Rainy Days and K-Way

There's something new from Terry S.A., purveyor of all things practical and stylish such as Havaianas, Thread 365, Dupe and Bensimon, and it's equally as fun - it's K-Way! 

A French outerwear concept that has been around since 1965, K-Way is known for its lightweight, waterproof and reversible material that folds into a handy pouch.

More than just classic raincoats...

K-Way also has warm winter jackets.

The styles are so versatile that it complements not just any style, but every lifestyle.

Whether you are into sports, fashion, travel or business, K-Way can chase your rainy day away in a chic way.

K-Way ambassadors Cheryl Tiu and Marco Lobregat with Terry SA's Anne Gonzales

K-Way is available at both CommonThread branches of Greenbelt 5 and Power Plant Mall and online at www.pormada.com. Follow K-Way Philippines on Instagram at @KWayPH

Thread 365: 24/7 Basics

my Thread 365 haul from the launch (olive green v-neck not seen)

I love buying white tanks and t-shirts. They're closet staples and I can never seem to have enough. The softer, the better. The more worn-in it feels, the more I don't want to part with it.

I have T by Alexander Wang shirts that have holes in them, but still, I can't bear to throw them out. I have Old Navy ribbed tanks with necklines that have stretched out so low, it would be so bastos to wear them out. There's just something about ratty t-shirts I guess. The hole-ier and slouchier it gets, the more sentimental we become.

That's why I get the principle behind Thread 365, a homegrown brand of shirts by Terry S.A., the same group that brought us Havaianas and Bensimon. Their line of men's and women's shirts were borne from the vision of passionate people who believe that clothes shouldn't only look good but also feel good. 

At the Thread 365 launch, I got to chat with Anne Gonzalez and Rissa Artadi, the chic ladies behind the brand and it's easy to get sucked into their world of perfect tees.

Anne says the Thread 365 team is headed by people who have worked for global brands. They source the best cotton fabrics and materials, and they have everything made by manufacturers who adhere to global production standards.

Rissa shares that they really take fit at Thread 365 seriously. They spend time to make sure they get the length of sleeves, even the drop of the neckline, just right.

They make sure that tanks aren't too tight and don't cling to the body, understanding that women who have given birth, or who have love handles, care about these things.

And of course, their tanks, shirts and henleys are expected to feel better after every wash.  Encouraging you to wear them 24/7, from grocery runs to bar crawls; to work under a crisp button down shirt or by itself as you laze about the beach, the salty breeze lulling you to sleep.

Thread 365 shirts are available online at www.thread365.com and at Aura Athletica Bonifacio High Street and Power Plant Mall.

To kick off their launch, Thread 365 chose individuals who best embody the Thread 365 philosophy of versatility and authenticity.  Guess who was part of their roster of 38 key influencers whose photos were taken by photographer Sara Black? None other than my friend Tita K! Woohoo!

Along with Mr. Thread 365 Basti Artadi (the other half of Thread 365 genius Rissa)...

...and my favorite artisanal ice cream maker, Xandra Rocha of Pinkerton!

Bensimon Now in the Philippines

This is Berry in her Bensimon x Bonpoint sneakers, back when she was 2 years old.

These sneakers don't fit her anymore. But I am saving them for Xavi. Yes, because real boys wear pink. Haha.

This is me in my Bensimons when Berry was a year and a half. I was not strangling her, I was trying to get her to look at the camera. Heehee.

We love our Bensimons. They are so comfortable. And chic. And are real classics. Yes, I sound like such a cliche.

I discovered Bensimon during our New York years via my friend Sarj, who wears them for walking around Manhattan. There were no sexy shoes in that city for us, haha.

I ended up getting my pair at Mick Margo on Commerce Street in the West Village, when I found myself hobbling and needed comfortable shoes, because I got blisters from wearing a pair of Melissas that got wet because some cab splashed water on me while I was on my merry way to meet my friends Rissa and Happy at Cafe Cluny, also in the West Village.

I've been wearing them since then. So imagine my thrill when I got invited to the launch of Bensimon in the Philippines, along with my friends Jackie Go (btw, please vote for her, she's a finalist for best style blog at Globe's Tatt Awards! Go Jackie Go!) and Janice Villanueva. 

I have been a long time fan of Bensimon and was all the more thrilled when I found out they brought in the line for kids too! Yay Berry and Xavi!

There's a slip-on version too. I am going to get one in navy. I can imagine it na with white jeans and a white Alexander Wang t-shirt. Heffortless!

Lest you think Bensimon is only about classic tennis shoes or la tennis Bensimon, it is in fact a lifestyle brand. Started thirty years ago by brothers Serge and Yves Bensimon, with a small shop in the Marais district of Paris, on the famous Rue des Francs Bourgeois street, the brand is "inspired by travel, military and true Parisian fashion" selling not just sneakers but clothing, luggage, fragrance, and well-designed home goods.

In the Philippines, Bensimon is brought in by Terry S.A., distributor of Havaianas, David & Goliath, Dupe and Pininho. Ammiel de Leon, brand director of Bensimon Philippines believes that with Bensimon, they can change the Filipino perception of sneakers into something sophisticated and stylish.

And like those darn Havaianas, I want one in every color! I am not stopping at two. Eeep!

My old Bensimons meet the new, hello hello!

Xavi, you won't be barefoot for long. I am getting you and Atchi Berry a pair each too. Heehee.

Bensimon sneakers are available in Center of Gravity (Forbes Town, Burgos Circle and Centris Walk), Shoe Salon (Glorietta 3, Power Plant Mall Rockwell, Robinson’s Ermita, Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Trinoma Mall), and Shoe Thing (kids styles only: Bonifacio High Street, Eastwood Mall, and Greenbelt 5). 

Prices range from Php2,095 to Php2,565 for men’s and women’s styles and Php1,295 to Php1,795 for the kids’ styles.

For inquiries and updates on Bensimon Philippines, like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BensimonPhilippines 

Design a Smile with Havaianas

Do you have an artistic child in the family? Here's your chance to see your talented little artist's design in Havainas flip-flops! Come to the Havaianas Design a Smile booth at the upcoming Mommy Mundo Bazaar on November 24-25 at the Rockwell Tent. For more details, read on!

When was the last time you made someone else smile? That is the question Havaianas asks you as it launches the Havaianas Design a Smile 2, a flip-flops design contest for the benefit of Operation Smile Philippines.

First launched in 2010, Havaianas Design a Smile gives children the chance to show their artistic talents by designing the next Havaianas Smile pair – a special design which will be produced into an actual Havaianas pair, with a percentage of the sales to be donated to Operation Smile Philippines, a non-profit organization which provides life-changing surgeries to children with cleft lips and cleft palates. The initial run generated more than 2,000 entries and raised more than PHP 100,000 from donations alone during this period.

“Havaianas believes that summer is a state of mind and can be lived every day of the year whenever you adopt a happy and carefree attitude,“ shares Anne Gonzalez, Managing Director of Havaianas Philippines. “And nowhere else is that more evident than in children. With Havaianas Design a Smile, we hope to generate funds and awareness to support Operation Smile in our shared mission to spread smiles all over the world.”

This November to January, Havaianas Design a Smile 2 is back, with the theme “Paying it Forward: Kids Helping Kids.” Beginning November 24th, artistically inclined kids can join Havaianas Design a Smile by submitting their designs illustrating their answer to the question “What will you do to make other people smile?” at the following partner events: Bonifacio Global City Passion Fest at Bonifacio High Street from November 23 to 25, and at the Mommy Mundo Bazaar at the Rockwell Tent from November 24 to 25. Winners will receive exciting prizes from Havaianas, bobble, Pininho, Hobbes and Landes, McDonald’s, and Sony. The grand prize winner will also have his or her design produced as part of the Havaianas 2014 Collection as the Havaianas Smile pair, with a percentage of the sales from which will help fund the operations of Operation Smile.

“The response from our initial run was overwhelming,” says Ammiel de Leon, Group Director, “this year, we hope to enrich our partnership with Operation Smile even more and involve more people all over the Philippines in Havaianas and Operation Smile’s advocacy to give children their smiles.”

Havaianas Design a Smile 2 kicks off at the Bonifacio Global City Passion Fest at Bonifacio High Street, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig from November 23 to 25, and at the Mommy Mundo Bazaar at the Rockwell Tent, Rockwell PowerPlant Mall, Makati City from November 24 to 25. Like the Havaianas Philippines Official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/havaianasphilippines/ to find out other events that the Havaianas Design a Smile 2 booth will be visiting.