My Bestfriend's Wedding

I randomly received a text message from my best friend one working day. From anecdotes, reports and consultations, which were my expected daily “receivables”, I suddenly got an unexpected message that read: “I’m engaged!”. Kaye and I have been best friends since our grade school days. It was quite easy to keep the friendship intact ‘til high school since we both attended the same school. It was in college that our communication had been quite cut off. I was busy with dance and she was preoccupied with some other things. But despite the minimal communication and time we spent with each other, we were able to keep the friendship strong. We would update each other on milestones in our lives, hence, the message.

With the message, I knew that I would be playing a role in someone else’s wedding, although Kaye is not just “someone else” in my life – she’s my best friend! So, the very first role I played was...HER STYLIST! Love it! Here are some photos friends and I took during the shoot. 

It was a tiring 9-4 day! but i enjoyed every minute of it! I’ll be posting the final photos soon!

A Future Project

I have been spending my free days watching a friend choreograph and young dancers do what I once did back in college. Dance was my life, it was. And for almost a year now, I decided to put a period to that statement, claiming that it is and would no longer be my world. But several days sitting in the mirror-walled room, watching pairs of feet leap and hands flick, I realized that you can never put a period to one thing you have put your heart and time into. A comma would do.

Maybe I no longer wear those leotards and tights and slip on those legs warmers and dancer sneakers but I know that my heart never stopped beating for dance. The love just manifests in a different way. The mirrored walls reflected images of my past and my future. It gave me a vision of displaying my new love while reflecting my past. Karen, be ready, cause we are going tribal!!!

Captured: LOST

Photography: Karen Versoza
Make-Up: Jonah Zaraspe
Model: Patch Feliciano
Styling: Me - Jai Astilla
Location: Manila

The Finds
Black Turtle Neck Dress - DKNY
Black Fur Gilet - Pink Manila
Animal Print Scarf (worn as belt) - Thrift Shop
Necklace - Naturalia (Tiendesitas)
Gold Cuff - What Women Want (SM Department Store)
Gold Bangles - My mom's

Captured: More of Ja and Nini

I love photo shoots!!! It gives me the opportunity to do what I love most - finding.
Clothes. Location. And People.
In this prenup shoot we had amazing finds.

LOCATION
Who would ever think that Narra Residence Hall would turn out to be an amazing location for a shoot? It was once home to two extremely different groups of men - the manly and the "pretty" iskos.


Karen, peeking through a hole (not in the wall). It was Karen's playground.

We didn't just make one good location find. Next stop...UP BLISS.
Love, Love, Love it!!!

CLOTHES
The most reliable shop of all, opened its doors for me, when I say open, I mean wide open. All of Nini's clothes were from what Jeff and I would call our "BLOOMINGDALES" - the ukayan. The grueling part was in finding pieces for Ja. I wasn't ready to style a man. I was saving that moment for ________ (sikreto!) Shall reveal very soon! It's all up to Mike...hehehe. Back to the clothes, we got help from Ja's personal stuff and of course mixed it with amazing finds from the men's department of "BLOOMINDALES".
PEOPLE
There's an unending meeting of new people. Everyday you come across new faces, try to remember new names. Sometimes, you don't mind, most of the time, you forget. But there would be those who will forever be remembered. Thanks Ja and Nini for making us part of this! You both are an amazing find!!!

Captured: Ja and Nini

I have been knocking on the gigantic gilded doors of the fashion world for quite some time now. I knew I needed a break from that emotionally tiring act. I was too stubborn. I didn't want to stop.. not until the demands of being a bride's maid kept coming in. Had to put that stubbornness aside as I kept myself busy with Love and Mark's wedding. I was saved from a knuckle-breaking moment!

But everything comes to an end. The wedding was done. The bride is now a wife, the groom, a husband. And the bride's maid? Ohh well, I was back to reading Preview and Surface, browsing style.com while finishing my 2nd cup of coffee.

I was about to start knocking on that knuckle-breaking door when I received a text message from the "not-so-long-ago bride", Love, asking if I was willing to style another prenup shoot. HUWOW!!! Another knuckle-saving opportunity for me! I grabbed it and tagged my partner-in-crime along, the photographer na may malayang diskarte.

Me in action. Trying to make Nini look like a flapper girl.

When doors open...You find someone.

The walls speak.

And when doors close...it's comforting to know you have someone.

Couple: Ja and Nini
Stylist: Jai Astilla
Photgrapher: Karen Versoza
Location: Narra Residence Hall, UP Diliman