Grandma gave me a dress and I liked it

Staying in Davao for the holidays has given me more than enough time to eat, rest, and be merry! I could not ask for more this Christmas. Except for cash gifts, which will always be accepted with wide open arms. For today, I decided to put on this vintage dress grandma gave and inhale some of that fresh air nature has to offer. 

Vintage dress /Round sunnies /Janilyn oxfords

Hope you're enjoying your Christmas break too! 

On MEGA style

Huge thanks for the feature on megastyle.ph! View it here. 

It was a hot day. Perfect to take my cosmic baby lita out for a stroll. Nothing beats the satisfaction of getting hands on the lust item I can't even put to daily use. 

black bodysuit by Forever 21/black jeans by Bossini/sheer cover-up from Taiwan/skull ring from Hong Kong/tiger ring from Bangkok, meteor ring from Forever 21/watch by Ice/sun hat by Monki/and Cosmic Lita platform boots by Jeffrey Campbell

Gray Matters

There's been a stuck up with my blog posts. It's really hard to remember taking photos when you have so much going on. For one, the Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 has just passed. Oh... how I love  attending that despite the stress of WHAT TO WEAR TODAY for a week? I feel bad for not having worthy-to-share photos. I am in dire need of a photographer for occasions like this. Anyway, it was great to attend the SMDC show with Bev, a fellow blogger friend, who insisted we took each other's photos outside the Mall of Asia. The result? Not a complementary location for an outfit like this one, but I hope this will do for now. Here's a day,  or a night should I say, to the Philippine Fashion Week with me. 

Forever 21 faux fur jacket/Monki jumper/Pink Manila shorts/Jerome Salaya Ang killer heels

Anything goes

If there's one item I am guilty for use abuse, it would have to be this polka dot skirt. From casual to party wear, it's impressive how versatile this piece can be. This will certainly stay in my closet for a long time!

Top and polka dotted skirt from Hong Kong/Topshop denim vest/Forever 21 sunnies/Zara wedges

Under Construction

I'm glad I found time to roam around and squeeze in these shots yesterday. Seldom do I find days like this in school. With the first semester coming to the end, everything's piling up like crazy. Three and half more weeks to go and the taste of freedom will be an imagination no more. Oh and after months of deliberating, I finally decided to hop on to the dip dye bandwagon! It was a nerve-wracking process in a sense, because I didn't know how it would turn out. Plus, this is the first time I'm ever coloring my hair in technicolor. The result is a mixture of green and reddish-purple. Not really your usual combination, but I'll work it anyway. 

DIY top/h&m backpack and jeans/thrift boots/Anagon circle lenses/NAVA polygon lenses

A little update

If you had noticed, I was off the blogging radar for quite some time. Either I was too busy catching up with school work or too tired from being busy catching up. I hope I'm still making sense. I'm about to doze off as I'm typing this. Anyway, I just wanted to share something I found on the internet. Thanks to College Fashionista for this feature! The article was definitely beyond what I could have imagined to say about this outfit. Very flattering and inspiring! You can check it out here. Another thing that's keeping me busy these past few days is my new internship with fashion stylist Teej Nepomuceno. It's a new experience for me to be this serious and hands-on with styling. I've certainly learned a lot of new things. Guess I'll talk about more of that in the future. My eyes are not cooperating and about to shut down in a while. Watch out for my real blog comeback soon!

NOKIA x ELLE STYLE PORTFOLIO

Diversity is my strongest asset in life. I come from a place often regarded as peripheral despite its beauty and uniqueness. Unknown to many, the Philippines today is the product of Spanish-Japanese-American colonization. It certainly is an interesting mixture of very different cultures. Being Chinese by ethnicity and living in the Philippines have been instrumental in molding my multi-cultural identity. What I have in me is a remarkable combination unlike any other. I believe that the culture and environment I grew up in can help bring something new and fresh to the West.  Fashion is often dismissed as something superficial and unnecessary, but I beg to differ. I want to use my interest in fashion as an avenue to boost the Philippines’ image globally.  The New York Fashion Week is the perfect time to showcase the immense influence of fashion on my life. The opportunity to share my infinite stories and overflowing creative juices to as far as New York is too great that it would be considered a shame not to even try.  I am going to try my best to translate the Philippines’ culture blended with my eclectic personality and reflect it in my works. After all, visual presentation tells a lot about who or what a person is. It’s about time the world see something else. Something exotic, eccentric and especially “Elbertine”. 

City Girl in the Farm

Bohemian city girl pays a visit to the rural farms. I've been imagining this whole shoot in my head for the longest time now and finally the product is here for everyone to see. Enjoy viewing my Nokia x Elle style portfolio! I enjoyed working with all the people who have been instrumental in making this project successful. You shall see a variety of styles which will help you get to know me and what I can do even more.


Photographed by: Patrick Segovia

Arnold Galang dress/Style Prodigy feather earcuffs/Bring Ring rings/Belt from Thailand/ZARA sandals/Bag and dream catcher necklace from Baguio market/Thrifted knitted scarf

Desert wanderer

In the middle of nowhere and the scorching heat of the high noon sun, I venture out to take risks without inhibitions. I take everything to the next level. An idea that is born in my head will not stop growing and finding its way out. Styling is the exact field in fashion that has become an outlet for all those ideas. Through that, I am able to share my fashion intuitions and more often times over-the-top interpretations of it. 

This is my personal favorite among all the styling projects I have done. The dress was ripped straight from the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday Collection 2011 by Russell Villafuerte. He is a very young and talented Filipino designer whom I really love. Orange is the new pink this season. The burst of yellow-orange chiffon over the asymmetrical jersey tube dress is plain brilliance. It reminds me of sunkist oranges bursting.

Runway clothes are products of man's ingenuity. This outfit I'm wearing here is from Arnold Galang's Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011 Collection. The printed scarf gives the perfect touch to the minimalist appeal of this look.

Photographed By: Patrick Segovia

Russel Villafuerte dress/Arnold Galang green&brown outfit with scarf/Style prodigy feather earcuffs/Bring Rings connector rings/Andre Chang x Folded&Hung Floral Clogs

Jeepney ride

The Philippines primary means of public transportation is the jeepney. The colorful and attractive designs are impossible to miss. Wherever you go, you can surely find one in here. I'm wearing something inspired by the this jeepney together with other native elements. The feathers and abaca bag showcase the tribal clothing Filipino natives today are still adorned with.

(Jeepney photo taken from the internet)
Photographed By: Patrick Segovia

Arnold Galang two-tone skirt/NUR Brown feathered dress used as a top/Thrifted bag/Jerome Salaya Ang gold heels

Especially Elbertine

Style Prodigy feather earcuffs

Halloween was one event I always looked forward to as a child. The picture below shows me together with my two younger sisters all dressed in "qi paos" for halloween. My grandfather got us these outfits all the way from China. So cute right?

Now that I'm all grown up and do not join halloween contests anymore, I still haven't lost that affinity for oriental pieces such as red kimono by Michele Sison. The layered volume and cinched waist give it a very feminine touch. I especially love twirling back and forth in it.

Photographed by: Patrick Segovia
Michele Sison mini kimono/Zara wedges

A Wicked Twist

Reminiscent of the Asians' preference of solitude and peace, the Japanese Garden undoubtedly provided the perfect setting for the awkward queerness that is very much present in every detail of the photos. The modern oriental style of the clothes on a Caucasian beauty displays a striking contrast, sure to captivate anyone's eye. Unexpected is exactly the way I want it to be.

Photographed By:Patrick Segovia
Styling By: Elbertine Lau
Model: Sirene Sutton


Michele Sison clothes/Jerome Salaya Ang gold heels/Bring Rings connector ring/Andre Chang x Folded&Hung floral clogs

Art Attack

Sometimes, I like to tap my inner rocker self and bring the glamrock style on. Fun and fearless, I'd like to call myself. As a Chemistry major, I like experimenting on pretty much everything. Fashion is no exception. I like to dress up and test which looks work best for me. 

Photogrpahed By: Faye Castillo
OS Accessories Neckpieces/Stylebreak tops/DIY black studded bra/Jerome Salaya Ang heels