ARTICLE SERVICES            Reprint this article     Print this article       Send as an e-mail     Send Feedback       Comment on this article on our Vox Populi blog     RELATED STORIES   In Cebu, fashion is Philip Rodriguez Here comes the sun 5 key pieces you need now GALLERY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next   Zoom    DEREK Lam Zoom    MARC Jacobs Zoom    NARCISO Rodriguez Zoom    RANDY Ang, Tina Chan, Maurice Laude, Gail Laude, Roxanne Farillas and husband Erickson Farillas Zoom    FASHION mavens Rajo Laurel and Plains & Prints owner Roxanne Farillas Zoom    GORGEOUS Plains & Prints muses Celine Lopez, Paula Taylor and Gretchen Barretto Zoom    MODELS in Rajo Laurel's Spring Summer Collection 2009 for Plains & Prints Missing Michael By Ruel S. De Vera, Associate Editor Sunday Inquirer Magazine LIKE a twist in one of his books, news of Michael Crichton’s demise arrived as a shock. No one knew the a ...More Seeing a bright future amid crisis ‘Plate it’ for women’s health Changing the way we regard our bread Building walls and walks Gastronomic treats from the north Free will Carbon footprint Showrooms at LRI Charms for the good life Amazing lace More Stories » Showbiz and Style Gastronomic treats from the north Music in war Showrooms at LRI The real deal on Pablo Banila 'Twilight' poised for box-office killing Where to get non-stick baking pans 20 yummiest (privately baked) cakes What does your school bag say about you? 20 yummiest (commercially baked) cakes Jeff Probst has survived and seen ’em all Showbiz and Style ABS-CBN: Diether still in Star Magic More on the ‘Twilight’ movie 'Twilight' poised for box-office killing High marks for Regine’s ‘Low Key’ Karylle vs Marian Madonna and Ritchie granted divorce Miriam Quiambao steals the show From screenwriter to director One heck/hack of a ride Ridiculous game shows Court handbags Tommy Hilfiger cheat Marvs writes from Paris   Showbiz and Style Most Read RSS Hottest Tags Lifestyle & Leisure WHAT'S THIS?                 More >>  OTHER COLUMNS Street Smart : Showrooms at LRI / Mandy Navasero Lotus Pond - Bismark : Free will / S. Bismark Discovery : Building walls and walks / Massie Santos Ballon Medical Files : ‘Plate it’ for women’s health / Rafael Castillo, MD Without Batting An Eyelash : On men, street games and ‘Kulasa’ / Maurice Arcache Makeover 911 : Beat water-retention weight gain / Kinny Salas Knockout! : Practical gift suggestions / Ria Francisco-Prieto

MANILA, Philippines—We jetted off on Qatar Airways to Doha, capital of Qatar, then on to Geneva for a stopover, and onwards to New York, where we were supposed to recharge our batteries for 14 days.

Before I could bat an eyelash, we landed right smack into New York's Fashion Week, which got the town that never sleeps on a glam roll. Everywhere we went, it was a mad dash to the hottest fashion ticket in town with the hottest names in fashion presenting their Spring-Summer 2009 collection, dahlings.

I was lucky to be where the fashion action was, thanks to my guide, New York-based Reggie Aguinaldo Young of Rustan's.

Many hot names had the fashion watchers screaming "Bravo!" Let's start with Marc Jacobs. For his label Marc, he went for the youth culture in a collection characterized by off-shoulders, mini-dresses with wide belts and tops and skirts with mix-and-match colors.

It was a big thrill when we spotted Victoria Beckham and her pal, Jennifer Lopez , breezing in and sitting on the front-row, ignoring the papparazi and waiting for the show to start.

Even with Alex Van Hagen's zoom lens, it was next to impossible to take a shot of the gals with all the people hovering in front of them before the start of the show, palanggas. What a bummer!

The following day we dashed off to watch Mathew Williamson, who got loads of applause for his skinny suits in fuchsia or screaming orange.

We also checked out our very own Monique Lhuillier, the darling of the Hollywood and New York sets. She had the fashionable crowd dreaming of the sunny Caribbean as her models breezed in cool tulle gowns, and sleek sheaths, with coral necklaces in chunky material beads, worn with denims! Yes, palanggas, denim cocktail dresses. Awesome.

Derek Lam's show was held amid heavy traffic as streets had to be rerouted for security purposes since the world's leaders were in town for the general assembly of the United Nations.

Lam's cool sports wear-inspired clothes were dazzling: sequined cocktail outfits with slips from the shoulder like liquid metal drew long applause at the finale, wow!

But my favorites were the jam-packed Ralph Lauren and the tres elegant Oscar de la Renta shows.

Lauren's collection was inspired by Morocco, with relaxed sandy palettes dominating his desert attire and gowns highlighted with bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Yes, dahlings, Lauren got a long standing ovation from New York's chi-chi cool new guards and movie celebrities.

De la Renta floored New York society with his gorgeous, head-turning huge floral prints in silk faille gowns and cocktail sheaths, plus everything in between.

On our way home aboard Qatar Airways, we learned about the Milan fashion week from the papers. "Milan Goes Bananas for Pajamas," screamed one newspaper, which had an awesome blown-up photo of a model wearing a tres-tres chic pajama.

"If your husband favors classic pajamas of the type once worn by Noel Coward and Hollywood movie idols like dashing Cory Grant handsome Rock Hudson, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, among them, it's time to rush out and grab a pair, and get dressed for a night out in the town," said the Daily Telegraph.

Next week, more on what's hot at the Big Apple, including eye-catching accessories from the Swatch James Bond collection.

Rich and Famous

The tres trendy Plains & Prints and Rajo Laurel have brought chic, cool fashion to a new level with their eye-catching collection, RAF (as in Rich and Famous).

The line was unveiled in a fun cocktail bash in Plains & Prints' new store at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, with tons of our town's fashionable set coming in full force, palanggas.

"Plains & Prints and Rajo Laurel offer Filipina fashionistas clothes that meet their individual fashion tastes," said Roxanne Farillas, owner of Plains & Prints.

The new store was transformed into a fashion runway where mannequins sashayed in designed tops, jeans, shorts, and dresses in the season's hottest shades, while cocktails and finger food were served by Cibo, dahlings.

Apres the eyecathing fashion show, Plains & Prints' introduced its newest endorser, statuesque Paula Taylor, who took the catwalk in a white halter baby-doll dress. Paula became popular in Asia after her stint in the hot reality show, "The Amazing Race Asia" Season 2. She was chosen to be the face of Plains & Prints for her fresh beauty and her cosmopolitan style.

The fun happening was successfully organized by Marilen Nuñez and her rah! rah! team from LEN Plus Inc.

Indeed, fashionistas can wear classic pieces with an edgy twist via Plains & Prints' Rajo Laurel Collection, now available in over 40 Plains & Prints shops nationwide, dahlings.

Charity bazaars

The hard-working and civic-oriented ladies of the Catholic Women's Club will have two fantastic bazaars at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Intercontinental on Oct. 12 and 19, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., dahlings.

What sets Casa Y Jardin apart from other bazaars is that it has a unique feature: the sale of the limited-edition Mother & Child porcelain plate. Now on its 23rd series, the featured artist for 2008 is National Artist Ang Kiukok.

This year's thrust for CWC, in partnership with Gawad Kalinga, is to build at least 30 houses for the poor in Taguig, with the assistance of Taguig's dynamic Mayor Freddie Tinga. The shelter program is among the 100 charities of CWC, dahlings.

Major sponsor of the bazaar is Lili Jewelry.

• In Cebu, fashion is Philip Rodriguez
• Here comes the sun
• 5 key pieces you need now

• Seeing a bright future amid crisis
• ‘Plate it’ for women’s health
• Changing the way we regard our bread
• Building walls and walks
• Gastronomic treats from the north
• Free will
• Carbon footprint
• Showrooms at LRI
• Charms for the good life
• Amazing lace
• Practical gift suggestions
• Beat water-retention weight gain
• On men, street games and ‘Kulasa’
• Sweet, hip gifts and the perfect pasta
• Culture tour of Macau
• Not so friendly to differently-abled
• Wellness not only proper diet, exercise
• Lecture on karma at 33,000 feet
• Art of the scenographer
• Here’s my early feng-shui take on 2009
• Pink Sisters hold Eucharistic Congress
• Bored wife has cyber-BF
• Food and wine galore at 'Harvest Moon'
• Ballet Philippines gala
• Awestruck at Kathmandu
• How to make leaf imprints
• I’ll always be the poor boy from Borongan who social-climbs
• Pesticides harm babies
• The secret of a classic
• Influencing behavior through the art of feng shui

• Street Smart :  Showrooms at LRI / Mandy Navasero
• Lotus Pond - Bismark :  Free will / S. Bismark
• Discovery :  Building walls and walks / Massie Santos Ballon
• Medical Files :  ‘Plate it’ for women’s health / Rafael Castillo, MD
• Without Batting An Eyelash :  On men, street games and ‘Kulasa’ / Maurice Arcache
• Makeover 911 :  Beat water-retention weight gain / Kinny Salas
• Knockout! :  Practical gift suggestions / Ria Francisco-Prieto