Cebu Next

It's out tomorrow! So honoured to be a part of the list with these talented & humble Cebuanos. Please grab a copy of Zee Lifestyle's December issue.

(L-R) Vito Selma, Matteo Guidicelli, Slater Young, Vania Romoff, Mia Arcenas, Holly Dychangco, Raleene Cabrera & Kryz Uy
Photography by Dan Douglas Ong Creative Direction by Melo Esguerra   Shot on location at Cebu Yacht Club ❧ some behind the scenes photos to add to my previous blog post [via iPhone].. We were all suffering under the sun and it felt like the hottest day of the month.  Look at everyone squinting/ scrunching up their foreheads! We also had solo shots taken before everyone arrived for the group photo and I had to wear the first dress I had under the kaftan. I forgot to bring a slip! No choice but to layer or else I'd be flaunting my undies... Thanks to Mia for the beautiful kaftan and cuffs ♡  It was a really fun photo shoot even if we had to look away from the camera after every shot (cos the sun hurt our eyes soooo much). We all knew each other well so you can only imagine the amount of jokes we cracked in between the serious poses. We all look so prim and proper, right? Don't be fooled! We're a wacky bunch.  Thanks so much to Zee for including me in this lineup. You guys are always so supportive and accommodating every time I visit. Can't wait to see the full spread! 
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Cebu (Nov. 2-3)

First half of August 2012

It's that time of the month wherein I post a ton of uncategorized photos in one entry... 

Champagne, champagne!

Delilah

Vito's done it again! It's amazing how he reinvents the rocking chair into something that's modern yet still Filipino by using rattan. I really want this piece for our house in Baguio... I only have one VS piece for now (geo table) and it never fails to attract the attention of visitors.


The Delilah will be available at KISH soon. The Philippine launching is going to be in Manila F.A.M.E. International from March 18-21, and he will also be showcasing in Design Days Dubai from March 18-21. This is just one of the 8 new pieces he's designed for VS, so drop by! I'll be attending Manila F.A.M.E. on those dates. 


Watch this dreamy video he made....

Like the ebb and flow of the tides, the act of coming and going reverberates in our most basal instincts as human beings. We go forth, only to go back- to a favorite song, a frayed shirt, a well-loved meal. Back and forth, back and forth.

A rocking chair, a silent testimony to countless babies being nursed to sleep, coming and going between wakefulness and slumber. A rocking chair, tucked into a corner, unused, all but forgotten. A rocking chair, refashioned. Back and forth, back and forth, we go.

- Vito Selma

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As easy as winking

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Glad I started my year by meeting up with family + friends I've missed dearly! 

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Iceland and Morocco in the eyes of Vito Selma

My very talented friend and "kuya" Vito Selma was kind enough to send me his photographs from Iceland and Morocco a few nights ago. I envy this guy's life right now (who wouldn't?!) since he gets to travel all over the world, study Industrial Design for free and work under a huge firm in Italy. He deserves all of that, of course... He's my best friend Izabelli's brother and I can definitely say that he's one of those really hardworking Filipino designers who is just overflowing with talent and love for our country. He's one of my idols, really. His photographs inspired me to pick up a camera at a young age, and being able to see their factory while I was in high school sort of convinced me to really dive into the world of design. Even if he didn't finish Interior Design to focus on making furniture, that hasn't stopped him from creating amazing displays during expositions (and never fails to bag awards at each one he joins).

I think he took down his blog a long time ago, so he continues to post these type of beautiful photos only on his Facebook page. You can go to his viewbook or check out his design portfolio instead.

So here are some of his photos. I'd share with you the rest from his European adventures but I tell ya, there's just too many and they're all so pretty! He was too lazy to put a watermark on his photos that night so he told me to just fix them for my site. Chose Morocco and Iceland from his collection because of the scenery and the details in the interiors. Enjoy!!!

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ICELAND

Vito met Bjork's sister through his friend Sonja, so he got to meet their parents (and he just HAD TO write that on my Facebook wall to piss me off, jeeeez hahaha). He says Icelandic people are the most fashionable people you'll ever meet. I think this is easy to believe since I remember Yvan Rodic saying that every kid there has a band and dresses impeccably. It's like they go out everyday looking like they've hired a brilliant stylist to dress them. Vito said that in Iceland they don't follow trends and they're just really creative. Even 5-year-olds are fashionable! I'm more pressured to really prepare my wardrobe before visiting! I think Bjork will be there when that time comes (she was in New York when Vito visited their house, HA HA HA!!!).

I really wanted to cry when I saw this photo! Vito said that you could spot 3-5 rainbows a day at this time of the year!

People keep asking him if he sends his photos to National Geographic but all he says is that those guys are PROs... And Vito, you're not?! Jeeeez :))

Quirky shoes from KRON, one of the most expensive boutiques where Vito's friend works. LOVE IT.

Iceland only has a population of 300,000+. If I were to live there, my name would be Raleene Ralphsdottir and Issa/Izabelli would be Isabella Moisesdottir. We'd have to use our father's first name then dottir after it. HAHAHA! My brother would be named Ralph Ralphsson (he's Ralph Jr.).

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MOROCCO

I decided to share these photos on my blog the moment the first photo below was posted on Facebook. These were taken inside a Moroccan riad, one of the small apartments converted into a hotel by its previous owners. I was amazed at how detailed everything looked and how nicely each tile was placed. The smaller details are hand-painted. According to Vito, there's really nothing else to do there so their interiors look AMAZING and they have all the time to put such details on everything. He's also visiting during the hottest time of the year. He said Morocco was a place for travelers, not tourists. Girls have to be more careful as well... One of his friends kept being bugged and a man wanted to buy her for 10 camels. Oh my gosh! :))

The door on the left is the only thing you could see from the outside. "Never judge a house by its door."

From Vito's window

And here's just one of those enviable status messages he posts on his Facebook (mind you, he posts one or two each month!):

"DREAM COME TRUE. working with a documentary filmmaker, sustainable designer and consultant for a new program show for National Geographic. Empowering people with sustainable solutions in the Philippines and the rest of the world."

GAAAH. Make us proud, Vito!!! Thank you for sending me these awesome pictures!

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