HEY MONDAY!

Nothing but good vibes and love the whole day. I spent my day cooking pasta, meeting a client then bonding and catching up with one of my most favorite person in the world--- JESSICA!

It was so nice finally seeing her again, after quite a while, and we ended up eating, chatting up and moving from one place to another whole afternoon and evening.

Finally, I got to give her the drawing I made for her, and my long overdue Christmas present, and was able to have her taste my own recipe of vegetarian pasta I named after her.

The portrait of her that I made. :)

Two foodies unite! haha! At Starbucks eating the potato pudding and Jessica Supermodel vegetarian pasta I made for her. :)

Sweetie working the jacket I made for her. It's part of my <organic> collection last year. (a capsule collection I made for my aunt's friend's boutique in Hawaii) 

Jessica bought two rings for us. Mine's a bird (I love birds) and her's is a two loop with chains. SWEET! :)

The birdie ring she bought for me. CUTE!!!

 I always love hanging out with friends, not just friends but real friends whom you know are genuine and without pretentions whatsoever.

And did I tell you that whenever we see each other, I always get inspired fashion-wise? She is like my mana tree of fashion inspiration---I feel recharged and rejuvinated. She makes me feel FASHION in its truest sense.

Now I'm spending the night designing clothes and stuff. And proly planning on a collaborative collection with her.

Goodnight guys! :)

WHAT'S YOUR SUMMER BAG?

Hey guys! How are you?

Summer is fast approaching and now is the perfect season to buy the perfect Summer Bag.

When it comes to summer bags, I usually prefer big totes with big opening, usually zip-opening or just plain open. (read: LV Neverfull) I like it big and wide (east-west style), where I can just dump all the stuff I need (and not really need- :p) inside and take with me anywhere my feet leads me.

If you have few extra bucks to spare for a nice summer bag, here are my recommendation for the PERFECT (beautiful, stylish, sturdy, major winner and most of all, functional), here are my recommendations to at least help you with your hunt.

ANYA HINDMARCH NEVIS COLOR-BLOCK LEATHER TOTE

I truly adore this bag. The color-blocking trend is still spot on, and the color combination of this bag just spells SUMMER in all angles. The zip pocket inside is very useful in keeping some important belongings since this bag doesn't have a main closure. I also like that it expands on the side too. And can you see the pop of bright green leather contrasting to the clean white leather in the interior? I am in-love with this bag!

PROENZA SCHOULER PS11 TEXTURED LEATHER TOTE

If you are into structured bags and kinda into edgy style, this one is for you. I love the design duo behind Proenza Schouler. While their iconic PS1 bag is still in my bucket list of bags to own, this tote bag is also worth the clamor. Very chic, edgy, very unassuming yet very striking as well. 

ALEXANDER WANG PRISMA CANVASS TOTE

Leather bags can be a bit heavy most of the time, and if you are looking for something that weights a little lighter, but is still heavy in terms of style and function, this tote bag from Alex Wang is the right bag for you. I just love how simple yet chic it looks, and since it is made of canvass, you need not worry much if you sometimes get a bit harsh on it. Plus points that it comes with a small canvass purse which you can attach inside the bag, or just let it hang outside on one of the handles. 

REED KRAKOFF LEATHER TOTE

Firstly, I love the color of this bag, it is very spot on for summer. The shape is very lovely and I like that it has a lot of pockets. It looks very simple yet very chic and sleek. It can add a nice pop of color to a mostly white ensemble during summer season. :)

YSL NEO REVERSIBLE LEATHER TOTE

This for me is one of the perfect summer totes around. I love the shape, design, details, color and the fact that it is reversible, which gives you two looks in one. Just by looking at it, I can already see myself in the beach, walking barefoot in the sand while the sun is setting and a faint breeze touching my face (haha! too much with the imagination). I love it!

All the bags shown are available at Net-a-Porter website. They ship for free all over the world, and stocks are limited so gotta check them out before they are all sold out.

Happy bag hunting and summer dreaming. I guess I will officially start my summer countdown after Valentines day. :)

BLOG GIVE-AWAY: SnapIt Screen Capture Software

Hey guys!


It's time for another Blog Give-away! The lovely and generous people from SnapIt and Digeus.com are throwing away free SnapIt Screen Capture Softwares priced at $17.99. See previous feature here.


To be able to win, just follow these three simple steps:

1. Follow me on twitter: Follow @iamRJG



2. Write about SnapIt on your blog or post about it on twitter. 



The blog post you make doesn't necessarily need to be long. Just post the simple yet awesome features of it and youre good.


ex. 
* Supports hotkeys, auto-saving, clipboard

* Automatically copies screenshots to the clipboard

* Tracks capture history, auto-saves captured images

* Saves files in BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG and TIFF formats

* Auto-names captured images

The twitter post doesn't need to be too wordy. We'll be glad if you just mention SnapIt and share its official website.



3. If you blogged about it, simply post the link of your blog post on the comments page of this post. It you happen to have talked about SnapIt on twitter, just tag me (@iamRJG) on your tweet.



Simple as that!

All who completes the three steps will automatically receive Free Registration of the software, authentic license of the product from Digeus.com. ('Till Promotion Supplies last). So this means a lot of you guys will get the opportunity to win one. I actually got mine already, and I am using it now. :)


Happy snapping guys!

Pinay Top Model Charlene Almarvez on H&M Looklet

I was doing my regular H&M trend spotting and was surprised to see my favorite Filipina model Charlene Almarvez on the Style Studio Looklet page on H&M's official website.

I have been a Looklet user since 2007, playing dress up with my virtual mannequins, using clothes and pieces from various Designers and Fashion Houses all over the world. And when H&M teamed up with Looklet for their Style Studio, I just died of happiness (read: you can dress and undress male models in H&M Looklet--HAHA!). And it is extra happy for me finding our very own Pinay International Top Model Charlene Chat Almarvez as one of the recently featured models, whom you can dress up like virtual paperdolls with H&M's chic and trendy clothes.

Here are few of the looks I made using Charlene as my mannequin/doll.

You too can make your own looks and unleash the stylist fashionista in you. Aside from Chat, there are other models of different race and color you can choose from. Visit www.hm.com for more info.

SnapIt: Screen Capture Software

To people like me whose lives practically revolves around computers and the internet, the use of a Screen Recorder Software is actually very helpful and convenient in some situations.

Everyday, I always browse the internet for interesting fashion stuff that I can talk about on my blog, well, I do that not just for my blog but I personally am always in the look out for new stuff. Often times, I save stuff on my computer, mostly images of stuff that I like and inspires me. (read: not for the purpose of copyright infringement, plagiarizing or anything to that effect.) I actually have this folder in my computer which I call "THINK TANK" where I store images and basically all the stuff that interest me and inspires me creatively. One of the major problems that I encounter is when I reach websites with so much interesting stuff yet disallow the saving of their content (no right clicking allowed). I totally respect that, even though they are all too being selfish. haha, just kidding. So I always resort to doing screen captures (Print screen) then using photoshop to crop and save images from the page to JPEG. So much hassle!


Now I am actually happy that SnapIt has come into my radar.


It saves me from the cropping and extra work on my captures. It takes a snapshot of everything you need on your screen and saves it automatically.

It is also very easy to learn and use.


Using SnapIt Screen Capture Software only takes THREE SIMPLE STEPS:

1. Once you have downloaded the software, launch the program icon, usually appears on the minimized system tray:

2. Click the PrtSCr (Print Screen) button and select with mouse what you need to capture on the screen. (read: you can just simply select the part/portion on the page you want to save.) After Selecting the region it is automatically copied to the clipboard.

3. Save a snapshot from the clipboard with any way you like:

• Ceate a new dosument using Microsoft Word , and simply paste image from the clipboard to the document you are making by pressing ctrl+v (paste). Easy as that.
• Open Adobe Photoshop, create a new image or on an open image, you may also just simply paste (ctrl+v) the image you saved on the clipboard. Very convenient to designers like me.
• Or just "right Click" it on the snapIt icon in the system tray and you will see a menu where it can enable you to save the captured image as either .bmp, .png., or .jpg file.

One extra amazing feature of SnapIt which sets it aside from other screen capture softwares, is that it enables you to automatically save all the images you capture in one assigned folder, with your preferred image format/type. It definitely saves you all the time and effort of saving all captured images in one location in jjust one click.

I totally recommend you guys using this software, whether you are a Graphic Designer, a Technical Writer, a Marketing Professional, a Blogger, or even just a simple internet/computer enthusiast.

For more information about SnapIt, visit their website: <a href="http://www.digeus.com/products/snapit/snapit_screen_capture_3_5.html">Screen Capture Software</a>




Screen Capture Software


Happy Snapping! :)


*UPDATE: I will be giving away free SnapIt softwares courtesy of SnapIt and Digeus. Will keep you posted very very soon! :)

JESSICA SWEET CAKE :)

*original photo* credit: Jessica's FB account.

Here is my attempt in drawing my most favorite model friend/muse/fashion inspiration/sweet cake--JESSICA YANG.

To people who know me, it is no surprise to know how much I truly adore this girl. She is one of the sweetest and most genuine person I know in the fashion world. And I am very glad to be having the privilege of calling her my friend. :)

I so love this girl, and I made this drawing/painting (I used watercolor pencils) of her to give as an advance Happy Birthday present for her.

I rarely do portraits/draw people. I love drawing stuff but not people's faces. I mean, I'm fine drawing faces but not copying a certain face because I am not very good at it. This one, is a brave attempt and I think I kinda deserve a pat on the back. hehehe. Plus, this is the very first portrait art that I made. YAY! 

And as far as I know, in my entire life, I have only given paintings/drawings I made to three people so far, and those were just abstract art/drawings. (Of course, not counting the fashion sketches I have given to all my clients-LOL). Two paintings I have given to my best friends in college, and one painting just the other year to my other model bestfriend who got married. (Actually I am not really confident of giving/gifting artworks I made to people...) Jes will be the fourth one--but the first to receive a portrait I have made. :) 

I just adore her like that. :)

Here's one of my favorite pics with her, taken during my Dots and Stripes Birthday Celebration last year at 7th High Superclub.

^___^ 

Cheers to having amazingly beautiful friends, both in and out. :)

And Happy Chinese New Year to all, too! 

ANNA DELLO RUSSO vs DAPHNE GUINNESS

Anna Dello Russo.

Daphne Guinness.

Two of my most admired women in the world of fashion.

I have always been fascinated, interested, intrigued and oftentimes amazed by the kind of person these two women are. They are both women of power, confidence, beauty and exceptional fashion taste. They are both women of their own league. But sometimes, I really cannot refrain from somewhat comparing them. Not that I am pitting them against each other, but I sometimes wonder: Who dresses better? Who has got better fashion goods? Who has the better fashion taste?

Before other people react and raise an eyebrow, I just want to make clear that this post is not created to judge both of them. Who am I to anyway? Especially to two women who are ICONS in the world of fashion. I look up to them a lot, and this is just a fair fashion fanatic comparison thinggy. (LOL) (So are we clear?) :p

First of, The Honourable Daphne Diana Joan Suzannah Guinness. Otherwise known as DAPHNE GUINNESS, the heiress of the Guinness Family. Well known for her signature blonde and black streaks hair do, she is also prominent in the fashion world as a fashion journalist, a lover and collector of haute couture  and an International Best Dressed List Hall of Famer (1994).

To me, she will always be Alexander McQueen's ultimate muse. Idk, I just seem to always think of the late McQueen whenever I think of Daphne, and the other way around. Who can blame me, most of Daphne's iconic images, she's wearing McQueen.

IMO, she has this eccentric, avant-garde sense of fashion. She exudes this mysterious (almost goth) aura yet still screams sophistication and elegance at its finest. She to me embodies European Haute Couture. She looks intimidating (almost scary sometimes), and she seems to be a very silent, decisive, and very private person. She seems to be like the lady boss type, one who will ask her army to cut your head off when she sees you wearing an unforgiveable outfit. Haha! Just kidding.




Next is ANNA DELLO RUSSO, editor-at-large and fashion creative consultant for Vogue Japan. sfrom that, she is very well known in the fashion world as the self-proclaimed "Passionate Fashionista" being a religious collector of high-fashion garments and haute couture pieces, and also being widely featured in top style and fashion websites and magazines around the world.

\

Anna to me is the Mother of All Things Gold and Sparkly. She has this sense of fashion which is very mainstream yet very timeless. She has this fearless and free spirit, often times embodied in her choice of fashion and manner or wearing fashion.

Unlike Daphne, I see Anna as a very happy person. Not too private, not too "exclusive". She is someone I think I can approach when I see her on the street. Although there is still that bit of intimidation with how she amazingly dress, I think she can be friendly with everyone. And lemme just say that with her age, she can amazingly give any supermodel of this generation a run for her money.



Bottomline, BOTH of them are women of exceptional fashion beauty and essence. I love them both: I love Daphne's mysterious and elegance, as much as I love Anna's vibrant, amazing and ostentatious fashion spirit.

That's all. Going to bed now, and will be rubbing elbows with both of them in my dreams. Goodnight! :)

PASTA FOR A BOWTIE?

Pasta? Think again..

If you are looking for a new way to spruce up your outfit then I suggest you try wearing one of Mass Item's (a Japanese online brand) cutesy bowtie called Farfalle.

Farfalle or "Bow Tie pasta", which also means butterflies in Italian, is designed by Micro Works and is made up of acrylic plate with metal clip at the back making it a nice bow-tie accessory for any boring outfit.

Cute noh? I would definitely love to have one for myself. For more info, visit their website here. :)

VERSACE x H&M Part II

The first collaboration of Fashion Powerhouse VERSACE and retail giant H&M has been a huge success. And following it is certainly a big challenge.

Today, Donatella and the people from H&M will be releasing a second (follow-up) collection for Spring. (Hooray for countries w/ H&M! Boohoo for people living here in the Phils... :/ )

Anyway, the collection looks very young and sweet, with fruits and flower prints as the main theme or flavor of the entire line. I can say that this new collection is not as exciting and fierce in terms of the design and color palette as compared to the first one, but there are still items that sure made me want cringe. :p

Here are few of the items I really liked from the collection. I am posting the menswear line only, but if you wanna see the items from the ladies wear, you may check them at the H&M official website.

 I totally love those cool pants and shorts!!! The shirts are simple yet chic too.

Oh Sheez, now is the time when I cannot completely agree with the slogan "It's is more fun in the Philippines", until someone brings H&M here in our country.