Women all over the world are claiming March as our month—since March 8 is International Women’s Day and all 31 days as World Women’s Month.
This global celebration honors the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance.
The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911, supported by over one million people. Today I’ll support it by celebrating women of achievement.
In the fashion world, Sofie Borromeo and Criselda Lontok have made the local fashion scene more feminine and classy. Coincidentally, both chose March to launch new fashion collections.
Sofie is the creative director of women’s fashion label Sofie.B. She launched it in 2015 after working as a fashion buyer for the women’s department store of SM Retail and the franchise of British contemporary fashion label Joseph.
Sofie gained her knowledge and technical skills in fashion design as an undergraduate student of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, USA. She earned a graduate degree in Luxury Fashion Management at the SCAD campus in Hong Kong in 2014.
Sofie.B is focused on highlighting exceptional Filipino craftsmanship. Its signature tailored aesthetic has touches of local design elements.
For this year’s fashion show, “Garden with Wings,” Sofie.B was inspired by the butterfly and its metamorphosis. Guests were thrilled to see transitions, as a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, and surprises, as the colors and designs transformed.
“Garden with Wings” was held at Blackbird at Nielson Tower last week. The 20-piece collection showcased a range of botanical prints, bold textures and vibrant colors. Sofie had six muses in the show—Bernie Aboitiz, Jessica Kienle Maxwell, Alex Eduque, Florence Ko and Zelda Kienle. Charmaine Lagman was one of them, but she was abroad.
Cruise wear
Next, I headed to Rustan’s Makati for the Spring-Summer 2019 fashion show of Criselda Lontok. Criselda, Rustan’s’ in-house designer, presented elegant summer pieces that are exquisite.
The collection featured cruise wear with oversized bows and bell sleeves, classic silhouettes embellished with just the right amount of fringe and flounce, and an evening line perfect for everything from romantic beach jaunts to formal evening balls.
These were exquisite pieces to captivate women of all ages, for whom summer is a style adventure.
Some of Manila’s fashionable and influential set walked the runway as ambassadors for Criselda. Among the models were Linda Ley, who cohosted the event, Yoli Ayson, Lilibeth Campos, Suzette Hahn-Lopez, Ruth Rodriguez and Gina Mohnani.
As Criselda boldly looked forward to the next generation of Criselda Women, she ushered in summer with fresh new elements and pops of color, without losing touch of her fashion dictum that style and comfort are paramount.
Criselda Lontok is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La Plaza, Alabang, Gateway and Cebu.
Luxe candles
Carroll & Chan candle company is now in the Philippines.
On Feb. 28, lifestyle enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the launch of Carroll & Chan’s first store in the country. The event featured Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia as they shared their experiences in creating a better home with Carroll & Chan.
Among the guests were Bing Loyzaga and daughters Chi and Gabs Gibbs, Pia Magalona, Vern and Verniece Encisco, Joy Sotto, Issa Pressman, Marga Bermudez and TV anchor Gretchen Fullido.
Carroll & Chan uses only 100-percent beeswax in all of their candles. Unlike other types of wax, beeswax poses no harm to the environment as no rainforests are cut down and no natural animal habitats are destroyed in its making.
It is sustainable, renewable, and contains no toxins, parabens or other pollutants.
Carroll & Chan beeswax candles are made with wooden wicks that produce a cozy crackling sound when lit. They are poured by hand in Hong Kong to ensure top quality, and are adorned with unique and original handpainted designs in the packaging.
Carroll & Chan has 25 fragrance collections, spread across a vast product range including beeswax candles, matching reed diffusers, fragrance oils, and other home fragrance accessories.
Carroll & Chan is located on the third floor of The Podium.
More pics on Instagram @seaprincess888.