Slimming Voodoo aka the optical illusion dress

Whenever I hear the term "optical illusion", only one image comes to my mind and it's nothing fashionable or fierce - it's Sheldon's Doppler effect costume at Penny's Halloween Costume Party.hahaha

Bazzinga! The unflattering version of optical illusion.

With his height, Jim Parsons, literally, looked like a zebra who's walking on two feet. It did make good comedy but I don't think anyone would like to be caught dead wearing any version of that fabric. Lol Thank the fashion gods, optical illusion now refers to a fashion ingenuity that will make anyone look 10lbs lighter and 10 times hotter. ;) 

Make it work!

I distinctly remember the Levi's challenge of Project Runway from years back. Sweet P, the tattoed rocker cum fashionista, came up with a blue stunner that seems to have an instant weight loss effect in it. No, it didn't have built in Spanks but it did make the model's waist an itty bitty tiny (not that she needs!!!).  They did say black (or any other dark colors for that matter) can make you look thin, but if combined with lighter hues and is strategically placed in all the right areas, it will make you look hot! ;) And this is exactly what Sweet P did. The she used a darker shade of blue (or possibly black, sorry, I can't remember) in the waist area and a little bit close to the hem. I'm not sure if this was really her goal but it did came out great and to this day, I think the dress is still very much wearable.

Fast forward to the recent years, red carpets and runways, alike, seem to be peppered with the Slimming Voodoo dress favored by curvy celebs like Kate Winslet and Kim Kardashian. Stella McCartney seems to be the favorite but both Herve Leger (of the bondage dress fame) and Chanel also came out with their own versions (Chanel's is divine! Now I understand why Rachel Zoe (and a bevy of others) is obsessed with Monsieur Lagerfeld.). 

Alexander McQueen

Herve Leger

Chanel

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney

(left) M&S (right) Stella McCartney

Buylevard
Photo Credit: itscamilleco.com

What really makes a multi-hyphenate?

Just thought I'd share my Op-Ed assignment for my Fashion Journalism class. ;)

In an industry where everybody thinks they could be anybody, what really separates a nobody from a somebody?

Long before the term multi-hyphenate became as wildly used as it is today, Hollywood darlings like Mandy Moore, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani have already launched successful careers in music, movies and fashion. While the art of holding several job titles is no longer something new in the fashion industry, it has never received as much hype as it does now with it being almost synonymous to an “it” girl or boy. With that being said, the sprout of wannabes is definitely inevitable.

Besides being a musician, movie star and a restaurateur, JT is also into fashion. With his best bud Trace Ayala, they founded  a clothing line names William Rast.

No Doubt's front woman and mom of two is also an actress and a fashion mogul.

A multi-hyphenate is simply a successful jack-of-all-trade, with successful being the operative term. Firstly, just like in any usual case, you have to at least know how to do the job to get the job which, in this case, requires talent. That’s why, to say you are a model-stylist-make-up artist when you can barely fix a bushy pair of eyebrows or have your signature pose as the only facial expression you know does not give you any bit of right to call yourself that. It would be a direct jab to those who exerted so much time, effort and hard-work to perfect their craft if you do that. Secondly, you have to actually have a job and not just know how to do it. While in a normal corporate setting where your future boss shaking your hand and telling you that you got the post means you’re officially employed, no such scenario exists in the fashion industry. You’ll know you’ve made it when you’re actually booking jobs regularly and people are already requesting for your services. This is probably the reason why a lot of newbies are deluded once they’ve done it once or twice. Booking one show or styling one shoot doesn’t mean you’re already a legit model or stylist. Personally, I think it just means you’re one foot in the door with your other foot and the rest of your body still hanging outside. After all, it takes more than just one successful project to deserve that coveted spot in this industry.

Part of the appeal of being a multi-hyphenate is its illusiveness. Being one puts you in the company of the elite few who, not only managed to penetrate the fashion industry, but have done so successfully several times. What’s common among all of them is that they don’t try to be everything all at once. They typically try doing ‘something else’ after gaining a certain level of success from their current occupation. In a way, it’s like reinventing themselves and putting something more on the table. “It” girl Solenn Heussaff started as a model in her teens, then became a make-up artist, studied fashion in college and eventually became a designer and is now venturing into TV, movies and music. On evolving, she muses "I evolve every day and will have to do so for the next years in my life. You can never stop learning. I'm definitely more mature in the thought process (of my designs) because I've been learning and incorporating it into my work. I can only get better and work harder for it." Fly Girl Jennifer Lopez started as a dancer, then took the role of Selena in a movie with the same title, then became a singer and eventually an entrepreneur releasing both a perfume and clothing line. 

The Talented Ms. Heussaff. Solenn the Painter/ Make-up Artist/ Singer/ Endorser/ Body Painter/ Designer/ Cover Girl/ Actress/ Host. 

 When asked by Matt Lauer on what part of his personality doesn’t allow him to settle, Justin Timberlake ponders, “I think we’re all perfectionists in a way, but I think it’s more a case of you grow up young in the business and you get to try a lot of things and so you, naturally, are interested in so many different things. Growing up on television show, we were taught to be kind of triple threats like you described.  And (I don’t know) I think that if you’re gonna do it, obviously, do it in a way that’s authentic to you.” Maybe an artistic mind is never really an idle mind that’s why these celebrities constantly think of ways to release their artistic juices. Maybe they had good exposure with the other aspects of the industry that interests them, or maybe it’s just hidden talent that they recently discovered. Whatever their reasons maybe, one thing is for sure, gone are the days when having multiple jobs merely connotes poverty; just like in countries such as the United States where people usually hold two jobs to make ends meet. Nowadays, being a multi-hyphenate means you’re too talented that you can do anything and everything, enough for you to cement your spot in whatever industry you’re in. While it is definitely a feather on one’s cap to be labelled as such, it would also be an insult to the deserving ones, who have paid their dues and probably fought tooth and nail to get to where they are, to claim something that you’re not (or perhaps, something that you’re not yet).

In an industry where everybody thinks they could be anybody, what really separates a nobody from a somebody is success. Success is objective. How you define it, is up to you.

                

The PFW Experience

OK! Confession time: Almost a decade back, when I was discovering the beauty (and the ultimate cause for the frequent reappearance of my green monster of envy haha) that is the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion show, I dreamt of sashaying the runways of Paris and Milan (and yes, Victoria’s Secret, too! ;)) Eventually, I resigned and just dreamt of being that girl backstage running around, helping the models in and out of the clothes and fixing their outfits. Thanks to SOFA, that dream of mine became a reality a couple of months ago when I was given a chance to assist in the biennial Bench Fashion Show. And yet again just last week when I worked as one of the assistants to Luis Espiritu, my awesome teacher and the stylist for SM Menswear, Bags and Shoes show for Philippine Fashion Week.  The whole experience gave me a taste of what it’s like to work behind the scene and I loved every minute of it. Had I not have a day job, I would’ve seen it through from start to finish. But because of time constraints (screw limited VLs but a thousand thanks to my kikay boss who understood my “creative” needs. ;)), I only got to be at the model fitting, merchandise preps and the fashion show. Sucks that I missed the catalogue shoot but it’s ok. That’ll be for next time! ;)

During the rehersals

The model fitting happened on a sunny Friday morning. My car was coding so I was at the venue at 7AM, call time is at 9AM. Insert the Filipino time effect, the fitting, basically, started at 10:30, but I haven’t been happier to wait considering I'm not even a patient person. ;) (See, I really love this job. ;)) I adore all the sections of the show – at least those that we handled. I never really appreciated men’s clothing because I found it boring, at the very least. A suit is just simple to me – dress shirt, trousers, coat, occasionally, a vest. Gray, black, khaki, pinstripe or plain – they’re the same banana to me. Assisting in the show, though, made me appreciate the power of colours, pins, cummerbunds, scarves, neck scarves and knits. 

High Society, as the name suggests, is all about looking aristocratic. J’adore the white suits on both Hideo and Camille. I’ve always found tailored gray suits sexy on a guy, but white coats are just as gorj if done right! ;) The pins, definitely, added a fun and regal kick to the whole ensemble. 

Luxe Leather showed how the material typically associated with biker boys and rockstars could provide a beautiful and classy mix of textures when layered with knits and wools. My personal faves are the coats with leather shoulders and pockets and the dark denim/ leather pants. They’re so subtle yet they make such an impact. 

Finally, Modern Military provided a chic twist on greens and khakis by infusing leathers and knits into the mix. The green bomber jacket made me wish there’s a version for the ladies. Maybe I'm just biased towards the color green, or it’s just sooo cute I can’t get enough of it. ;)

The call time was 8:30AM on Day 1 of the show and 11AM on Day 2 but the craziness really started an hour before showtime. That’s when everyone was running around, clothes are being thrown everywhere and people are shouting at the top of their lungs; with Day 2 being way busier than Day 1 (Hands down!). It was a beautiful chaos, I can get used to it. =D

After the Thursday show, I have to admit I felt a pang of sadness. It is the last show that I’ll be “doing”, which means the week after, no more male models (Yes, I have to admit, they made the experience super colorful. ;)), no more running around and early call times, no more awesome clothes, shoes and bags, and no more being surrounded with so much creative juices. It was like a prolonged dream sequence coming to a close and I want more. At the end of it though, I must say, I have gained renewed respect for the fashion industry. The hardwork, time and effort that go into putting up a show are just astounding. Can’t help but be proud I was a part of it! ;)

It's a wrap!!! With THE Luis Espiritu, posing is inevitable. ;)

Indeed, patience is a virtue! With Mikka and Rudolph. =)

Tired but happy interns after the Day 2 show. =)