Can I tell you…about President Obama’s inauguration. That day was such a historic and unforgettable day for me, Americans and the rest of the world. Like most of my days I got up, and switched-on New York 1 for the weather to determine wardrobe choices and was immediately snapped out of my routine by the exciting news that the Inauguration ceremonies had begun. Suddenly my phone rang and my friend Peter Som told me he was going to Times Square to witness the event along with Rima Suqi and thought that David and I might want to join them.
If you live in New York, you know how crowded this part of town is on a daily basis and add to that a historic event…well, you are talking major claustrophobia. If you hate crowds like I do, avoid Times Square like the plague unless you’re watching a Broadway show. For all the years the I’ve been living here, I have never once witnessed the Ball drop on New Years Eve, nor do I plan to.
But today was different. This is the 1st election that I was able to vote as an American and I felt that my vote actually mattered. Me and my family were rooting for Obama from day one. This was our win too as much as it was his.
We got there a little before noon with enough time to position ourselves in between 2 Jumbotrons simultaneously broadcasting the Inauguration as it was happening. There was this amazing feeling of unity and euphoria. We cheered for Obama and cheered even louder when we saw ourselves on screen because we suddenly realized how proud we were.
It was FREEZING but all that body heat kept us warm. The cars driving down were honking, screaming, it was a celebration after all. It was an incredible feeling!
A huge shout out to Michelle for wearing Narciso Rodriguez, Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu, all immigrant Americans and lesser known designers to the greater public. She represents how the world is changing and how people are ready for new names with a new point of view. As an immigrant myself, it made me very proud to be an American.
Let’s not get discouraged too soon despite what is happening at Congress. Let’s not give up on Obama. He needs our support, now more than ever! He didn’t win by himself and he certainly can’t succeed without us.
Times are changing and it is…awesome!
Archive for January, 2009
Change is Awesome!
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009Change is Awesome!
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
Can I tell you…about President Obama’s inauguration. That day was such a historic and unforgettable day for me, Americans and the rest of the world. Like most of my days I got up, and switched-on New York 1 for the weather to determine wardrobe choices and was immediately snapped out of my routine by the exciting news that the Inauguration ceremonies had begun. Suddenly my phone rang and my friend Peter Som told me he was going to Times Square to witness the event along with Rima Suqi and thought that David and I might want to join them.
If you live in New York, you know how crowded this part of town is on a daily basis and add to that a historic event…well, you are talking major claustrophobia. If you hate crowds like I do, avoid Times Square like the plague unless you’re watching a Broadway show. For all the years the I’ve been living here, I have never once witnessed the Ball drop on New Years Eve, nor do I plan to.
But today was different. This is the 1st election that I was able to vote as an American and I felt that my vote actually mattered. Me and my family were rooting for Obama from day one. This was our win too as much as it was his.
We got there a little before noon with enough time to position ourselves in between 2 Jumbotrons simultaneously broadcasting the Inauguration as it was happening. There was this amazing feeling of unity and euphoria. We cheered for Obama and cheered even louder when we saw ourselves on screen because we suddenly realized how proud we were.
It was FREEZING but all that body heat kept us warm. The cars driving down were honking, screaming, it was a celebration after all. It was an incredible feeling!
A huge shout out to Michelle for wearing Narciso Rodriguez, Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu, all immigrant Americans and lesser known designers to the greater public. She represents how the world is changing and how people are ready for new names with a new point of view. As an immigrant myself, it made me very proud to be an American.
Let’s not get discouraged too soon despite what is happening at Congress. Let’s not give up on Obama. He needs our support, now more than ever! He didn’t win by himself and he certainly can’t succeed without us.
Times are changing and it is…awesome!
All Sproused Up
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Can I tell you…about Stephen Sprouse. I remember when I first visited the US in the late 80s, I went to LA where my Mom was living at the time. She would drop me off at the Beverly Center so I could kill time while she went to work. That’s where I first experienced the world of Stephen Sprouse. The store’s interiors were raw, the sales staff was gorgeous (all part time models/actors/musicians), the music was loud and the clothes were like nothing I had ever seen. It was like entering a very cool club you wanted to belong to. That was 22 years ago.
Now let’s go back a few years in fashion history ( 8 to be exact ), when Marc Jacobs launched a limited edition of Louis Vuitton monogram bags with graffiti scribbled all over them. It was so sacrilegeous, tongue in chic and a stroke of marketing genius all at the same time. Almost overnight it was hip to tote an LV bag. 
Even I, Mr. Logo-shy was secretly coveting something with that graffiti on it. The bags became collectibles and sold out like hotcakes. LV’s sales went through the roof! That was a Eureka moment for them and the rest of the industry. We all know what came next and the deluge of collaborations between designers and artists seeking to create buzz via limited edition products.
For those of us who missed the 1st run, Marc has happily revived the collaboration paying homage to the avant-garde fashion designer Stephen Sprouse. But we are not just talking bags now. The current list of limited edition pieces to benefit Free Arts are as disparate as a Graffiti skateboard for $8,250 to a Graffiti bag charm for $275. The skateboard comes with it’s own LV monogram trunk, mais oui bien sur!
Aside from the iconic graffiti, Marc also incorporated Roses that Sprouse used for his personal stationery. The collection has also expanded its offerings to include sunglasses, sneakers, scarves and jewelry with prices ranging from $175 to $2,555.
New York socials, fashionistas and Sprouse’s 80s crew came out on a recent chilly January evening to toast this triumvirate of tributes at the three related events. A cocktail party at the LV store in Soho, a fashion retrospective exhibition called Rock on Mars at the Deitch Gallery also in Soho and an after party at the Bowery Ballroom. There’s also a coffee table book written by my friends Roger and Mauricio Padilha coinciding with all the hoopla. I bought the book of course!
The retrospective at Deitch galleries is a must if you’re in the neighborhood. It’s graphic, powerful and alive with color. Also on display where his sketches and artwork.
I loved seeing these clothes again. They brought me back to my days when I used to go clubbing every weekend. These were ‘vintage’clothing and yet they looked so fresh and so now.
Bumped into Rachel Roy looking immaculate in winter white. Anne Christensen in an 80s graphic knit top. Also met Tama Janowitz who wrote Slaves of New York, required reading at the time and of course Pat Fields, wearing her own graffiti printed jacket in homage to Stephen.
I’m eager to see how much of a hit this collection will be and if I will see a plethora of graffiti knock offs roaming about. What do you think? Hit or miss?
All Sproused Up
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009
Can I tell you…about Stephen Sprouse. I remember when I first visited the US in the late 80s, I went to LA where my Mom was living at the time. She would drop me off at the Beverly Center so I could kill time while she went to work. That’s where I first experienced the world of Stephen Sprouse. The store’s interiors were raw, the sales staff was gorgeous (all part time models/actors/musicians), the music was loud and the clothes were like nothing I had ever seen. It was like entering a very cool club you wanted to belong to. That was 22 years ago.
Now let’s go back a few years in fashion history ( 8 to be exact ), when Marc Jacobs launched a limited edition of Louis Vuitton monogram bags with graffiti scribbled all over them. It was so sacrilegeous, tongue in chic and a stroke of marketing genius all at the same time. Almost overnight it was hip to tote an LV bag.
Even I, Mr. Logo-shy was secretly coveting something with that graffiti on it. The bags became collectibles and sold out like hotcakes. LV’s sales went through the roof! That was a Eureka moment for them and the rest of the industry. We all know what came next and the deluge of collaborations between designers and artists seeking to create buzz via limited edition products.
For those of us who missed the 1st run, Marc has happily revived the collaboration paying homage to the avant-garde fashion designer Stephen Sprouse. But we are not just talking bags now. The current list of limited edition pieces to benefit Free Arts are as disparate as a Graffiti skateboard for $8,250 to a Graffiti bag charm for $275. The skateboard comes with it’s own LV monogram trunk, mais oui bien sur!Aside from the iconic graffiti, Marc also incorporated Roses that Sprouse used for his personal stationery. The collection has also expanded its offerings to include sunglasses, sneakers, scarves and jewelry with prices ranging from $175 to $2,555.New York socials, fashionistas and Sprouse’s 80s crew came out on a recent chilly January evening to toast this triumvirate of tributes at the three related events. A cocktail party at the LV store in Soho, a fashion retrospective exhibition called Rock on Mars at the Deitch Gallery also in Soho and an after party at the Bowery Ballroom. There’s also a coffee table book written by my friends Roger and Mauricio Padilha coinciding with all the hoopla. I bought the book of course!The retrospective at Deitch galleries is a must if you’re in the neighborhood. It’s graphic, powerful and alive with color. Also on display where his sketches and artwork.I loved seeing these clothes again. They brought me back to my days when I used to go clubbing every weekend. These were ‘vintage’clothing and yet they looked so fresh and so now. Bumped into Rachel Roy looking immaculate in winter white. Anne Christensen in an 80s graphic knit top. Also met Tama Janowitz who wrote Slaves of New York, required reading at the time and of course Pat Fields, wearing her own graffiti printed jacket in homage to Stephen.
I’m eager to see how much of a hit this collection will be and if I will see a plethora of graffiti knock offs roaming about. What do you think? Hit or miss?
Legend-ary Evening
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
Can I tell you…about my New Year’s Eve in Miami.
My last day in 2008 was spent lounging at the beach, enjoying eye candy and policing beach chic. Spotted, Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford trying to be incognito with a baseball cap and sunglasses but I saw through his cover. I tried to be a clever paparazzi with my zoom without having to get off my lounge chair. As you can see, I wasn’t very successful.
That evening, we had dinner at Scarpetta, one of the restaurants in the Fontainebleu hotel compound. The dining room wasn’t full which was a clear sign that the recession had taken hold even in hedonistic South Beach. Just as we were ordering, in walks this really well dressed couple. He’s in a white dinner jacket, black bow tie and and pants. She was in a white satin Prada dress and a black snake Prada clutch. They must have been important because the owner and chef Scott Conant came over to welcome them.
Over the course of dinner I casually chatted with the good looking couple and even asked the guy to take my photo with David. He was taken by surprise by that request but he graciously obliged me. I tried to get a good look at him but I didn’t recognize him. It was all too quick and you know how that goes. I couldn’t eye him up and down, that would have been so uncool.
Eventually I introduced myself. Her name was Chrissy and his was John. I shook their hands and resumed eating. Then I hear Chrissy chuckle. She found it funny that I had no idea who her boyfriend was. She then says his entire name, John Legend. Okay, so it didn’t exactly register that instant which made it ‘awkward’ and even funnier. Then of course it hit me.
DUH! John tells me he’s going to Asia for a concert tour in 2009: Philppines, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. I promised him I would tell everybody about it. Meanwhile, all Chrissy wanted to talk about was how I was going to hook her up with some Rafe bags. She’s my kinda girl, she’s knows her priorities! Btw, Chrissy Teigen is GORGE!!! She’s half Thai / half German. I swear, it’s all about mixing for future generations. My nephews are all mixed and I promise you, they are going to be heartbreakers when they grow up.
After dinner, as we were heading out I bumped into Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey on their way to P. Diddy’s party. She screamed upon seeing me. Last time I saw her was at the Gramercy Hotel several months ago. She introduced me to her dad and she even gave me a ‘mano’which was hilarious. To all you non-Filipino readers, “Mano“ is a gesture given to someone as a sign of respect, usually given to an elder relative or more specifically grandparents! It involves holding that person’s hand and placing it on your forehead. Love that girl’s sense of humor. People around us were definitely perplexed by it all.
If you’ve ever attended a Susanne Bartsch party, you know you’re in for some good old fashion 80′s debauchery , a provocative theme and great music. Susanne ruled New York nightlife in the late 80′s to mid 90s with her parties at the Copa. Those parties were Legend-ary and everybody went. So when we heard she was going to throw a ball at The Raleigh, we weren’t going to miss it.
The theme was Burlesque so you can just imagine the little vignettes they set up all over the pool. All her usual cast of characters were present. Kenny Kenny, Patricia Fields, Amanda Lepore,Tara Solomon, Kenny Scharf, Brian Antoni, Nick D’Annunzio and Peter Morales. Milan Vukmurovic and crew were dancing up a storm and even the reclusive Calvin Klein made a rare appearance.
Pat Fields held court with her posse’ and Amanda Lepore took off her barely-there dress and sang in her birthday suit, quelle surprise! Unfortunately I can’t post photos of her au naturelle but I think you get the picture.
All through out the evening, the drinks flowed, the music blared and everybody was having a blast until the wee hours of the morning.
What a Legend-ary way to say good bye to 2008! I hope you had as much fun as I did.
Legend-ary Evening
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
Can I tell you…about my New Year’s Eve in Miami.
My last day in 2008 was spent lounging at the beach, enjoying eye candy and policing beach chic. Spotted, Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford trying to be incognito with a baseball cap and sunglasses but I saw through his cover. I tried to be a clever paparazzi with my zoom without having to get off my lounge chair. As you can see, I wasn’t very successful.That evening, we had dinner at Scarpetta, one of the restaurants in the Fontainebleu hotel compound. The dining room wasn’t full which was a clear sign that the recession had taken hold even in hedonistic South Beach. Just as we were ordering, in walks this really well dressed couple. He’s in a white dinner jacket, black bow tie and and pants. She was in a white satin Prada dress and a black snake Prada clutch. They must have been important because the owner and chef Scott Conant came over to welcome them.Over the course of dinner I casually chatted with the good looking couple and even asked the guy to take my photo with David. He was taken by surprise by that request but he graciously obliged me. I tried to get a good look at him but I didn’t recognize him. It was all too quick and you know how that goes. I couldn’t eye him up and down, that would have been so uncool.Eventually I introduced myself. Her name was Chrissy and his was John. I shook their hands and resumed eating. Then I hear Chrissy chuckle. She found it funny that I had no idea who her boyfriend was. She then says his entire name, John Legend. Okay, so it didn’t exactly register that instant which made it ‘awkward’ and even funnier. Then of course it hit me.
DUH! John tells me he’s going to Asia for a concert tour in 2009: Philppines, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. I promised him I would tell everybody about it. Meanwhile, all Chrissy wanted to talk about was how I was going to hook her up with some Rafe bags. She’s my kinda girl, she’s knows her priorities! Btw, Chrissy Teigen is GORGE!!! She’s half Thai / half German. I swear, it’s all about mixing for future generations. My nephews are all mixed and I promise you, they are going to be heartbreakers when they grow up.After dinner, as we were heading out I bumped into Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey on their way to P. Diddy’s party. She screamed upon seeing me. Last time I saw her was at the Gramercy Hotel several months ago. She introduced me to her dad and she even gave me a ‘mano’which was hilarious. To all you non-Filipino readers, “Mano“ is a gesture given to someone as a sign of respect, usually given to an elder relative or more specifically grandparents! It involves holding that person’s hand and placing it on your forehead. Love that girl’s sense of humor. People around us were definitely perplexed by it all.If you’ve ever attended a Susanne Bartsch party, you know you’re in for some good old fashion 80′s debauchery , a provocative theme and great music. Susanne ruled New York nightlife in the late 80′s to mid 90s with her parties at the Copa. Those parties were Legend-ary and everybody went. So when we heard she was going to throw a ball at The Raleigh, we weren’t going to miss it.The theme was Burlesque so you can just imagine the little vignettes they set up all over the pool. All her usual cast of characters were present. Kenny Kenny, Patricia Fields, Amanda Lepore,Tara Solomon, Kenny Scharf, Brian Antoni, Nick D’Annunzio and Peter Morales. Milan Vukmurovic and crew were dancing up a storm and even the reclusive Calvin Klein made a rare appearance. Pat Fields held court with her posse’ and Amanda Lepore took off her barely-there dress and sang in her birthday suit, quelle surprise! Unfortunately I can’t post photos of her au naturelle but I think you get the picture.All through out the evening, the drinks flowed, the music blared and everybody was having a blast until the wee hours of the morning. What a Legend-ary way to say good bye to 2008! I hope you had as much fun as I did.
Miami Nice
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009
Can I tell you about…Miami. This holiday, after spending a few peaceful days in St.John we headed to South Beach to celebrate the end of 2008 with a bang. You can always count of Sobe for that and it’s great people watching. You know how I love to do that!
We stayed at the recently refurbished Fontainebleu Hotel. It was promising from the press release: 11 restaurants, a 40,000-square-foot spa, the bow-tie pool, and 1500 rooms. Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack stayed and played here and James Bond beat Goldfinger in a game of gin rummy. $1B was pumped into the renovation and $5M was spent for the celebrity-studded opening party. 
Built in 1954 and designed by Morris Lapidus, it was considered the most luxurious hotel on Miami Beach at the time of its opening and for a long time after that, and is also thought to be the most significant building of his career. Unfortunately, I would call the hotel FontaineBUST. The new proprietors tried their best to emulate the original grandeur and chic interiors from the 50s but failed miserably and ended up with a West-Elmy hodge podge convention hotel vibe. Nothing against West Elm but not for a 5 star hotel. I have list of complains but you can read that entry in Tripadvisor!
Here’s a little tidbit. The swimming pools were crowded with shrieking children. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, but not a thousand of them jumping in and out of the pool and bragging about ‘peeing’ in them. EEEEWWWWW! It was like being in Grand Central during rush hour.
Desperate for some quality adult time, we headed over to The Lido Spa Hotel or The Standard Miami. There’s a sign that forbids anyone under the age of 14 to swim in the pool. In other words, only civilized frolicking allowed. What a relief!
Bumped into Patricia Fields lounging with her posse’ poolside. We lamented the state of the economy and what was in store for fashionistas for 2009. Needless to say we needed some strong cocktails after that conversation!
Amanda Lepore, the famous transsexual, walked in right before sunset and caused a slight stir to an otherwise very jaded New York crowd. It lasted all of 30 seconds; people lifted their sunglasses and then went right back to reading Page Six.
I did a little vintage shopping as well. On Sundays they have a flea market on Lincoln Road and there were some really great deals at the end of the day. I checked out a new store called Webster, co-owned by Milan Vukmirovic, currently creative director of Trussardi, most recently designer for Jil Sander and ex-buyer of Colette in Paris. It was like a mini Colette but without the Japanese tchotchkes.
We also ate a new restaurant in the Design District called Fratelli Lyon. It’s attached to the Driade furniture showroom and a hop and skip from the new Marni store. The food was delicious and the crowd was cute. A definite must next time you’re in the hood.
Miami is nice this time of the year. The weather is perfection, the Art Deco hotels freshly painted, the beach is teaming with various examples of human perfection and the mood is totally chill. But next time, I’m staying at the Standard!
Miami Nice
Saturday, January 3rd, 2009Can I tell you about…Miami. This holiday, after spending a few peaceful days in St.John we headed to South Beach to celebrate the end of 2008 with a bang. You can always count of Sobe for that and it’s great people watching. You know how I love to do that!We stayed at the recently refurbished Fontainebleu Hotel. It was promising from the press release: 11 restaurants, a 40,000-square-foot spa, the bow-tie pool, and 1500 rooms. Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack stayed and played here and James Bond beat Goldfinger in a game of gin rummy. $1B was pumped into the renovation and $5M was spent for the celebrity-studded opening party. Built in 1954 and designed by Morris Lapidus, it was considered the most luxurious hotel on Miami Beach at the time of its opening and for a long time after that, and is also thought to be the most significant building of his career. Unfortunately, I would call the hotel FontaineBUST. The new proprietors tried their best to emulate the original grandeur and chic interiors from the 50s but failed miserably and ended up with a West-Elmy hodge podge convention hotel vibe. Nothing against West Elm but not for a 5 star hotel. I have list of complains but you can read that entry in Tripadvisor!Here’s a little tidbit. The swimming pools were crowded with shrieking children. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, but not a thousand of them jumping in and out of the pool and bragging about ‘peeing’ in them. EEEEWWWWW! It was like being in Grand Central during rush hour.Desperate for some quality adult time, we headed over to The Lido Spa Hotel or The Standard Miami. There’s a sign that forbids anyone under the age of 14 to swim in the pool. In other words, only civilized frolicking allowed. What a relief!
Bumped into Patricia Fields lounging with her posse’ poolside. We lamented the state of the economy and what was in store for fashionistas for 2009. Needless to say we needed some strong cocktails after that conversation!
Amanda Lepore, the famous transsexual, walked in right before sunset and caused a slight stir to an otherwise very jaded New York crowd. It lasted all of 30 seconds; people lifted their sunglasses and then went right back to reading Page Six.
I did a little vintage shopping as well. On Sundays they have a flea market on Lincoln Road and there were some really great deals at the end of the day. I checked out a new store called Webster, co-owned by Milan Vukmirovic, currently creative director of Trussardi, most recently designer for Jil Sander and ex-buyer of Colette in Paris. It was like a mini Colette but without the Japanese tchotchkes.
We also ate a new restaurant in the Design District called Fratelli Lyon. It’s attached to the Driade furniture showroom and a hop and skip from the new Marni store. The food was delicious and the crowd was cute. A definite must next time you’re in the hood.
Miami is nice this time of the year. The weather is perfection, the Art Deco hotels freshly painted, the beach is teaming with various examples of human perfection and the mood is totally chill. But next time, I’m staying at the Standard!
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