NÃO do Brasil Anniversary Sale!

I've been looking for classic mid-cut sneakers in black, and I finally found a pair at NÃO do Brasil in Megamall:

They're super comfy, no break-ins required. Even my kids love their pairs! So, if you're a huge fan of this sneaker label, or maybe you've been wanting to buy a pair, but still waiting for a reason to, here's one:

Yup! Because #naodobrasilphturns1, they're giving customers this chance to enjoy 30% off on selected items from January 28 to February 1, 2015!

Visit NÃO do Brasil at the 3/F of SM Megamall Fashion Hall to see what they have in store. With the many varied, limited edition pieces they have, there's something to catch your fancy.

A classic solid, like mine

trendy camouflage print

sweet feminine sneakers in various shades of pink prints

For me, the kids styles take the cake.

The color combinations are fun and quite funky.

Wouldn't this be adorbs on a baby girl?

Cute subtle stripe detail on this one.

Of course, I ended up getting something similar to this for Xavi. Always going for what's neutral. Yep, that's me.

I would have wanted this exact pair, but they didn't have it in Xavi's size.

Aihleen Gruba of NÃO do Brasil did tell me before that when I see a color and style I like in the size I need, I better get it because it might be the only pair of that style left.

This is because 70% of their shoes are made from recycled or salvaged materials, sourced from various Brazilian manufacturers. Each pair is entirely made by hand by an artisan, in one of the five workshops set-up in different parts of Brazil. Which makes each pair all the more special.

NÃO do Brasil sneakers come in various styles in hundreds of color combinations, with sizes ranging from 18 (infants) to 47 (adults). Find the perfect pair for you, made more perfect if it's part of the ongoing sale too!

NÃO do Brasil
3/F SM Megamall Fashion Hall
EDSA, Mandaluyong City

Nao do Brasil Hits Manila!

Aihleen with partners Inna & Corinne Yenko

When our friend Aihleen Tan-Gruba first told me about NÃO do Brasil, a French brand of sneakers that she, her husband Mark, and their partners brought in to Manila after discovering and hoarding pairs of it in Paris, I wondered, "If it's French? Why is it called Nao do Brasil?"

Legend has it that a little boy named Adilson, who "lived in the depths of Minas Gerais, an arid region in Brazil", was tired of walking barefoot, and hearing his mother say "NÃO" everytime he asked her to buy him a pair of shoes.

So he decided to make his own shoes, using materials picked up from the slums of Belo Horizonte. Over the years, he refined his craft and his shoes became known for their craftsmanship, color, comfort and style.

When asked whether he had given a name to his shoes, Adilson would recall his mother's words and invariably answer NÃO, with an enigmatic smile on his face.

Today, it is said that Adilson is a happy man, who heads a small firm that produces thousands of multi-colored shoes every year for the enjoyment of all. 

Meanwhile, back in France, in the year 2010, NÃO do Brasil founder Gerard Mandrea opened his first NÃO store in Juan-Les-Pins in France. Today, there are over 20 NÃO do Brasil stores in Europe, the Middle East and now in Asia, by way of the Philippines with the first store opening here at SM Megamall Fashion Hall D.

Of course, I visited the store and was blown away by the sheer variety of choices. There are several styles to choose from ranging from the trademark Caïpi to Noïte, Altaï, Baïana, Drïa, Kerïa, Praï. These styles come in hundreds of color combinations, with sizes ranging from 18 (infants) to 47 (adults).

Aihleen told me that when you see a color and style you like in your size, I better grab onto it because there's no guarantee I will ever find the same thing ever. 

This is because 70% of their shoes are made from recycled or salvaged materials, sourced from various Brazilian manufacturers. Each pair is entirely made by hand by an artisan, in one of the five workshops set-up in different parts of Brazil.

So when I zoomed in on this silver-y pair, I knew this was it for me.

I then found a pair of silver high tops for Berry, and I left feeling like I won a matching game!

With the hundreds, if not thousands of color combinations in store, it is almost impossible to find two similar pairs in the sizes you want.

Of course, these were the pairs that Berry & I wore to the launch of NÃO do Brasil in Megamall last March 25. 

Our biggest supporters, Dada & Xavi, were there to cheer us on, along with my fellow SoMoms, Pam, Jane, Patty, Jenny and Jackie!

Because Berry & I walked the ramp! It was a first for me, OMG!

Berry, the veteran, who already had a gig with Gingersnaps under her belt, was teaching me how to pose backstage and was practicing the counts with me.

She even showed me how she counted from 1 to 5 to hold her pose, while smiling! Too cute!

It was a wonderful bonding experience with Beriray, having our hair done together at Blo and getting dolled up at Make Up for Forever. I am so happy we were in it together. We super enjoyed it!

Such a relief to also walk the ramp in the comfiest of shoes! Not only am I so glad my first ever runway experience was with Berry, I was also happy it was with NÃO do Brasil. It felt so natural to walk with a bounce on my step, with no fear of tumbling all over for all to see! 

Visit the store to see what I mean! 

NÃO do Brasil 

3/F SM Megamall Fashion Hall

SM Megamall Building D

Mandaluyong, Metro Manila

MFO Shoe Series: Kat Garcia, Manila

Kat Garcia is my momma fitspiration. Just take a hard look at those seriously hard abs.

I often ask this mom of two for fitness tips and I love how she encourages but never pushes me to workout. What she told me to focus on, was to be conscious of what I eat. Like she always says, "Abs are made in the kitchen! Torn in the gym! 80% nutrition, 20% sweat!"

A self-confessed workout junkie and healthy eating advocate (sugar and salt are the enemy!), she calls herself a "crazy purse collector who loves bikes, cars, pistols, basketball and is a hardcore UFC fan." And I love how her shoe collection is a true reflection of her personal style!

Btw, for this year's series of shoe girls, I enlisted the help of my friend, photographer Camille King, to join me as we take the Shoe Series a notch up with professional photos (when all of our schedules permit of course, heehee). Hope you will love this new look for the series as much as I do. Super thanks Camille for becoming my partner in the MFO Shoe Series now!

Since Kat is a purse collector first & foremost, Camille & I just had to get photos of a few of the highlights of Kat's purse collection.

 

And now, on to her shoes!

How many pairs of shoes do you own? 

I used to own over a 100 pairs but I had to downsize...since I can only bring what I need in our condo.

Girly pairs that she hardly wears, but can't let go of, as these were gifts from her Mom

Boots for traveling to cooler climes

More girly shoes from her mom

What's your shoe size?

Omg... for real? Im a 9.5-10.... hey wait almost 5'8 naman ako! But yes...all my trainers are Men's shoes!

Which pairs are your favorites? 

My Nike 2014 Fly Knit Airmax and Asics Gel Blurr33 - great for all around training.

If you could only wear one pair of shoes, which one would it be? 

Hahaha!!! I can wear Nike or Asics all day!

What are your favorite shoe brands? 

Nike, Asics and New Balance

What's in your shoe lust list? 

Ooooooooh.... tough one but I hope batman (my dad) sees this. Also madame (mom). ALL nike 2014 fly knit mens shoes haha!!! I said ALL! and Asics Kill Bill.

Asics Kill Bill via highsnobiety.com

Where do you buy shoes? 

Nike Shang. Nike at Shang has a good selection as always. Well, I'm obviously a suki since I bully the kuyas there to give me the first dibs on new arrivals! Plus my kids tambay there and the ates and kuyas are okay w/ them haha! 

Planet Sports and Net-a-Porter...oh and GigaSports Hong Kong.

Isabel Marant Bayley Star and Bekett wedge sneakers from Net-a-Porter

What's that one shoe you can't bear to give away or throw out? 

My Lebron basketball shoes.

Of course, I could never let Kat go with just sharing her shoe collection. I had to ask her about her workout routine, what she eats, and because she has amazingly poreless skin, her skincare routine.

How do you get those abs? I mean seriously!

For my workout routine...I have been going hard these days because of endurance and strength training. I want to be macho so I can maneuver my dream Ducati monster bike. Also I want to join the basketball team here sa Rockwell Gym, I'm not kidding.

I am doing krav maga soon and going back hardcore on kettle bell training. I do cardio via summit trainer and run 4km w/ abs on fire MWF, then tues/thurs/ sat I go heavy on strength training. (Didn't Kat say abs is 80% nutrition? Buti na lang!)

Uhm ok, change topic, hahaha. Let's just talk about what you eat? 80% nutrition, majority wins.

Oh for the food, well I design our own shakes and meals that goes well w/ our training. My husband is on a fat cry/lean up program I designed, while I'm on a high energy/ high protein lean up program. I have perfected one shake I use for pre, during and post workouts. I call it the fat cry/lean up energy shake.

Fat cry/lean up energy shake
1tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 banana
1tbsp whey protein powder ( I use show me the whey from healthy options) but peanut butter will do for the kuripot ones hehe
1/2 yakult or 1/2 nestle strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup almond or skim milk
1/2 cup water

NOTE: WE DON'T COUNT CALORIES, WE FOCUS ON WELL BALANCED NUTRITIOUS SHAKES/MEALS.

Now, tell me about your poreless skin. It looks airbrushed you know.

I use to be a solid La Mer junkie but I had to stop for a while because I want more Airmax and I'm saving up for a 9mm pistol and my dream Ducati monster bike haha!!!

I use pure argan oil all over. I have a bad case of psoriasis and my kids have skin asthma. It was the only product that made us say BYE to the lotion we hoard at S&R hehe!

It was a gift to me last Christmas, it was a lot so I gave them away as well. I really don't plan to sell them...and go all out in the market, but what I use is 100% pure argan oil from Spain and has certification. I supply friends and family and some derma clinics at the Medical City.

PS - Of course, Camille & I ended up buying a bottle of this wonder Argan Oil from Spain and convinced Kat to sell to MFO readers as well! It's unscented and is so non-greasy, I use it on my face each morning as a base for my CC Cream. Email garciakat26@yahoo.com if you'd like to buy too! 

For more on Kat's fitness adventure, follow @mamakathere on Instagram. 

Unless credited, all photos by Camille King of Camille King Photography. Like her Facebook page, HERE.

Feiyue in Manila

Photo by My Mom Friday's 6 year old daughter M, galing! 

The sneakers above are my Feiyues (pronounced Feî-yué) and I love them! Not only are they stylish, they are super comfortable too! I remember seeing a guy in the Singapore MRT back in 2010, that's 3 years ago, wearing this exact same pair and I wanted one at first sight. I thought they looked cool in a classic, old school kind of way.

Feiyue sneakers have an interesting history. As the name suggests, it has Chinese roots. Feiyue literally means "Flying Forward" and it has done just that, transforming itself from a lowly cloth shoe in the 1920s worn by martial artists and athletes to a global brand today, backed up by a group of French sneaker enthusiasts.

Ruby Gan's son Ralph tells me Feiyues are known as shaolin shoes

To understand how progressive the brand has become, imagine this. From shaolin shoes, they moved on to a Feiyue x CELINE collaboration in 2008. And the sneakers looked pretty cool, pre-Phoebe Philo at that. (Philo only came on board as Creative Director of Celine in 2008 and presented her Pre-Spring 2010 debut collection in 2009 - MFO's note).

 

The Feiyue x CELINE collaboration from 2008

From this first collaboration, Feiyue went on to work on artistic and graphic projects with Shin Tanaka (Japan), Stereo Japan (France), Steph Cop (France), NSDQ (Hong Kong), CASIO and agnès b.

Feiyue x agnès b.

Feiyue landed in Manila in 2011. The same year the brand launched in Australia and New York. But it was only recently that Feiyue Manila opened their showroom in Greenhills, at Sekai Center.

  Xavi & me at the Feiyue showroom with L to R: Janice, Jaycee, Kris, Michelle and Jenny

My friend Janice's cousin Jaycee Dee invited the SoMoms over and we got to look at the styles they brought in...

Plus a sneak peek of the new Fall 2013 collection which should arrive in a few months. Can I just say I love the kids line? Totally adorable! The high tops? O.M.G.

I want to get this for Berry

I want to get this for Xavi

Can we get a collective squeal? Eeeeeeeeeep! Too too too cute!

Of course, I am getting myself a pair of this mid-cut origins too, as seen on Janice and Jaycee:

The mid-cut origins are also part of the Fall Collection and I am getting antsy waiting for all these new styles! Hurry up Feiyue and Fly Forward to the kiddos and meeee!

Feiyue is available at Rustan's Alabang Town Center, Makati and Shangri-la, Zalora.com.ph and at their Greenhills showroom: Unit 104 Sekai Center, 368 Ortigas Avenue cor Madison Street, Greenhills, San Juan.

For more information and updates, like Feiyue on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Feiyue.Philippines

Sneak Attack

 

So I've been seeing photos of these camo Valentino sneakers here and there on Instagram and I have to admit I was jealous of the fact that it seemed they were only made for guys. So you can just imagine my surprise when I realized there's a version for girls too! Eeeep!

Valentino camouflage sneakers, $795

I first learned about the camouflage collection a month ago, when my friend Naomi bought this shoulder bag in Hong Kong...

It is love. I thought they only made camo bags for us girls, no sneakers. But anyhoo at this time, I can live without a new bag. I really don't see myself buying a new bag this year or any time soon. Although this tote admittedly, is quite a charmer.

But the camo sneakers? O.M.G.

Ano camo? Shopping ban? Did I ever say such a thing?