To Inspire

Been dry on the fashion front lately. I used to be so into it, that I had committed to memory so much things about fashion. Now, I feel like I've lost touch. Well maybe not completely, but to put it in better terms, I've placed more time and effort on other things than the pursuit of all things fashion.

I might've mentioned before, under much pretense, how fashion is my first love. Truth is, it's not. It's one among the many things I've conveniently bundled under the label "BEAUTY" or "ART", which I love dearly. But I can never deny that fashion plays such a crucial role in my life and how I view things.

I'm the kind of person who---honestly, believes it's a valid excuse to pass on an event when I'm not dressed accordingly. That's valid in my book. Like that successful Magnum ball last Wednesday. I was so out of it, I went to the launch looking like I tried to meet the event's dress code, instead of actually wearing it. This close I tell you, to calling it a day for that event, but all turned out well and happy and fun, even when I didn't dress the part.

I'm also the kind of person who notices style and how people dress. It's the story angle about it which I love and I find incredibly exciting about fashion and style. How a camel blazer looks different on different guys, or how those "mandatory" glittery, hanging tops look sexy on others and ultra feminine on some.

This all started when I came home last night, at around 3 in the morning I went on YouTube to see if my favorite, favorite model--Garrett Neff, had anything new on video. His latest one was an episode from Brad Goreski's series and it showed Brad styling for that DETAILS issue with Ashton on the cover (September 2011). Here's the case in point and you'll understand how things look incredibly different for different people. Even when both Garrett and Ryan are models (and they do look alike somehow), both of them lend their own touches to styled looks. It's that personal touch I look for, that feel of anything unique and for a lack of a better term, the personal in fashion, which I always find so interesting and inspiring.

And while I've decided to get back on updating myself in terms of style and fashion, I'm glad the internet is home to so much inspiration, you'll never have a reason again to say no to an event (like me) because you're not dressing the part.

I hope you enjoy these collection of inspirations, things, you've noticed, I really love to do for my blog, and I hope you'll find something enlightening in everything here as I have.

:D

Karlie Kloss & Jourdan Dunn

"Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." ---Mother Teresa

Poetry & Desert

Lusting over that spumoni, is like Berryman's Henry lusting over a woman.

Right?

...or falling at her little feet and crying

'You are the hottest one for years of night

Henry's dazed eyes

have enjoyed, Brilliance.' I advance upon

(despairing) my spumoni. ---Sir Bones is stuffed:

de world, wif feeding girls.

- Dream Song # 4 by John Berryman

I kind of get the poem...Kind of, thanks to an Illinois university (my hometown!). Look it up and so you'd understand what it's all about. That spumoni though sure looks delicious (and I know this is Salt...but this post still qualifies as a Salt-legit read, right?).

.Gerard

The Week...End

Celebration...

I was planning on dishing out something sarcastic for the new week, but everyone's been so bitter about tomorrow and the days ahead, that I decided I'd cancel on it.

Well, I can't blame them.

Instead of sticking out our tongues on Monday and work and school and the tons of irritating people and things that normally occupy us, why don't we all just sleep with a smile?

Sureeeeee....it's cheesy, but I realized that when we really smile at things, it becomes a tiny bit lighter. Like that essay I was reading "On Prejudice" by William Hazlit. I hated it cause I couldn't understand it perfectly, but I had to finish it and learn it. I didn't really smile, but I tried to think of better things to inspire me.

And it worked.

We just have to lighten up a bit...Right?

I should stop preaching and suggesting cause I know that in the coming days I'd end up cranky like I'm on menopause.

Oh well. Thank God for a wonderful weekend and I hope we all feel, a little joyous about the new week.

A LITTLE BIT MORE AND IT'S SEPTEMBER...You know what that means....

(wink)

.Gerard

Do NOT panic

Bench on the Arthur Sales

If it's a half-naked man you're seeing, do not panic.

It's just Arthur Sales, one of my favorite models. He's on the cover of VISUAL TALES magazine and since this is Arthur Sales, he'll most likely end up in some photo with little clothing on...

Anyway, the point is not to turn you guys gay or turn the gays gayer or turn the women girlier.

Point is, CHECK OUT THE BENCH BODY UNDERWEAR...

Wow Bench, you're really up there up there. CONGRATULATIONS!

Getting one of the best models in the world wear your label is beyond a recognition...It's an ARRIVAL!

(P.S. Don't be so scandalized about this, this is just fashion...Well, if you do get scandalized, there's something wrong up your head...No seriously.)

.Gerard

Hi, I'm too good-looking

"Hey, yeah, I can't talk right now...I'm busy looking good."

"Sean O's full of bull...We're busy being pretty too. I just wanted to ask if he wanted to join our good-looking people only dinner later."

Don't take these seriously, I'm just bored.

.Gerard

Tall & Sexy

Kate Moss on i-D magazine

Shit Kate Moss, is one hot mommmaaaa.

Don't you think that of all the models out there, probably the best one who deserves a statue of her own somewhere in London is Kate Moss?

A lot would disagree, but I really think Kate Moss is a darling. Look at that.

Okay, i-D's on my September to-steal-list

.Gerard

The Guide to Melting

David Gandy & Garrett Neff for Massimo Dutti

It's no doubt that the world of fashion is pretty small for two handsome dudes. Last Spring was Garrett Neff's stint for Massimo Dutti and he was perfect for it. For Fall, it's now British Dolce & Gabbana man, David Gandy who's staring through those lenses (and much like all the other beautiful people of the world) melting your wretched souls. It's not really about taking sides, cause there's no point to it. I mean, taking sides is ugly.

It's about learning the ways when one desires to melt people's souls. Add in here Sean O' Pry, Simon Nessman, Terron Wood and Noah Mills, then it'd be the end of the world. For the girl version, keep checking Salt for updates (and the mega-watt melters).

Peace.

.Gerard

Hmmm...

W magazine, as we all know, has a new team behind it.

And of course, it's quite expected that since it's a new team, a new vision and perspective for it would emerge.

And here it is...

What do you think?

Do you like the new "W"?

.Gerard

Baseball Jackets and a Lift

photos by Lesley Choa

Check out my Preggy pic.

Thank you Lesley for the photo and even if you beg to disagree, everyone else would believe me when I say that I look knocked up on this one.

It's the grey shirt I guess. That jacket, was a gift from my cousin Ate Kathleen and I finally had

the day to wear it. Thank you dearest cousin!

My wallpaper is of Zac Efron's black and white photo for DETAILS magazine and it haunts me, every single time I look at it of that Dries Van Noten jacket. I have to wait for th

e collection to hit stores before actually knowing the price. But I bet my pregnant photo on it that it would cost me my life and two more of my past lives for it. I'm quite cheap and the jacket's hell expensive. The best solution to owning one is to rob a bank. Up to now, I am in need of some good training. It'd be better if there would be anyone willing to steal me enough money for that Dries jacket and a Cartier. I'd be happy.

I need a haircut. The problem with my hairstyle is that it's meant to stay short. The moment it grows long and it starts looking like a huge paintbrush, it's off to my cutter. Somebody in school told me that my haircut looks expensive. Honey, an entire semester of readings cost more (wayyyy more) than my haircut. Believe me. I actually don't believe in expensive haircuts. Maybe that's because I couldn't afford them. You know me, I

don't believe things I couldn't touch. I'm laughing right now. Oh, you better check out Twitter. It's a jungle out there. Now, they're trending about me being pregnant (cause of the photo) and they're on a quest, looking for the baby daddy. I hope it's Steve Jobs, so I could get me that beautiful iPhone 4. Well, I do hope Jamie Gellor and her team find the father of my child. The last time I checked I was single, not having you-know-what with anyone and anything and I blame it on that grey t-shirt (which by the way is the most comfortable shirt in the world).

Off to deeper, less humorous and more sensible things. I've been deep into so much philosophical, inner world stuff lately that this certain thing had flown through my mind, courtesy of my Foundations professor. He had always moved me with the simple wisdom he shares in class. Surely, he leaves us all dumbfounded and soupy after an hour and a half of his class and the only thing to do right after is to fall asleep and let it sink in. He's fascinated me most about his view on life and death and truth and these things he got from reading so much...I like how he describes angels, spirits and God (of course God is of a way higher level) and how these beings and essences are all so complete in themselves that the only sound he could make is something like a "poof". It's a really beautiful class, probably the hardest, but you get your pain's worth when you study other subjects and when you look at your own life.

My favorite saying from him is that of flight. He asks us to explain flight and what it is exactly. Point is, since we did not make birds, we couldn't, in our humanness, truly understand what flight is. But we do try and understand it by reproducing it through airplanes and kites and hot air balloons. So, flight, is actually a movement forward, where the shape and contour of an object direct and fashion it's forward motion to lift the entire body up in higher spaces. Physics could tell you this. But that part about not knowing the essence of flight because we are human, any science won't ever be able to explain. Well, that really inspired me. It inspired me so much, I had been scribbling it in my head, on my wrist, on the corner pages of my wrinkled readings and just about anywhere. It had revealed so much about life and humanity and nobody would ever believe that it came from understanding a simple bird's natural capability to fly.

Freja Beha Erichsen

Like most of us, I have been silently tied down by whatever past and I told myself that before I turn 21 in a few months, I just have to slap myself awake and push forward (a tattoo as my own gift, perhaps?). And the best word that I could think of right now is "Lift". I've been so mad about the word lately, that I want it tattooed on my right wrist in beautiful cursive. You know how Freja Beha Erichsen (above) has her "float" on her neck, I want my "lift" on my wrist. If it's basing it on Dr. Mariano's beautiful lecture, I don't want to fly at all...Because we never could. All we really are capable of is one, perfect lift.

Right?

.Gerard

All that Matters

Mr. David Gandy

Oh sure, we've all looked back on the past and despite our hardest efforts to push away regret, no human out there is purely free of it.

Why do we regret anyway?

I am not free of it, but I'm not quite sure if I am guilty of it either. What I do know is that we look back on the past, see things we wish we'd never see but move on anyway cause it's all that matters.

I've been visited by regret lately...Or at least copies of it and everytime I do entertain them, I look at myself and dissect where in my anatamoy have I hidden such evils.

And I found them.

And tonight---because I just came from one of my hardest philosophy classes and this is sort of an attempt to pen a future paper for it----I have decided to open a public apology to the numerous people I've offended. If I could only put all your names here I would. It'll be incredibly humbling to do so, but I know most of you would never agree on it. And most likely, all of you do not care about what I think (which is great).

So, I am very sorry for offending you...

People may never forgive me and they may never forget my ugly, but I have realized today that whenever we do have haunting pasts, it's best to just owe up to it, let it go and lead yourself in on a continuous path towards a beautiful end.

The world is already too dense with sadness and holding on to a mass of regret or of a less than perfect past makes where we live in a little too heavy for hope.

Hope is all that matters anyway, so make sure you clear out space for it.

Good night kids...

P.S. to my Hume buddies, I wish we all get through this paper alive.

.Gerard

Streeeettttccchhhh

photographed by Lesley Choa

It's confirmed.

I can't model. Look at that face...It looks like some bad version of a smug, pout, what have you. In this photo I look like somebody from school. Plus, I can't do a good face of mine in front of a camera. For some reason, keeping a straight, nice face for the camera is such a burden for me. I'm not fierce at all....at all.
Let's just leave all of that for the better-looking ones of the world.

Another confirmation is that yes, my work, will be seen next month (to my bosses, thank you a million times). For those of you who know it, please keep quiet. I don't want everybody to learn of it since it's not much a universally big deal (though it is the world to me).

Anyway, to God, thank you for everything. Period.

Everything includes this new bag. The moment I saw it, I felt an instant longing towards it. Like it called out my name, asking for my care and utility. It's cheap and that made it all the more lovable. I just knew that I had to have it because leaving the store without it would depress me for weeks. Though I won't ever entertain suicide over a bag, it'll surely trouble me for a while. So there. I told myself, if you can't have it now, you won't have it in a million years. So, I bought it! And I am happy, happy camper because of it, that I had to look too plain for the sake of the bag. I've always admired guys in school who brought along with them handsome bags like this one and it's not that I intended to copy them, but it's sort of an ode to all the stylish guys in school who carry bags like this. Arjay, Cindy's boyfriend has a super cool version and I have long plotted a kidnap of it. Watch your back Arjay for I am a Russian spy. I loved the bag so much, I told my mom I had to name it and she goes:

"Pag may nakita kang iba pang bag, masmamahalin mo yun..."

I treat my bags like kids. So every bag I own is a favorite (even if they're cheap hahaha)....This one, I still have no name for. One of these days though I'll surely invite you guys for its christening.

Today, I just realized that I'm way too tall even for my own sake. I stood next to Gus and it seemed like I was a little taller than him. That's bad...for me at least. Enough stretching for me. Actually, it's probably the genes kicking in. I have cousins (girls and they're younger) who'd probably be taller than I am...Genes, genes, genes. Then again, I should be thankful that I could at least stretch. Right? Some of us can't even move...so why am I complaining again?

Lately, I've been suffering from short pangs of moody-ness and I think it's because I haven't been exercising. I need to get back on my feet before I lose all of the past's hardwork. Sure enough, I will have to stretch and God knows it'll do something to my bones.

Anyway, thank you dearest Lesley for the photo. I do have a suggestion...why not try to take a picture of me (and other future subjects) from another angle? See, I'm not all perfect like everyone else so, let's work on the angles to fake perfection. Right? Tomorrow, I shall tell you.

Right now, it's all about sleep. I've come by such rare quality bed time these past few days and I have to fix my body up soon. You know how sometimes you put up with so much crap that it's slowly showing up on your body? That's how I feel. And I've always missed dreaming. Somehow, whenever I dream, I feel better...even when they're bad ones. Oh well.

Here's some sin of the flesh for you: I went to Dries Van Noten's website hours ago, and I still couldn't find the price on a jacket I've been penning on my wish list for the past months. I learned this from a friend that if you put on paper whatever you want to happen it'll soon come true. That includes all positive energies from the universe, yadah yadah yadaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh...

So I decided, I'd write it down tomorrow on a nice paper and take a picture of it for all the universe to see. That way, I hope I get enough "positive" from everyone and I'd finally see it on my doorstep one day, in all it's pretty cool glory.

I'm tempted to roll on the floor in a fit---cause I've never been this haunted by a beautiful jacket before---and pray that someone would take notice of my pathetic antics. Knowing my mom, she'd roll her eyes on it. She'd say it's such an unwise and unreasonable purchase. Well, if you do think about it, one of those awesome Dries jackets would cost you the life---education included---of probably 10 poor kids and sometimes, it nails at your heart. Truth is, having a love affair for things beautiful and wanting to have a human heart is quite an impossible feat. Some people could do it, some of us fail miserably. It's either you have the stuff or you have the heart.

70% of the time, I opt for the latter one. And that's not because I don't have the money...

Actually, I really don't have the money. HAHAH...suckaaaahhhhh.

Crazy

Ben Hill & Sean O'pry for Uniqlo

Uniqlo, great job for booking these two for your Fall campaigns.
I like Ben Hill a lot cause he's such a typical American guy...Of course, you are all well-acquainted with Mr. Sean O'pry (the only man on Earth who could melt through the toughest bones).

I've been on the internet for three hours now and all I've been up to is plain model adoration. I watched Lily Donaldson drive home to Garrett Neff, saw Vladimir Ivanov fake a Russian accent---cause he's from California, and have watched Francisco Lachowski jump for joy and saying something in Portugese.

After all that, I feel so ugly and insecure and suddenly, the only thing that matters is vomitting cause you just can't be looking at too many handsome and beautiful people one after another. It'll drive you nuts.

The World

DVF ad from Design Scene

I'd love to do that.
Imagine, having to rest on the entire globe while a photographer takes your picture...How leisurely.
Awesome photo. From one of the best, most humorous there is out there...Mr. Terry Richardson.
Missy Rayder's A-DORABLE.

What is it with Terry Richardson and Fall jobs? It seems like the fashion world puts him on for some smiles on the gloomy season...

.Gerard

Light Humor

See, I had planned the most elaborate, cool-weather outfit for today. I promise you it would've looked fantastic.
Then the morning sun came in its perky, super warm self and I remembered "Gerard, you're in the Philippines...This ain't Russia."
Heck, even Russia's scorching. Not that I've been there...I just saw it on TV how---anyway, I'm rambling.

Do you like it? Do you think my thighs are juicy? You could make a burger out of that and feed a lot of---okay, none of those jokes.
I personally liked it only after my sister said I look fine and Aaron Articulo (the talented photographer) said "you actually look good on the photos." Yeah, I was actually fishing. No, I'm kidding. I have such low self-esteem (yeah I know, even in this rate) that I have to always ask people about how I look.

But you know what? I'm my own worst critic. I only believe I'm ugly if I think I'm ugly. Right? So, I encourage all of you, to get up on your feet, strip off those fancy clothes, raise your hands in the air and tell yourself that you're pretty. Welcome to Tyra, where all good things come to an end after thirty minutes.
Inner beauty is such a cliche. But it's true. That's probably why ultra-warm shows like Tyra get billions out of it. People by nature want to feel great about themselves, and you rarely get that on cynical TV.

Why am I talking about inner beauty again?
Forget about it. I have this tendency to go about things without realizing where I came from. That's why I have offended a lot of people. Trust me. I've been notorious since high school. Anyway, I hope it'll be cool sometime soon. I don't wish for too much rain cause we know what happens. I don't wish for winter (though I joke about it all the time) cause millions would die. But God knows what I want. If ever there came a time that our days would be like windy Spring mornings in New York, I'd roll down a hill, naked and be so happy...When I reach the bottom, I'd die of frost bite.

Thank you so much Mr. Aaron Articulo for the Camila Akrans-like photo. This is your style, keep it and be happy. Oh and don't ever tell me that you're doing a "mediocre job" on photography. I can't even operate a microwave and here you are, taking great photos with your...thingy...(Of course I know how to operate a microwave)
Remember, don't ever be proud. Why? Just check my Facebook status to get what I mean.

Good night kids. I hope I have more stories to share soon.

Go to Institution of Style for today's looks.
Check out the most practical and stylish jacket from British fashion in THE EDGE.

.Gerard

Open Letter to Ryan Kennedy

Dear Ryan Kennedy,

Dear Ryan Kennedy, can you please hold still? It's hard to fix a Dolce & Gabbana tie when you keep staring. Must you always be a slightly longer-faced version of my ultimate idol Garrett Neff?
Anyway, please hold still and remember that you could always replace Neff IF you work out more and IF you work more. Garret Neff really is like Michelangelo's David.
And that's not just the reason why he is my favorite.
But your current popularity is quite scary. And that's cause you look THAT good. I pray you become more successful, like I always do to newcomers as promising as you.
Anyway, your tie's perfect. It's time for you to walk. WERK IT!!!!

I wish I had those cheekbones. I could slice melons with those.

.Gerard

Beauty Hurts

photo: models.com

Lax

I guess having this photo taken on a different location would've made it all better. The sun was too much and with less of it, my shirt would've looked more denim blue than chambray grey.

I liked what I wore yesterday...Chambray shirt and khaki trousers are too summer staples and that's cause they're very comfortable. Besides, I was sick sick yesterday and having to look great was just too hard for me (hahahaha).
Now that it's on photo, I could dissect my khaki's shape. They usually look best when they're folded but I couldn't do that now since I'm still suffering from bad scars because of wearing those relatively new desert boots (curse you boots for being so beautiful yet incredibly painful). Do you guys think I should have my trousers trimmed? Have it cut slimmer?
Oh well. Lax style is at times liberating, especially after wearing tight jeans for days after days.

P.S. Anybody who wants to be my tailor? Call me. E-mail me. Tweet me.

I'd be blogging later about something I received hours ago. Something special and soft and glossy and new. As of now, it's a date with George and T.S. Eliot.

.Gerard

Good Night

photo from Design Scene

"Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work."

--- Ralph Marston

I am a nice person

I give up. I know that even if I do a Warhol of this photo, no one in this world would ever understand my love for the pair. Or even knock on my door and say...

"Hey Gerard, you've been such a nice person...you deserve these Dunhill boots."

Or at least buy me these ones, pack them in a neat box and wrap it in glossy black paper with a white bow wrapped around it, FedEx them anonymously. That would be better.

Thanks a lot Esquire for making me feel empty. I was fine before your sleek magazine's website came to me through some advertisment online.

I really give up. My only hope is to find me someone to train me for stealing a bank. And that too is hard to come by now a days...Jeeeeezzzzz....

The world has turned into one mean place I tell you...And I thought the internet would bring us all closer...

Well, at least I could imagine what to wear with these handsome boots. I have ALL the clothes to wear with these ones, so doesn't that make it a perfect investment?


(I'm still delusional. Save me.)


.Gerard