(WAGW top, EMODA necklace, bag, shoes) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Today’s outfit is “Today’s Outfit”. Sorry, I couldn’t help it! One of the reasons why I got this top was because I wanted to be able to say today’s outfit is today’s outfit is today’s outfit is today’s outfit. Today’s outfitception. I never want it to end. I have Kryz to thank for this! She wants everyone to know that WAGW MAN’s gonna have a big sale (up to 70% off) starting June 1 which is just a few days away!

You might have also noticed that I have pink and purple streaks on my hair. I recently bought 2 pieces of hair chalk during my trip to Japan at 630yen each (ouch) but @glameffect on Instagram sent me a whole box a few days ago. Don’t know if soft pastels or hair chalk (or if they’re the same anyway), but I like how they make it so fast to add colored streaks to hair now. People really do find ways to achieve things easier. Dried my hair out so bad though, so I just might stick to just Photoshopping fake streaks and ombres in the long run. 

Last week, EMODA flew me and Camille to Tokyo to cover their touchMe A/W 2013 fashion show. It was a real privilege, as touchMe is strictly invitation-only, and I am completely aware that without EMODA’s help, I wouldn’t stand a chance among the hundreds and thousands of Japanese EMODA fans who would kill to sit in the show.

The show started around 9PM at Belle Salle, Shibuya Garden, so we had a few hours free before the event. Kumiko, the awesome lady who guided us throughout the night, accompanied us to Shibuya 109 to shop for our outfits for the event. Earlier that day, I already bought a full-EMODA coordinate at the Shinjuku Lumine EST store… but that did not stop me for shopping again!

Check out our giant paper bags of goodies. Goodbye to all the money in my wallet, but everything was just too shiny. I especially love the current S/S collection as it’s very resort-like (appropriate for Manila throughout the year!) and most of the items are classic, just the way I like my clothes.

One of the best things I like about the brand is how it’s very influenced by Western high street and blogger fashion, which are two of my greatest style influences too. The way the individual items are styled together make it distinctly EMODA, but the individual items (on their own) are versatile enough to be worn by those not exactly interested in styling it the same way the shop staff and models do. The brand appeals to a very wide audience in this way. As long as you like clean, classic, minimalist styles, EMODA’s items will definitely speak to you. Even my mom likes EMODA!

Anyhow, Camille and I both got some nifty novelty items for free because we shopped A LOT. We got the cutest MODE style towels and pillow cases.

After shopping, we had pasta for dinner somewhere around Shibuya. Then we rushed to the event location for some picture taking.

This iconic background! If you follow Japanese magazines, you might have already seen this a few times. Many famous Japanese models and icons have their photos taken against this background. When it was our turn, a part of me went “I CAN DIE NOW!”

But then again, the show had not even started yet at this point. So maybe after the show, lol.

Outfits for the night. I opted for simple black and white, while Camille went for a spring-y blue and green coordinate. 

I wish I had enough time to take outfit shots of other people because everyone who attended the show were all so freaking beautiful and well-dressed, you’d think they’re all models.

Just after being seated (front row, baby), I noticed a ton of famous models pass by. I normally don’t get starstruck but when it comes to the Japanese personalities that I only get to see in magazines? That’s a different story.

I saw Mai Miyagi about 3 times, AMIAYA, Wei Son, a lot of BLENDA models, Chinatsu Wakatsuki, etc. I was pretty sure that there were a lot more in the event hall, but everything happened so fast. My eyes couldn’t keep up! (On a semi-related note, I also saw Nana Suzuki the day before and Hamada Britney the day after - both in 109!) Hearts all over, anyway. Also shows how big of a brand EMODA is among the Japanese fashion scene/crowd.

The show started shortly after Camille and I were seated, and it lasted for about 20-30 minutes. Took a ton of photos, as usual, and I hope these do justice to the clothes.

This collection is called BUDDY CLOSET. Absolutely obsessed with everything. It’s all a tasteful mix of masculine and feminine elements, and the colors are all so rich and creamy. I was quite surprised with the brown items, but they all worked so well with the bright blues and reds in the end. Don’t know if it’s just me, but a lot of the coordinates reminded me of London street fashion.

No words, but “I covet”. <3

This outfit was my favorite. Warm and fuzzy feelings for A/W? Yes please!

A classy way of doing print-on-print. Same print but opposite colors.

The models were officially successful in making red eyebrows look cool.

I can’t even begin with this black series. The fabric is to die for! So classy, and I have some sort of inexplicable desire to touch it.

Same fabric for tops and bottoms seemed to be HUGE in this collection.

Printed bottoms and flat-brimmed caps are still in! The same themes are also present in their current S/S collection, though I think I prefer the darker neutrals that are coming up soon as I am biased with anything black and white.

Sporty chic.

Love how the orange hair accents give so much life to the dark outfits. Perhaps we’ll be seeing the EMODA team and/or staff with orange ombres later this year?

This fabric. This coat. <3

After the show, we were lucky enough to be briefly introduced to EMODA Producer Ena Matsumoto (So petite and thin-framed!) who is one of my many style icons. She was too nice to spend a few minutes to take pictures with us, as she was busy and in demand that night, and I knew we were taking a bit of her time! Made my heart melt.

She greeted us with “Hello! I am Ena, EMODA Producer!” then she asked Kumiko how to say “Nice to meet you!” in English. After we also introduced ourselves, I greeted her “Omedetou!” then she was like “Sankyu!” while rubbing her belly.

And I was like… OMG WHAT?! (in my head) I just congratulated her for the show!

Kumiko and I were so surprised because we didn’t know she was pregnant! Ena must have seen our faces, and she said “Baby!” to help clear the confusion. So excited for her! Maybe in the future EMODA will release limited edition maternity clothes! Ena will be the most chic mom ever.

There is nothing more fitting than to say that this person is responsible for making EMODA the brand that it is now. It is so admirable that she and her team have a vision of making it global one day, instead of just settling in one place. I see this vision happening very clearly, and I can’t wait for EMODA to tickle the fancies of the world’s fashion lovers.

I asked if I could take a few seconds of her time to snap about 2 solo photos of her and she gladly obliged with a wide smile on her face. But she switched back to “cool” mode as soon as I pointed the camera at her! 

Spotted EMODA Press manager Erina Abe on the way out of the event hall. <3 She is wearing one of the skirts that is included in an on-going EMODA A/W 2013 exhibition. Want! I wish I could’ve stayed longer to catch the exhibition!

Thanks to these people for making it all happen! I really wish I can attend more Japanese fashion shows in the future, especially since I am more than happy to spread the love to international fans. I used to just dream about attending stuff like TGC and touchMe, so this was really an overwhelming experience.

But enough about me! This is supposed to be about EMODA!

You can learn more about EMODA through their Facebook Page, and go all-out shopping in their Global Webstore. 

Here’s a video of the show:

Sponsored post.

(Romwe top, EMODA leggings, Asian Vogue heels, Lacoste L!VE bag) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Temporarily got my Japanese MODE fashion inspiration back with this look. Somehow a lot of fashion brands in Japan (or at least the ones I saw in Osaka and Kyoto) have been moving towards more Onee and mature styles, and I’m probably at that prime age where it’s all too appealing for me. So. Freaking. Appealing. You have no idea. That, or I’m simply getting old and looking for something to justify my current taste in fashion, lol. 

Since it’s spring/summer, I’m making a conscious effort to stay away from dark colors while shopping. Japanese brand rienda is probably my #1 inspiration right now because it’s a perfect merge of this sophisticated style that I’m going for, and that all-floral, feminine vibe that I’ve always had. More rienda-inspired looks in the next couple of weeks, for sure. Right now they have a lot of beige, nude, pink and blue in their color palette and I’m so discouraged to stay away from all black because of them! Next biggest inspiration would be SLY because they still use a lot black, but pair them with slightly more colorful stuff, like what I did with this outfit!

In the meantime, here’s one of my no-brainer coordinates. I often just throw in a pair of floral pants every time I’m lazy to think of what to wear (Note: I’ll be the saddest person if the day comes when all floral-print bottoms decide to disappear), and put on a loose or structured top that’s easy to move around in. 

The top I’m wearing here is one of my recent favorite acquisitions. It’s like it’s so confused if it wants to be a top or a dress, or it’s peplum or scalloped or what. Probably as confused as I am now as my head is all over the place, given the amount of work I have to cram before I leave the country again. More of these confused items in my closet, please, while I’m feeling a little bolder than usual!

(PUMA x Mihara Yasuhiro MY-66 wedge sneakers, Romwe top and skirt, EMODA sweater, from Japan headband) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Bringing back the “dated fashion” trend with this one, though paradoxically I don’t know if you can call it dated anymore if it’s currently in? Sue me for shifting styles so easily (Who could’ve predicted that this outfit could be worn by the same person who wore that simple and girly outfit in my previous post?) but I simply couldn’t resist the experimental mood I’ve been in since I got back from Japan. I arrived back in Manila with a variety of images in my head - images of the current street style trends in Japan, including this prevalent “modernized 80s-90s style” that I kept on seeing everywhere. Wedge sneakers were definitely the footwear of choice, so I figured I could do the same-ish style with my new designer Pumas!

If there needs to be any proof to how my style can be quite bipolar, I think these two looks would be the best ones to show. Both are trendy B&W. Both make use of the same earrings and shoes. Both feature patterns that we normally see anywhere.

Styling them to suit completely different moods only takes some slight adjustments, contrary to popular belief. It’s not too hard, if you know what kind of elements you have to inject in your look.

(Apartment 8 top and skort, EMODA earrings and vest, Forever 21 heels) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Sexy rocker chic with the IT patterns of the moment. The V-neck top and high-waisted origami skirt create a really interesting play with diagonal lines! But I made sure to balance it all out with a boxy vest. There’s nothing like a little leather to achieve that nobody-messes-with-me kind of look!

(Apartment 8 top and skort, EMODA earrings, Time Depot Baby G watch) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

Sweet goody two shoes look with polkadots and ribbons! What else could be a sweeter combination? Ribbons, regardless of color, will ALWAYS make for a cute statement. I also have to mention that the top is super sheer and is absolutely perfect for the insanely hot weather that we’ve been having in Manila! I heard today was the hottest day of the week. T_T It also comes in mint green with white polkadots, though I hope they also come out with a vertical stripes version in the future!

Thanks to Tracy Monsod for taking my photos.

Sponsored post.

(Sheinside dress, Zara bag, Gold Dot wedges, EMODA earrings) Hype this look on Lookbook here. Thanks Tracy for helping me with these photos.

Went quite mod one day, when I just felt like throwing on a simple dress out of sheer laziness. If only summer would end soon, then I’d probably have more energy and drive to dress up as if I put even the slightest bit of effort. Summer has never been my element, sadly. 

Thanks to the blue detail on this little shift dress, I am reminded of the ocean’s waves. I’m not going to the beach any time soon, but I could use a whole day of playing in the water to put my mind off the heat. T_T

(Motel Rocks dress, Choies vest, Chicnova bag, Forever 21 heels, EMODA earrings, zeroUV sunglasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

This is a trendy as I can get. Black and white? Check. Bold stripes? Check. Pointy heels and ankle straps (together or separately)? Check. Not ashamed that I seem like I’m selling out, because this looks just like the B&W stuff I’ve been posting for the past 3 years. I *did* try something new out for this one though, as it’s the first time I’ve worn a vest with a dress!

On a related note, so many bloggers on Lookbook.nu have this exact vest in the same free size. Except I’m most probably shorter than all of them, making it look so much longer and oversized on me. Boo!

(Time Depot Baby-G x Girls Generation limited edition watch, EMODA top, from Korea blazer, Romwe pants, CMG wedges, zeroUV glasses) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

A few days ago I got myself yet another watch from Baby-G! It’s a limited edition design that’s available in 3 colors - red (modeled by Jessica), black (modeled by Sooyoung) and white (modeled by Yoona). Jessica is my ultimate bias but I let Sooyoung win this time, because I feel like I could wear the black one more often given the colors in my closet, and because she is my second favorite in the group anyway! Legs for daaays.

The limited edition design is only available until supplies last, so I’m encouraging all the soshis out there to grab this design ASAP! It comes in the cutest box that’s also different from the usual Baby-G x GG packaging. Too cute. <3

I wore it with a coordinate that’s inspired by the recent SLY summer campaign. Some lovely Japanese researchers and students from Hakuhodo in Tokyo came to my house for one lovely afternoon of chatting and bonding over both Japanese and Filipino culture. That was fun!

Visit Time Depot’s website, Twitter, and Facebook for more details.

Sponsored post.

(Sheinside top, EMODA bag, from Singapore Far East Plaza skirt, FashionCookie ShoeAvenue wedges) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

A must-have in every spring wardrobe is the floral print skirt! I’ve quite a few of them, in varying colors fit for both dark and light color schemes. This one is a confused don’t-know-if-winter-or-spring kind of skirt but I love it all the same, because it fits all the black things in my closet. 

Anyhoo, as you all know, black and white is a huge trend this coming season, and it’s the perfect time to stock up on these classic two-tone goodies that can last you even until after it’s over. Recently, I’ve been trying so hard to ban myself from shopping just so I can save enough to splurge in my upcoming Japan trip, but the force is weak with this one! Just can’t get enough.

Also, I’m in a love-hate relationship with my current hair. I have a very strong urge to cut it short because the last 4 or so inches are immensely damaged (don’t know if it’s obvious in these pictures) from a recent dye disaster, keeping me from going out with straight hair or even putting my hair down in general. So many people have been telling me to get the same length as the wig I’ve been sporting in my last posts because it looks more chic, but I’m a little scared because my hair has always been my security blanket…

(Romwe top and skirt, Forever 21 heels, EMODA earrings) Hype this look on Lookbook here.

This Giyongchy print is all the rage right now among K-pop fans, it seems. Tons of online stores have been printing G-DRAGON’s wordplay on Givenchy on pretty much everything they can think of! The fact that GD still has this as his IG profile picture makes it all the more relevant. Being a trendsetter, as always. I was pretty lucky to score this cropped tee at Romwe when it was made available a month ago because it was sold out in an instant. K-pop fans are too fast! CRAY(ON)!

1) Coffee and work date with my good friend Tracy at the Caffe Bene in Eastwood. We both cannot work at our own homes because we end up being super unproductive, so we schedule dates at our favorite coffee places to motivate each other to not slack off!

2) As I uploaded these pictures for this post, I realized that I took a lot of these mirror shots last month! Some of the outfits might seem familiar from Lookbook.

3) You’ll see this stripey H&M top twice in this post. 

4) What I wore to my cousin’s garden wedding at Tagaytay. Found this long dress on sale at Mango. Borrowed the clutch from my mom who I went shopping with at Miss Selfridge last Christmas.

5) One of the most effective ways to keep yourself in check is to wirte in a gratitude journal. Got this particular one at kikki.K in Singapore last year. Even if I forget to write here sometimes, I make sure that I dedicate a few minutes every day to reflect on the things I should be grateful for on my own.

6) Sukiyaki night with le boyfriend! We love to eat out, and we both love to take photos of our food. Follow him on IG: @rgabunada

7) Wearing jeans! *gasp*

8) Sashimi platter! NOM

9) One of my MOFW Fukuoka posts. Black and white is such a huge trend right now, it seems. I feel like I’m having an extended Christmas because most of my closet has always been filled with these two colors and you can see them everywhere in the mall.

10) Obligatory Bayo dressing room post. Ended up getting the pink/cream version of this top for my Bayo outfit post last January. Now that I think about it, I should’ve gotten the mint one too!

11) Outfit for a meeting. EMODA top, Just G jacket.

12) Outfit for dinner with my family at High Street Central. Zara top, dazzlin skirt.

13) RG and I have been officially together for 2 years last January 23rd! He sent me flowers first thing in the morning. How sweet. <3 

14) Had our anniversary lunch at Premio The Fort, where I had this amazing olive oil poached salmon. I finished the whole thing. NOM

15) Finally got an Instax Mini too, thanks to him. He couldn’t find plain border film so he ended up buying whatever was available - this interesting rainbow gradient film that apparently so many people on IG like! I’d still prefer plain ones though. :D

16) Hiroshima Oyster set at Yabu! Not as big as the real oysters in Hiroshima (which I was fortunate enough to try last December), but still super good! They stuffed a lot of small oysters inside. NOM

17) Dyed my hair lighter last month.

Though as of this writing, my hair is about 3 inches shorter. Had to let go of all the damaged parts after so long. I had to curl my hair every time I wanted to make it look decent. So tedious! To think my hair color is high maintenance enough. 

Currently looking for a new Japanese or Korean salon to do my next hair color! I’ve been going to the same one for the past 5 years that I think its time to give other salons a chance.

18) Lastly, this outfit! Can’t wear red for a few weeks/months now because of some Chinese traditions I have to follow, so we’ll finally see less of this color for now…

As promised, here’s my Fukuoka travel diary after a whole week’s worth of MOFW features. Since this is not my first time in this place, I pretty much spent my time here just bonding with my family, stuffing ourselves with the arguably the best ramen in the world, and of course, my favorite - shopping!

People have a notion of Japan being a difficult place to go to because of the language barrier, but it’s not like they put zero effort into bringing tourists in the country and showing them the beauty in their country. In that one year in between my previous and my latest trips to Fukuoka, a lot has changed in terms of tourist-friendliness - more restaurants have printed out English menus, department stores have suddenly given out shopping privileges for non-Japanese passport holders, etc. I think now is a wonderful time to go to Japan, actually. Your thoughts and words can never be entirely lost in translation. They’re also trying their best to help too! :D

I usually stay in Hotel Miyako which is right in front of the station. This is the view from the entrance of the hotel. It’s super convenient to stay here because you can go shopping whenever you want, lol. Plus there are a ton of places to eat inside Hakata Station so you’ll never grow hungry!

Don’t forget to visit the food section of Hankyu and the beauty section of Tokyu Hands.

First picture of me straight out of the plane. As usual, we took the direct flight to from Manila to Fukuoka via Philippine Airlines.

First stop? IPPUDO! Let me be annoying and say that my family and I were already hooked on Ippudo even before the ramen craze trickled over the rest of Asia.

So hooked that it is also a must for me to go to the Ippudo in SG and HK even if the experience is a little different from the original. Never fails to give me nostalgic feels from the very first time I was able to taste Hakata ramen. <3

Before sunset, we decided to go around the station for a walk. They finally finished the new roof deck area!

They had these cute stalls where you can buy souvenirs and traditional Japanese desserts.

There was also a shrine.

And a giant space for kids to play in!

Such a tranquil place.

Overlooking the city.

We also dropped by the new cinema area which wasn’t there the first time we went to Fukuoka. My dad watched Les Miserables because he couldn’t wait - the Metro Manila Film Festival was still going on when Les Mis was already being shown in different countries. We had to wait til mid-January to be able to watch foreign movies again.

When in Japan, visit Maruzen and buy all the Japanese magazines. :D Well, I didn’t go crazy this time because I already knew exactly what I wanted - ViVi, SCawaii, Jelly and the recent Ninagawa Mika photobook.

Plus I was so afraid to go over my baggage weight limit because it’s normally the books and magazines that I buy that make my luggage so heavy by the end of the trip. T_T

I also buy my magazines in other countries where it’s available! They’re everywhere in HK. In SG, you can get them at Kinokuniya.

Before going back to the hotel, we stuffed ourselves with some yummy Marbre Blanc parfaits. <3

On our third day (second was spent in Hiroshima and Miyajima), we went to Tenjin for shopping! First stop was Tenjin Core which is one of my favorite places to shop in Fukuoka! You can go to this place via subway. There’s an underground shopping center that connects the different buildings together so it’s super convenient during winter time when it’s too cold to walk outside. After Tenjin Core, I went to Parco to check out EMODA and MURUA with the other MarkStyler brands.

Didn’t take a lot of pictures here because my mind was 100% concentrated on shopping! And by lunch I couldn’t carry my camera properly anymore because I was holding too many paper bags lol #shopaholicphotographerproblems

titty＆Co

Spiral Girl

Ank Rouge

CECIL McBEE

Besides the ones I posted here, Tenjin Core houses other brands like Liz Lisa, rienda, dazzlin, INGNI, PeachJohn, Heaven and Earth, GILFY, DURAS, and Lip Service. I know I missed a lot but I’m typing this all purely out of memory. My bad for not taking proper notes. Anyhow, their fall/winter collections were mostly oxblood + brown + black and old rose + white + cream. Adorbs!

Don’t think shopping in Japan is just for girls though. Most places usually have 1-2 floors just dedicated to men’s clothing. My brothers like buying from RAGEBLUE.

EMODA

Jouetie

Hello me! Simple and comfy outfit for shopping. Nothing special!

After a long day, we had yakiniku back at Hakata Station. So rich in flavor huhu I felt so guilty for my stomach after each bite! IDK how everyone manages to stay thin in Japan considering the high quality of food being sold everywhere. The sorcery!

On our last free day, we walked from Hotel Miyako all the way to Canal City. It’s only about 10 minutes away so it was definitely a good warm-up exercise in the morning.

Except it was raining again. Gosingtian family, bringing the rain from Manila to wherever they go to, since… the beginning of time.

This is one part of the mall where you can find Western brands like Zara, H&M, etc. My brothers went crazy at H&M because they were having a sale and they were selling good collared shirts at Y1500 and blazers and jackets at Y2000-3000. NOT BAD AT ALL.

There’s a part in Canal City where I spend hours shopping - it’s on the second or third floor of the mall where they sell brands like moussy, SLY, rosebullet, Ungrid, EGOIST, Esperanza, etc.

Wearing new purchases from the day before. You might find the SpRay jacket, CECIL McBEE sweater and EGOIST bag familiar from my MOFW posts!

One of the special things about Canal City is that they have a Ramen Stadium! It’s like one giant food court full of ramen restaurants with different specialties, cooked in distinct styles. Only the best ramen restaurants can continue selling their ramen here so I think after a certain point, the one with the least sales will have to give his space up for a new “challenger”.

Long queue probably means the best so we queued along with the people haha but it’s already our second time here so I guess this restaurant (Kizuna) still remains to be a fan favorite after all.

Cafe MUJI after a long day of shopping! The MUJI in Canal City is like one big multi-level department store. If you think that the ones we have here is already huge, you should check this particular MUJI out.

My brother Juju having cake!

My cafe au lait. <3

On our last night in Japan, I was lucky enough to catch Kyary and AKB48 perform on television. <3

I was luckier last 2011 though. I caught the whole Kouhaku on NHK on New Year’s Eve. If you still remember my old Fukuoka post, I managed to catch some screens of Arashi and Laruku.

Time to say goodbye to my hotel room. Wearing mint houndstooth pants from Romwe. UGH writing about this trip now is making me miss Japan so badly.

At the airport. Goodbye, peaceful city of Fukuoka! *tears*

‘Til the next travel post and my next trip to Japan! I hope you guys can also visit Japan soon! :)