I’d have as much chance of getting a cab if I walked around the campus as I did just standing there and getting bored.
So I took a walk. A long walk. I remembered Jon’s advice and ate a banana-Q before setting out (I didn’t have breakfast and it was past 3pm.) The campus felt abandoned (the Lantern Parade was held the previous day), the foliage was lush, the weather my favorite kind—cool and gloomy. I don’t know how long I walked, but I finished listening to Avalon by Roxy Music and half of Pirates by Rickie Lee Jones (I picked those two because I listened to them constantly in school). At “Traces of the Western Slopes” a taxi appeared, and the driver agreed to take me to Cubao Expo where I was meeting Noel.
By the time I got to Cubao I was famished so I went to Bellini’s, which is owned by the ex-paparazzo from Pisa, Roberto Bellini. Mr. Bellini is so vivacious he is sometimes asked if he starred in Life Is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni). “What will you have!” he cried. “What have you got!” I replied. “Fresh fettucini with clams in tomato sauce!” he said. “I’ll take it!”
The fettucini was excellent. I mopped up the remaining sauce with fresh foccacia, then I had a slice of Bellini’s classic orange cake and an espresso. Mr. Bellini reminded me that I had been going to their restaurant since they opened in 1999. “This is on me!” he announced. Good as my meal was, it tasted even better afterwards because it was free.
Mr. Bellini
Noel had had to cram into the MRT to get to Cubao. There was this cranky guy by the door of the train car, and every time someone came in he said, “Bakit ka nakikipagsiksikan?” as if the passengers had a choice.
We found presents for our friends in Cubao Expo, then steeled ourselves for the MRT ride back to Makati. But then a taxi materialized in front of us, and the driver overcharged but we figured it was worth it.
After dinner we had cake and coffee at our friend’s new apartment, and the view made us forget how tired we were.
And I swear it was not rigged.
Round 5pm I got a text from Noel: I won free graphic novels from the raffle at National Bookstore!
I said, Wow and you never join raffles. At that exact moment I was at National Bookstore in Glorietta 5 for the opening of Work Station, a new section dedicated to office equipment (computers, printers, scanners, cabinets, furniture) and the full line of Apple products.
Work Station is located inside National Bookstore in Glorietta 5, SM Calamba, and SM San Pablo. It also has standalone stores in Glorietta 3 and Market! Market! in Bonifacio Global City.
You want to know how to get 100 percent attendance at your event? Send out an invitation with a picture of the new MacBook Air and the word “Raffle” under it in block letters. I don’t deny that it was a major factor in my decision to go there.
Before the grand prize was announced, 20 iPod Shuffles were raffled off. I was standing next to Bianca from the Inquirer whose name was called just as she was eating an hors d’oeuvre. “Great,” she said, “I get called while my mouth is full.” I said, “If I get nominated for an Oscar the camera will zoom in on me while I’m stuffing my face. And stay there.” Then I popped an entire quiche in my mouth and my name was called. I won an iPod Shuffle!
My joy was tinged with sorrow because it meant I was no longer eligible to win the MacBook Air.
“Quick, eat something,” I told Bianca’s friend. And she won an iPod too. The MacBook Air went to Bea Ledesma. Damn you Bea you always win the laptop!
The light show at the Ayala Triangle Park.
Afterwards I walked to Ayala Triangle Park to meet Juan, Ricky and Noel at dinner. “I won an iPod in a raffle! I never win raffles!”
“Because you never join raffles,” Juan pointed out. Then again Juan is the one who will point out that if a runaway train loaded with explosives is coming at you all you have to do is fire a missile and take out the engine. End of movie.
Pandora?
But never mind rationality, I won a raffle! My new iPod will be delivered tomorrow.
Wednesday. Time for your respite from the cares of the world, the pressures of work, the holiday frenzy that is now in full swing. And for the weekly Jock With A Book.
We find today’s photos perfectly innocuous, demure even, but tastes vary and we wouldn’t want you to lose your job or get expelled from school because a Nazgul caught you looking at them during office/school hours. So before you scroll down ascertain the exact whereabouts of all Ringwraiths, orcs and Uruk-Hai in your vicinity, and if it’s safe you may proceed.
This week’s Jock With A Book is Harry Morris of the national rugby team. But this is not about Harry Morris or rugby, it is about something far more important.
Subject is reading Twisted 8 1/2.
He has to finish it quickly because Twisted 9 is coming very soon!
Here is the blueprint that went to the printers last week.
According to my (long-suffering) book publisher, Twisted 9 will be delivered next week, just in time for the Xmas shopping madness. And since it is the season of madness, it will take another week or so for the copies to hit the bookstores. However, if you must have your Twisted 9 as soon as possible, order your books right here.
Twisted 9 retails at P100 each. We are accepting advance orders of ten copies or more. (If ten is more than you need, pool your orders.) Post your orders in Comments and we’ll email you to arrange delivery. Each book will be signed by the author.
Support your local author. Get Twisted 9. More sales, more travel; more travel, more stories.
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Message to our gay readers and girl readers: If you think he’s hot, you should see the book. Order more Twisted 9!
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