Miguel and I usually lay out our plans the night before whenever we plan to go out. For our last monthsary (last 24th), our date was already set when Miguel made an impromptu plan to go Tagaytay. This guy never fails to surprise me.
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Rocco + Ruru /
Photography, direction, styling, and post-processing by mebut hell no, this shoot isn't possible without the team I toiled with.
Pardon me for getting sidetracked at the very beginning of this post, but I'd just like to dwell on the fact that writing isn't really my forte, a fact that may be obvious in this visual heavy, yet "short & sweet texted" entry. Well, at least I'm good at inventing these non existent "phrases" to mask my not so wide vocabulary. I can write, but between other things I can do, it's not exactly my specialty. Consider this a warning, though I do have high hopes for the visuals of this entry.
Now back to the reason for this post.
Get this, I just styled & shot Rocco & Ruru. Yeah, that just happened.
I was given the opportunity to style two of GMA's biggest stars who also happen to star in the remake of one of the most popular Fantaserye in Philippine Television. Though "styling" turns out to be a massive summary of my role. Later on (literally a few days before the shoot), I was informed that I would be basically in charge of the whole shoot. My responsibility escaping self went through minor hysterics.
I know you guys are dying (kidding) to see the photos, but please don't scroll past this as I'd like to recount the hardship I went through while pulling out the clothes for this shoot. A million thank yous aren't enough to thank my ever loyal friend, Duff, who spent 6 hours with me walking up and down Bonifacio High Street, carrying 10+ uber heavy paper bags in the midst of our then incomprehensible, humid, Philippine weather. Oh and I was wearing this really fluffy sweater + jeans + boots cause the weather looked gloomy while I was dressing up. How deceitful.
So a big shoutout to all stylists out there and their loyal friends who're ever so supportive of their stylist friend's endeavours.
For the first set, I dressed the two stars based on their profile sprinkled with a teeny bit of my style.
Both heartthrobs who are adored by females (and perhaps males) all over the Philippines Islands, yet different in their own sense. Rocco being the fit, brooding, mature moreno, and Ruru being the teen, Spiderman-esque lanky tisoy.
Rocco wears button down shirt and khaki chino pants from Cotton On, wristwatch and spectacles from Aldo, and lace up boots from Pedro.
I dressed Rocco in a safe yet classic ensemble — A midnight blue button down shirt, paired with khaki chino pants, and accessorized with a brown leather strapped wrist watch. Finished off with rounded spectacles and lace up boots the same color of the watch for a contemporary touch.
Ruru wears polo shirt and sneakers from American Eagle Outfitters, black parka from Factorie, and khaki shorts from Cotton On
As for Ruru, I took into account his teenage charm. The iconic "Taft conyo outfit" popped in my head. A polo shirt, paired with slim cut shorts, but instead of the usual combo including a pair of loafers or boats, I replaced the shoes with grayish taupe sneakers and added in a parka for some street style vibe.
Ive failed to mention this earlier, but the location and feel of each set is based on the aesthetics closest to me. The first one having that clean white + foliage thing going on and this second one, a clean, light and airy pastel vibe.
In the first set, I've considered both Rocco & Ruru's profile & possible (hehe) personal style, but for this set I only considered my vision (insert evil laugh here... kidding).
Now I've came across a comment saying "Nahhh that's not what a skater dude looks like" blah blah blah. My vision may be distorted but hey this is my shoot, my blog, and when I say this is my idea of a skater dude in an alternate pastel universe, then it will be.
Convictions aside, I think this makes for a quirky chill outfit on hot, sweaty days.
Ruru wears pink shirt, shorts, and sneakers from Cotton On, and floral cap from Aldo. Socks are stylist's own.
Rocco & Ruru's outfit are pretty similar for this set, but Ruru's lies more on the lighter color palette. I know I've already mentioned this a bajillion times, but pastel pink, light colored denim, and clean, cloud white sneakers make a great, foolproof combo. Topped with a blue and white printed headgear and dual hued striped socks to break off the plain colored monotony.
Rocco wears shirt and shoes from Cotton on, board shorts from Factorie, and bracelets from Aldo. Socks are stylist's own.
As for Rocco, whom I know is very much into fitness, a knowledge I got from "researching" on his Instagram and from having a little chat over breakfast, wore board shorts instead of denim ones. I feel like the the shirt and layered bracelet gave him more of a surfer dude appeal? Have I mentioned that I absolutely adore tops with statement backs?
I should also mention how much it was a breeze to work with Rocco and Ruru. As talented actors and regulars on the spotlight, of course these two knew exactly how to pose and project. They were especially fun and light to be with too, in my case, it was most fun to shoot the second set, my favorite shots being the candid, laughing ones.
A special thank you to the GMA crew and Dianne who tagged along with us during the shoot. Many thanks to Bench's Global brands for the clothes. To Rocco & Ruru, if you get the chance to read this, thanks for being such great sports during the shoot and for doing a great job! Last but definitely not the least, to my forever supportive boyfriend who skipped worked just to assist, accompany, drive, and help me create last minute outfits for this shoot. Love you, Miguel.
If you want to more of Rocco & Ruru, better watch out for the premiere of Encantadia on July 18, GMA channel.
So tell me, how did you like (or dislike) this shoot? Let me know in the comments below!
Three Strikes /
I don't know if I've already mentioned this, but music is definitely one of my biggest inspiration when it comes to my style.
I'm not exactly sure how, since music isn't something you see rather it's something you hear and feel. I guess it's the feels certain type of songs give me that prompt me to wear certain types of clothing but just a few days ago, music inspired my outfit... literally. Have you seen Kylie's music video for her lip gloss? This may or may not be a popular opinion if you're not a fan of the Kardashians/Jenners, but Kylie was seriously beyond beautiful in that video. I especially love the bandana thing going on. I saw that and was like, "wow, that's perfect for summer."
A little trivia, I used to wear a bandana like this during my chemotherapy days. Either this or a bucket hat to cover my baldness/pixie cut hair.
Though initially I wore the scarf around my neck, later throughout the day I realized the look seemed a bit to chic and opted for a more casual take on it instead and wore it on my head. Also let me just say that I'm very happy with my recent purchase of this mustard body suit. I love the color, it's definitely something new to my dominantly black, white, grey, and nude wardrobe. I'm actually building a new color scheme for my wardrobe and I'm super excited for it. It's definitely a lot of fun to hunt and collect for pieces I haven't tried before.
Now I'm wondering why I didn't put on my So Cute gloss for this ensemble...
