Table of contents for August 2022 in MEGA

Time and again, it has been established that our country is abundant with creatives. Whether it is from the realm of design, architecture, or the arts, the Filipino talent has emerged as one of the strongest voices in our industry. Case in point: this month, we pay homage to the National Artist for Fashion Design, Salvacion Lim Higgins. Slim, as she is more popularly known, established the Slim’s Fashion and Arts school in 1960. Since its inception, Slim’s has produced some of the biggest names in Philippine fashion design-Michael Cinco, Albert Andrada, and Joey Samson, to name a few. MEGA was fortunate enough to be given access to Slim’s archival pieces–some of which even date back during the fifties. Our biggest take away? Great design truly transcends time- and this…

As Filipinos, we take so much pride in being good English speakers. Foreign luxury brands are what’s reputable when it comes to standard and quality. Our measure of success is global recognition. Although our soul remains rooted in our homeland, we crave to speak the language of the world. Zooming out of these things, they seem acceptable. Harmless, even. But in retrospect, we need our country and our country needs us now more than ever. Our languages—the code of our identity—comes in several forms and are found in different facets. With the emergence of pushing Filipinos for a global mindset, we are lost in translation on how to uplift our own languages, our own culture, and even ourselves. And with the global economic decline we are facing, whose hands should…

Cliche as it sounds, the saying “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” really manifests itself in Lesley Mobo and his works. In this pandemic alone, we saw how much the London-based designer found a bigger love for our country’s culture as he translated this to every terno piece he created during his stay in Aklan back in 2020. It was so successful that there were homegrown Auro Chocolates released based on his creations. Way before we saw these, Mobo was initially on a path toward being a doctor. “I was very good with science at school, so I thought I could be a doctor or surgeon,” he tells MEGA. “Hence I went to study pre-med in university.” It was when he was on the verge of attaining his degree in…

There is no better word that gives voice to the exorbitant number of consumers in the Philippine alcohol market than the widely used Filipino drinking lingo, “Tagay!” It is used in many social gatherings, essentially to start the night and to keep the spirit of a group alive. It is safe to say that the Philippine alcohol market is one of fastest growing in the world. In the richness and authenticity of this Filipino experience, many Filipino brands have started to create alcoholic drinks inspired by notes of our heritage, with flavors popularized in the Philippines. If you’re looking to spice up your tastebuds with intricately chosen ingredients reminiscent of the Filipino palate, then you should try the drinks of Destileria Barako. Drawn by the rich and bounty lands, produce,…

GET EVEN “Whenever I don’t get enough sleep and rest, my skin tends to look dull and stripped of its natural glow, so I always seek professional help for it to bounce back. That’s why I make time to visit LUMINISCE Holistic Skin and Laser Clinic for a facial, specifically their Coquille Peel (P2500/per session). It uses gentle Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) from natural fruit and food extracts to shed off all the dead skin cells and restore the skin’s moisture levels. After each session, not only is my skin brighter and better than before, but because of all the pampering, I also feel reinvigorated.” RYUJI SHIOMITSU, FASHION DIRECTOR CROWNING GLORY “During the pandemic, let’s just say most of us subscribed to the old-school, au naturel way of life: no…

In the teeming streets of Binondo where time stands still, in the middle of an August drizzle where the sun kisses the rain, in the silent hours when the world miraculously allows momentary solace, fashion lays peacefully at the hearth, burning slowly but never ebbing away. This August, fashion roots itself deeper in its formidable foundation: the arts. Gracing our cover is Maja Salvador—donning the historic and classic creations of the late National Artist for Design, Salvacion Lim Higgins—who unveils to us the merit of slow processes and steady strength in changing seasons. As artists breathe new life into every stitch, fabric, and layer, souls and stories transcend time, even existence.…

FASHION ARTE FINO, web<instagram.com/artefinoph>; BOTTEGA VENETA, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Greenbelt 4; CAROLINA HERRERA, Rustan’s Manila; DIOR, Solaire Resort & Casino, SM Makati, SM Aura Premier, The Podium, SM Mall of Asia, Greenbelt 3; ESTEE LAUDER, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Rustan’s Makati, Gateway Mall; FENDACE BY VERSACE, Solaire Resort & Casino; FENDI, Solaire Resort & Casino, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Ayala Center, SM City North Edsa; GIVENCHY, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenbelt 4; GUCCI, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Greenbelt 4; ILAW COMPANY, web<www.ilaw-company.com>; JOAQUIN OFFICIAL, web<instagram.com/_ joaquinofficial>; KAAYO, web<www.kaayoph.com>; LOEWE, Shangri-La Plaza Mall; LOUIS VUITTON, Greenbelt 3, Solaire Resort & Casino; PRADA, Greenbelt 4; STRONGVILLAGE, web<www.strongvillageclothing.com>; YVES SAINT LAURENT, Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La Plaze Mall, Solaire Resorts & Casino DESIGNER DAQUILANG ATELIER, web<instagram.com/daquilangmiguel>; LEN CABILI, web<instagram.com/lencabili>; ZARAH JUAN, web<www.zarahjuan.com>; KENNY LADAGA, web<www.kennyladagacouture.com>; SALVACION LIM HIGGINS, web<instagram.com/slimsfashion>;…

There exists in fashion an almost insurmountable disparity between local and luxury brands. What causes this gap? Ethnocentrism and economic imbalances. But, here’s the thing: Brand globalness topples all else regardless of ownership—something both homegrown and high-end names can possess. When brands create a global identity with like-minded people (imagined or otherwise), a specific consumer culture is formed. So, who says local brands can’t keep up with international marketing the way luxury lines do? Taking out all forms of bias, prejudice, even discrimination, fashion’s two ends of the spectrum are moving towards the gray area of co-existing as symbols of prestige and cultural ideals. Welcome to the new world of local luxury.…

BOTTEGA VENETA MINI JODIE In this whole new aesthetic introduced by Bottega Veneta’s creative director Daniel Lee, the Mini Jodie is the perfect shearling top handle bag that gives a fresh and modern take on the classic hobo shoulder bag GIVENCHY CUT OUT BAG Power, elegance, and edge—the Givenchy Cut Out bag is a standout must-have that boasts of a unique silhouette, a massive attention to detail, and a bold, rich aesthetic DIOR VIBE BUCKET BAG When sportswear codes combine with Dior’s couture spirit, the result is a signature bucket bag crafted from white calfskin that features a tonal sculpted underside, a sturdy leather handle, and a removable shoulder strap GUCCI MINI SHOULDER HAT CASE Defined by the combination of two archival elements—the house’s monogram and the green and red…

FASHION FEATURE: LIFE IN LUXURY We all know that if we wanted to have first dibs on luxury brand items, a personal shopper is our easiest way in. We know this thanks to celebrities and influencers who tag their personal shoppers on social media. But acquiring the services of personal shoppers is desired not only by consumers who want to gain access to luxury and extravagance, but also by celebrities who want to maintain their image and by well-off, busy people who want to look a certain way but don’t have time to shop. For an insider look on the luxurious world of personal shoppers, brand associates, and their clients, we talked to long-time celebrity stylist John Lozano, former ready-to-wear (RTW) lead expert for a luxury brand and current freelance…

ONE TO WATCH Art, energy, and curiosity—Jinggay Serag, with a wide and vivid perspective on these three, is a master creator of the tragic, the beautiful, and the ever-changing moments in fashion. Serag graduated with a degree in architecture, and so she has always been design-centric. However, she did not pursue fashion immediately, but instead worked in the corporate industry. “After some time, I realized that I wanted to express myself more creatively, so I took fashion courses and eventually even got a Best in Technique award for my graduation collection,” says Serag. Armed with a new fiery passion for creating, Serag joined several design competitions, including the MEGA Young Designers Competition, where she was a placer, as well as the reality TV show Project Runway Season 4 and the…

We tend to forget that throughout history, being “beautiful” has meant radically different things. In Ancient Greek, women were portrayed with thick unibrows. Wide hips and curvy figures were praised during the Renaissance period, and native Filipino women would cover themselves in tattoos. These portrayals show that beauty standards are not like a singular, all-powerful truth set in stone. In Beauty Blog, one of the Philippines’ biggest names, BJ Pascual, shares his journey to unlearning the restrictive norms of masculinity and to pushing for people to have a more diverse world. Lastly, in Hot & Fresh and Tried & Tested, discover all the brands and services that are making the future of beauty brighter as they take innovation and sustainability to heart. We will always be in the face of…

If there’s one thing that makes local brands more warm, personal, and intimate than the mainstream, high-end names, it’s the deep, great stories they dearly hold on to. And with immense integrity and awareness of intent—both of which serve well the people and the environment—these sustainable local brands are at the heart of homegrown art, style, and fashion. 1 Kaayo In Bisaya, the word “kaayo” means kindness, to go beyond, and for the good. Now, what started as a small partnership with a T’boli mother-daughter tandem has become Kaayo Modern Mindanao. “Homegrown brands like ours stand out because of the heart and soul that we put into our pieces,” says Marga Nograles, founder of Kaayo. “The stories we tell, the culture and traditions that we fight to keep alive and…

In today’s circumstances, people have navigated how to balance fashion and safety. One such brand that caters to bring forth this advocacy in the name of personal care is professional home and beauty label, Cathy Kathy. The local home and beauty brand aims to promote elegance along with environmentally-friendly choices through their main line, gel polish, and hand sanitizers. IMPACT REPORT Long-lasting and adding a layer of protection to nails, gel polish has become a popular choice among women who also want a natural finish. Cathy Kathy has two ranges of professional premium gel varnish that are vegan, non-toxic, and safe for pregnant women. The Cathy Kathy Nordic Edition has 108 sophisticated shades that are reminiscent of the Nordic and Scandinavian architecture and natural landscape. From hues inspired by the…

There are numerous Filipino, age-old practices that are still strongly upheld today, which make the Filipino culture unique: a karaoke set-up at every family gathering, the act of bayanihan in natural calamities, and hanging a rosary around the car’s rear-view mirror for protection, to name a few. We celebrate and explore these traditions in our Features section. In Dining, discover the liquor brands that are bringing to the world the unique experience of telling stories and bonding over a bottle or two with Filipinos. Not only that, but they are also using unconventional local ingredients to make the best flavorful drinks.…

1 SECRET GARDEN Take another step toward eco-innovation with the reinvention of GUERLAIN’s Aqua Allegoria collection, which has two new sustainable features. First, there’s a formula change as their fragrances are now exclusively made with organic alcohol sourced from beetroot. And 95% of its ingredients are made from natural origin. This helps preserve the planet’s biodiversity without compromising the scent’s quality. Second is the redesign of the Bee Bottle⁠—their signature gold honeycomb-topped flacon⁠—into a refillable format that’s made with 15% recycled glass. Now, you can refill the house’s iconic luxe glass bottles as many times as you wish. One can also indulge in all these latest upgrades with the newest member of the line, the Nerolia Vetiver (P9,100), a vibrant but meditative floral scent that deepens the longer it lingers…

SPECIAL FEATURES It started in the year 1992 and a vision that felt surreal birthed wonders in the world of fragrance. The story of what would be an iconic perfume started from a dream of Japanese avant-garde fashion designer, Issey Miyake. The musing was about the designer imagining what a drop of water would smell like on a woman’s skin. Taking inspiration from this reverie, perfumer Jacques Cavallier invented L’Eau d’Issey. The eponymous perfume with notes of lotus, calone, lily, and water peony also originated a new fragrance family, the aquatics. Three years later, L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme, a fragrance for men, was launched in a torrent of woody spices. Since its introduction, the piquant pair has been a cult classic among fashionistas and cognoscenti. Thirty years later, the famed…

SPECIAL The glorious name of Salvacion Lim Higgins will perpetually echo in the halls of fashion and the arts for as long as ardor exists among Filipino creatives. The Albay born artist, who is more known as Slim, studied Fine Arts under the wing of National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco. Recently hailed a National Artist for Design herself, it was as if Slim was destined to reinforce the legacy of her nationalistic perspective even years after her passing in 1990—just when she was about to present her collection as a Hall of Fame honoree by the Manila Fashion Designer’s Association. The House of Slim, which Slim opened together with her sister Purificacion when she returned to Manila after World War ll, has launched countless of fashion shows and dressed all…