The best of +J is back with UNIQLO

 UNIQLO Philippines carries an exclusive Holiday offer of luxury collaboration line +J.

After wrapping up three creative collaborations with Uniqlo, Jill Sander is back with her timeless and classic pieces from+J label this 2014. Due to popular demand, the selected affordable pieces from past seasons is now back at your selected favorite Uniqlo store.

The launch was held at SM Aura last December 17, and well attended by media. Ms. Liza Ilarde of Style Weekend won the raffle grand prize of php10,000. There was a photo booth stalled at the store wherein everyone enjoyed their black and white selfies.

When I rummaged for the +J Collection, I have come to like the black turtle neck, its a classic piece that will surely never goes out of style. You can partner the top with jeans, skirt or you can layer it over your shirt, the best thing is,  the classic piece is made affordable for everyone. I will be back before the year ends cause Im eyeing  the black buttoned top.

Ms. Sander used to work as creative director of Uniqlo's menswear and womens wear last 2009 and launched the +J label famously known for its minimal, clean aesthetic.

Loved for its timeless yet forward-looking style and affordable quality, over five seasons from Fall Winter 2009, +J grew to one of the most successful fashion collaborations of all time - elevating basic garments for functional, minimalist elegance to suit any lifestyle.

UNIQLO’s best of +J collection reissues selected garments from past seasons that capture the +J philosophy. The collection include items such as the classic man’s button-down shirt, an indispensable building block for any wardrobe. The collection’s wool items such as sweaters and coats that are rich in character, blending coziness with structure. Weightless and warm, +J's signature down jackets and parkas remain subtle testaments to the perfection of technical outerwear. Throughout the +J collection, precision tailoring, avant-garde textiles and modern silhouettes combine to create the personal uniform for the world of today.

This Special Holiday Offer the best of the collection, and is part of UNIQLO’s ongoing aim to answer customers’ needs and desires. +J Collection is available in UNIQLO SM Megamall, SM Aura and Glorietta 5 in special prices from December 17 – 31.

Perfect design. Simplicity. Priced for everyone.

COCA Restaurant celebrates one year at Skypark, SM Aura

 COCA Restaurant at Skypark SM Aura Premier celebrates one year of good business last July 30, 2014 at the 5th level  and they have chosen to give back to the community by partnering with Life Project 4 Youth (LP4Y). The restaurant has been well-known for its “Suki” steamboat dining. COCA started out with a 20 seater at Soi Dejo, Thailand by Mr. Srichai Phanphensophon and his wife, Mrs. Patama. I was lucky enough to be invited and taste the Thai-Chinese fusion here in SM Aura branch.

The name “COCA” is derived from Mandarin “kekou” which means “appetizing.” COCA Restaurant is well known for Thai-style “Suki” steamboat dining. It is a Thai variant of hot pot, where dining clients can cook vegetables, meat, and noodles in a steaming hot broth. From the restaurant’s Thai roots, Coca Restaurant has later on become more diverse with their food as they created a fusion between Thai and Chinese cuisine. It now has various branches in countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Laos, Vietnam, Korea, and the latest addition to the pack, Philippines.

This is how our  Emperor’s Platter with Ojiya (PHp 2750) looks like, it was a combination of vegetables, mushroom, and seafood (read: big crab)  You will dip cook everything in either tom yum soup (which is my favorite) and clear chicken broth in this pan (picture above)

The Emperor's Platter

Our waiter helped us cook everything , while other dishes were served such as these;

Sweet and sour pork (php 350.00)

 Seafood Durian Spring Roll  (php 420.00)

Spicy Seafood Salad

This spicy salad is a combination of jelly fish and seafood among others and their special suki sauce. I love that they served this as an appetizer.

Galorgee (Small - php 250,00,  Large - php 450.00)

We ordered Galorgee or "palitaw" for you as our dessert. This is crispy to the bite with peanuts, sugar and sesame seed. This is made of crispy glutinous rice. Best to eat when served hot.

COCA Restaurant has the classic interior and ambience inside.  They have a wide selection of Thai-Chinese menu to choose from. What stands out for me is their Emperors Platter, but has a steep price tag. The catch is you dont have to fly to Thailand, Singapore or Japan just to have a dip of their menu.

In line with one year of good business, Coca Restaurant has partnered up with (LP4Y) to give back to the community. According to Coca Restaurant’s general manager, Ms. Karen Tanchanco-Caballero, “Business has been really well for the past year, and I think it’s the right time to give back to the community. This partnership with LP4Y, which gives the excluded youths a chance to build their careers and become more productive members of society, is a perfect way of giving back.

Aurelie Garancher of (LP4Y) told “We are very happy and excited in this partnership with Coca Restaurant. We see this as a chance to help more youths gain experience and discover possible hidden potentials. Together with Coca Restaurant, we hope to help them build their career as much as we can.”

Meet the "It" Bag Herve Chapelier

Fashion Meets Function at Hervé Chapelier’s Latest Collection

I have seen Herve Chapelier tote bags in Hongkong, and learned that it has opened its first store at SM Aura last February 2014. I love the bag since it has similarity to Longchamp,  when it comes to its handles and boxy in appearance.  I love that it has big space inside,  practical enough to carry my notebook, make up kit, umbrella, vitamins, shades, reading glass, ipod player, tablet, wallet, purse, comb and a book.  My life revolves around my bags and  I love toting them around. Not to mention that it is an "It" bag for the season, at least to me.

Herve Chapelier launched the tote bags with collaborations from Filipino artists Niccolo Jose, Mayi Penaflorida, Soleil Ignacio, Kris Abrigo, Aiya Balingit and Tokwa Penaflorida, having reinterpreted some of the influential best paintings and designs on the bag on June 16, 2014.

Credited around the toting world for innovating a handful of firsts, French luxury bag and luggage brand Hervé Chapelier pushes the envelope yet again with its iconic collection, which features a bit of combative edge, a hint of urban function, and a dose of modern mobility, without compromising its veritable stamp of ladylike Parisian substance.

Founded in 1976 by its namesake design stalwart, the Hervé Chapelier label revolutionized the duffel bag, an invention that featured industrial standard, automotive safety belts repurposed as straps for roomy, function-savvy bags, jump starting the brand’s dominance for cutting-edge, contemporary, yet classy ladies’ carry-alls in the industry. Since then, Chapelier introduced more trendsetting silhouettes, such as the Cabas, the brand’s quintessentially French take on the traditional shopper, as well as the GP the brand’s high-end line, which took color and texture blocked toting to a whole new shape and proportion.

For its current season, Hervé Chapelier unveils a bolder, braver collection that is especially attuned with the times, answering to the dynamic shifts in lifestyle, careers, and social habits of today’s women. With a firm grip on functionality and fashionable aesthetics, Hervé Chapelier’slatest collection celebrates the luxury of the fast-paced with totes, carry-alls, and bags that keep up with today’s tempo while marching on a look all its own.

First, Hervé Chapelier unleashes an army of camo-print totes that take on the military trend spot-on; becoming the modern woman’s ultimate bagging uniform. Found in a variety of shapes and make, Chapelier’s version of the battle-tested season style can be had in basic nylon, the toughest, most lightweight material in bagging industry-standards, or the Cordura, crafted off breathable polyamide. These materials borrow on military precision for shape and function, with silhouettes such as the traditional bucket, the prismic rectangular, all in a variety of sizes, Hervé Chapelier offers up a match for any of the modern female’s varying missions.

On the other end of the spectrum, Hervé Chapelier also embraces the season’s command for resort-ready totes, borrowing key palettes and contrasts from the sea. With nautical influences found in the hues of coral pink, navy blue, tan, turquoise, cobalt, and sand, Hervé Chapelier’stwo-toned GP hand-carry luggage could be this season’s suiting company for sea-borne, travel-bound ladies.

And finally, for the sophisticated women who value the classics,Hervé Chapelier’s Nylon and Cordura lines could also be had in the timeless, neutral shades of black, grays, and blues, with a burst of berry for that twist of excitement and fun. These carry-alls become the perfect compliment for the corporate wardrobe, with its roomy function, handy compartments, and sturdy structure, any working woman can be sure to carry through her daily agenda with stylish success.

With its French-fashioned style and fast-paced feminine sensibilities,Hervé Chapelier’s take on luxury toting transcends the values of mere fine-quality materials and craftsmanship; its commitment to modern-day function makes it a priceless addition to any woman’s wardrobe.
Hervé Chapelier ‘s first ever boutique in Southeast Asia can be found at L1, SM Aura Premier,  Manila Philippines.