behind-the-scenes: SHOP YAPI editorial shoot

in less than three days, YAPI -- my online store of personally hand-picked chic and casual ready-to-wear style, will launch. April 3 is the date to watch. YAPI's collections will be reflections of my own personal style -- 'bohemian-meets-dainty-vintage' and takes on my favorite style bloggers' styles. Here's a sneak peak on the items that will be for sale on www.shopyapi.com: 

if you can't see the video, check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5lJkW659f4

credits:

bts video: philip lapinid

models: toni pino and phoebe adani

photography by: russel capatoy

styling by: gizelle faye sembrano

make-up by: armand alforque

production assistants:

john harry bunagan

philip lapinid

derrick garces

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sheer delight: the perfect summer dress

people tend to stay away from chiffon thinking it's too formal for day use or that it's too humid out to wear them. here i am, defying what other people think and no, a chiffon maxi dress is not too formal for day use and not humid at all. it's the perfect summer dress for when i feel like being all too feminine. to downplay a statement dress like this, pair it with flats like a studded or embellished sandal, add a thin belt to accentuate the waste and for someone like me who's afraid of showing my humongous (post-swimming / flag football) arms, pair it with a loose cover-up. add a dozen (or one, for others) of accessories and you're ready to go! ♥

floral chiffon maxi dress - shopyapi.com | white cover-up - thrifted | white studded sandals - gifted from aimee | cerulean blue belt - shopyapi.com | stacks of bangles - carbon finds + gifted from sweet | 

leaf necklace - carbon find | brown sunnies - bangkok find

5 more days till the launching of www.shopyapi.com...♥ 

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channeling 60's woodstock

(the mini burgers are the sampler ones of flame it's awesome grilled burgers. cream cheese + garlic, garlic mayo, bacon mushroom and cheese and chili con carne = LOVE) 

i just can't stop wearing this vest! haha. wearing my beloved fringe vest with this floral tiered dress made me feel like i belong in a 60's woodstock concert but in a conservative way. i should dress this way more often as it's liberating in the sense that i was able to channel an era of new and radical events and trends. 'The Sixties' was an era where social taboos were relaxed, there was an excess in flamboyance and where people simply freed themselves of social constraint. the constant swinging of the fringes on my vest and the last tier of my dress also helped with the liberating feeling.(kidding)

hmmm, so how's my life been in the last few days? i've been utterly busy, it's sometimes no longer funny because i've been late for work almost everyday. i've been sleeping until 3:00 AM everyday, not only taking care of our wholesale business (which is situated at home, taking over my sister's old room)  but most importantly preparing for www.shopyapi.com. i've prepared 43 tops, dresses, skirts, shorts and trousers; 5 bags, 8 pairs of shoes, 8 kinds of belts and 3 kinds of swimsuits for the shop. 

floral tiered dress - bangkok find

fringe vest - bangkok find

turquoise belt - robinson's dept store, dumaguete

tan bag - parisian, sm dept store

blue embellished sandals - bangkok find

cross necklace - custom made by sister

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summer layers: sheer + prints

phew! finally got the chance to do a post. this has probably been the longest time i've been away and i apologize for that. i might not have a lot of dedicated readers like other blogs but i think i'm safe to say that a few do follow my posts. right? *wink*

aside from the lack of internet connection at home for almost 3 weeks now, i've also been very (as in super) busy with our wholesale apparel business. it's an awesome job selling clothes to people and sorting out dresses, tops, skirts, shoes and bags, trying them out every once in a while and giving styling advice to those interested but do not quite know what to do with the item. oh i wish i can just work in a clothing store (or manage my own) and make a living out of it. i've got shallow, shallow ambitions huh? but dealing with fashion makes me happy. note to harry: find a great paying job so we can live off your salary...hahaha!

on another note, a very exciting one, remember how i've been saying i've been brewing up something big? it's almost at its completion. here's a sneak peek. hope you're excited! ♥ ♥ ♥

sheer printed dress - thrifted (and borrowed from mom)

black camisole - metro ayala dept store

black lace-up cuban heels - parisian, gifted from harry

turquoise belt - robinson's dept store, dumaguete

stacks of bangles: brass + wooden - carbon finds

elephant necklace - carbon find

cross necklace - custom-made by sister

elephant tusk necklace - bangkok find

rattle snake connector ring - carbon find

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the thing with rompers

so i finally know what everyone means about rompers being comfortable. yes, they sure are. but the funny thing is, it is such a hassle when you need to pee! haha! 

so spent the day at Drawing Board Creative Studios, just getting the feel of the office and basically, just bugging everyone. this extra energy is making me jumpy and just willing to do any work, even operate the photocopy machine!

i want to write more but this means divulging initial plans for our clothing line. i have to keep quiet until everything is definite. *crossing fingers*

black romper - props

teal cardigan - thrifted

black faux snake-skin flats with gold chain details - parisian

grey bag - mongkok ladies market

elephant necklace - thrifted at carbon

enamel bangles: props | hongkong gift shop | gifted from april

pink rhinestone bangles - gifted from india

taking a big leap

 

i have wanted to do this since forever. only that i was making excuses for myself, basically because i was afraid i wouldn't be able to pull it off. so here it is -- shop yapi vanilla. it's partly named after the nickname my lil' sister has for me -- yapi (which is backwards for my childhood nickname). it will feature pre-loved items, vintage finds and some designs by me. *crossing my fingers* the shop is currently open to philippine buyers for now, only because i'm still trying to figure out a payment and shipping scheme for international buyers.

 

so summer is definitely here and there's no stopping it. the heat is almost unbearable! it is scorching hot. the season for cotton shirts, linen clothing, short shorts and skirts is here!

neon green shirt - thrifted
plaid skirt - props
black beaded sandals - DIY (finickee sandals + old buttons from people are people)
white bag - mongkok ladies market, hk
dog tag necklace - custom-made
rings: blue - props | orange howlite - dane's giveaway

i just close my eyes

 

 

before anything else, i know everyone is saddened by the death of Alexander McQueen. He was a genius designer and will be greatly missed by the fashion industry. RIP Lee McQueen.

so i'm back to work. back to the grind and very deep in it. nothing interesting has happened to me since coming back from my long weekend. although now, when i'm overwhelmed with the piles of work, i close my eyes and think that at the end of the day, i'm going home to a tree house cottage with ambient lights and a comfortable bed. it comforts me for a minute and makes everything all right again. 

i've been thinking about putting up a "vanilla ice cream shop". people have been asking me where i buy my clothes or how i'm so lucky at thrifting. well, thrifting is a hobby. it's something my mom and i love to do. we do it monthly and we buy in bulks -- trust me, my arms get sore after shopping at vintage stores. i was thinking of selling some of the stuff i bought (washed and ironed, of course) and if i love what i bought too much, design something inspired by the item and have it custom-made for the shop. what do you think?

ruffled top - thrifted

cropped black knit cardigan - thrifted

black croc belt - props

skinny jeans - chillypapas

grey flats - so fab (big sister's gift!)

spiral cuffs - props

gun-metal reindeer necklace - bubble bee gift shop