IT was mind-boggling to see so many beautiful faces, movie and TV stars on and off the runway, dahlings.

This year?s Philippine Fashion Week was staged by the inimitable Ben Chan, retail magnate and grand leader of Suyen Corp.?s biggest brands: Bench, Human and Kashieca. The show featured fabulous clothes and awesome celebrities, palanggas, at the SMX Convention Center.

On the runway were Bench?s hottest endorsers like Piolo Pascual; Human endorsers Billy Crawford and Luis Manzano; and Kashieca babe Bea Alonzo. You name them, they were there.

It was fun to watch name-droppable personalities like Suyen?s dynamic and brilliant leader Ben Chan, SM?s taipan Henry Sy Sr. and his genius daughter Teresita Sy-Coson, no less, and talented Anthony Nocom of SM Supermalls, palanggas.

The clothes were absolutely cool. Bench did awesome wonders with local fabrics like the Igorot fabric. Actors Jake Cuenca and Gerald Anderson wore their Pinoy Lab ?Pusong Pinoy? and Bench shirts. Joey Samson?s collection featured jailhouse stripes and polka-dot designs.

Meanwhile, the chic girl brand, Kashieca, glammed up the stage with casual luxe and fluidity. Try and beat that, palanggas.

Indeed, it was an awesome combination of style and stars the Ben Chan way, dahlings.

Memorable 18th birthday

Tall and attractive Alexandra ?Alex? Pajaro, daughter of well-known fashion designer Judith Pajaro and Rodolfo Pajaro, celebrated her 18th birthday, dahlings, in true Bollywood, Indian fashion. ?I wanted something different,? said Alex. ?Being a dancer was also a contributing factor. I decided to inject another unique element in this celebration by using hip-hop tracks instead of the typical songs during the program.?

Held at the Rockwell Tent, which, according to the debutante, ?slightly reminds me of the Taj Mahal, a famous Indian landmark,? the event had more than 300 of the debutante?s close pals and relatives. She had four wardrobe changes: two long gowns and two cocktail dresses, all designed by her doting mom Judith.

Now that Alex is a certified adult, she says, ?I?m now ready to take on more responsibilities and learn the ropes of the fashion industry so I can follow in the footsteps of my mom. And I can cast my first ballot for the 2010 elections.?

A memorable debut for a young miss who?s ready for a new chapter in her life. Cheers, palanggas!

Enviro-chic bag launch

It was my first time to visit the gorgeously designed, sprawling Eastwood Mall via the invitation of my pal, good-looking and brilliant Kevin Tan, the heir to the throne of Megaworld. It was the launch of one of his pet projects, Eastwood Mall Enviro-Chic Bag by the renowned Rajo Laurel, and created by the awesome Payatas Nanays under the Rags 2 Riches Business Enterprise, palanggas.

In spite of the horrendous traffic and rain, the mall?s atrium was packed with people. As a first-time visitor to the new Eastwood Mall, it was definitely worth it. I was quite impressed at how the mall turned out beautifully, with its hotel-like ambience and, take note, palanggas, concierge with butler service, no less.

The wonderful and refreshing highlight of the launch was a fashion show with Payatas Nanays walking down the catwalk, carrying their handcrafted bags, alongside professional models. All I could say was, ?Wow! What a fab idea!? The audience?s encouraging applause got all the Nanays pumped up.

Three numbered bags?1, 88, and D (D, the Roman numerical sign of 500, the total number of bags in the Eastwood Mall Enviro-Chic Bag collection) were offered in a silent auction, which, I was told, went as high as P10,000 for one bag. Not bad, huh?

The bags are still available at the mall for P600 each. Create a pro-Earth statement and support Rags 2 Riches and the Philippine National Red Cross. Buy a bag now, palanggas. It?s for a worthy cause and is worth your money, honey.