because of the movie amelia, everyone seems to be so into her life. ive always admired amelia, the spunk, the sassiness, the determination and dedication to her craft. and by golly, she knows fashion!

two days ago, i had my first bazaar. and it was fun, and worth it, and a testament to the fact that there is hope for vintage fashion.

although, i must admit, i also got crunched eyebrows,  been dismissed and  received that quintessential blank stare with ” so, these are like, used clothes?!”. My cousins even told me how weird my little business is.  believe me, sometimes, their reactions make me think i’m a swindler or whatever.

indeed, vintage fashion is a strange world. sometimes, its hip and flaunted or its quiet and just below the surface, hushed even. but it’s always there. and is here to stay.

you just have to understand it, really.  because there will always be those who’ll appreciate, and even some who’ll live for it, like i do.

the bazaar sales showed me that.  so, thank you friends. and with that in mind,  i will forge ahead, and continue doing what i love, even if its  unusual, and sometimes hard to understand.

i am proud to be weird, anyway.

one of my most favorite clients of all time, M! in her vintagemanila dress at the CCP, during the concert with UP College of Music institution Chino Toledo  and National Artist Virgilio Almario.

way to go, dear! and congratulations!

saturday was  a love love day! i went to art fair ’09 at the NBC  Tent to see the works of my friend. as usual, i am in awe of how talented people can be. and  such small world really, it turned out my high school friend had some pieces there, too. and they command super high price! 120K each! hmmph. i should have been a painter.

dress from HK

mickey watch from the happiest place on earth

i recently met with my kawaii friend F! fresh from Cebu. I brought her to  church and we had dinner in this hole in the wall restaurant just across the church. i had coke zero (walang light) sa bote! and inihaw na baboy in sizzling plate. y-u-m-m-y!  im really loving K! these days. its soooo like the place where i grew up.

Gail Angeles dress

my mother’s bato bato

I attended the  Fashion Show of Leonardo Salinas of Malasiqui  and Australia  at the Makati Shang with  friends R, P! and M. Im super proud he’s making waves in the Land Down Under and his clothes are included in that high end online shop www.im-hm.com. I love the way he does his pleats and the way he sculpts the female form. Such is craftsmanship.

90′s skirt dress from DSWS Loyola garage sale

RayBan shades from my Dad

my cousins in their “pang-araw-araw look”

back when i was just starting the store, i did a lot of photo tests (is there such a word?) with my cousins. i figured since the store is vintage, i might as well use my Lola’s house as backdrop. the “malaking bahay” as we call it is still one of the best houses i’ve seen. of course, growing up, i wasnt even aware how grand it is. i just  know this as my one big playground.  per my Lolo’s will, the house will be turned into a museum handled by the Local Government and me (haha) when my Lola dies. until then, this will serve as the official backdrop of the VintageManila store. Here, im wearing my vintage effortless skirt-dress from my Loyola days pa, and my Daddy’s original super super old Ray-ban aviator.

vintage dress from HK

shades from SM

im wearing my vintage, super 80′s-looking  karinska tutu. im loving the colors, and the design. simple, no-brainer, effortless dress. i remember those times i used to envy the ballerinas in the  SM Cubao Ballet Center. we were soooo far from Cubao my Mom told me to stop harboring any illusions of ever attending classes there. haha.

i guess i am.

i have always been fascinated with the bygone era. be it in music, in books and yes, even in fashion. there’s just something magical and magnificent about everything vintage.

ahh- vintage love!

im blaming it  on my aunts who were true blue flower children, and  living with my Lola growing up.

im blaming it  on the place I grew up because it reeks of that old old feel.

im blaming it on audrey and gracie and imelda whose style i have always loved.

im blaming it on my yaya who forced me to watch those black and white LVN and Sampaguita movies every afternoon.

and yes, im blaming it on me, because i loved those times of my life i think i do not  ever want it to end.