SM Ladies’ Fashion: The Show, My Experience!

The SM Ladies Fashion show marked the opening of Philippine Fashion Week last May 22. Instead of being a spectator for the show as is always the case, I was asked to walk the runway. My initial reaction was panic (and fear) because I’ve had one experience of walking the ramp for Mega Magazine’s “Most Stylish” event and it scared me so much that I broke into cold sweat! I think (though I could be wrong) that many women have this secret desire to be a model, but after that one “walk” I did, I knew I didn’t want to be one haha. It was so nerve wracking! Quite honestly I’d much rather do a talk in front of a large crowd—at least I’m assured that my shoes won’t fly out of my feet (especially if I wear loose- fitting ones haha) or worse, I’d trip, fall flat on my face and then lose a tooth in the process hahaha. I’ll have you all know, I have 2 left feet, so falling and tripping is really not an unlikely scenario either haha.

Anyway, so yes, the reality that I was walking only sunk in when I went with Elite Model Management director Eughie Teng to the SM head office to meet the fun and lovely Charlene Yu- Banzal (of SM Ladies) for the fittings. I was to sashay down the catwalk thrice. There were 2 outfits that were laid out for me, and I was so happy with them—one was a royal blue bias- cut dress cinched on the waist with a black belt, perfect for ladies who lunch and for those after- work cocktail parties, and the other was a nautical striped shirt paired with shorts and a cropped jacket. These were two outfits that I’d wear without hesitation. They were reflective of my style and also of the on- trend styles of women and of fashion today.

Here’s a fashion secret I’m letting you all in on: in the last 2 years, SM was the go- to place of my friends and I when we needed an inexpensive quick fashion fix. If you spend a good amount of time in the department store, you will without a doubt walk away with a lot of unbelievably great fashion finds—and it won’t even burn a hole in your pocket! Every chance my friends get the time off from their busy schedules at work, we’d get together and troop over to SM department store for our “look for less” challenge.

After hair and makeup were done by Lourd Ramos and Jim Ryan Ros (Maybelline) of Creations Salon, I was able to preview the holiday collection of SM Ladies’ Fashion as the models were getting ready backstage.

I was very, very nervous by then but I could not help but get excited once I saw the pieces. SM Ladies’ Fashion has always been spot- on and has catered to the needs of a very well- rounded modern woman. If she works in the corporate world, there are a plethora of timeless dresses and “jazzed up” separates (think graphic prints) to give her corporate look that je ne sais quois, that little something out of the ordinary without deviating from her classic style. And then there were bold stripes, something a little more fun and less traditional for the more trend- savvy woman. Paired with solid colored shorts or even striped pants, the look is very young, fresh, and weekend chic. A floral print explosion made its way into the catwalk of SM Ladies’ Fashion. Florals are no longer dainty and made only to be worn for “tea”—floral prints have become fun and bold with the style edict of “more is more”—because prints on prints have become acceptable and are very on- trend and make for perfect looks for our tropical climate.

Here are some of my favorite looks

And then it was 8pm and time for me to walk… I was soooo nervous—sweaty palms and all. There were no proper rehearsals (only 1 walk-through so I know where to walk and where to turn), so I walked out into the catwalk and in the spotlight, along with the very chaotic butterflies in my stomach!

This was my first real catwalk experience. And the good news is, my family and friends won’t disown me because I did not embarrass them by tripping or stopping midway with the deer-in-headlights situation. And along with my 2 other “guest” models Ruffa and Divine, we walked down the ramp one last time for the final walkthrough for SM Ladies Fashion.

I admit, it was a very memorable and extremely pleasant experience to have walked (I actually got comfortable walking down the runway—haha like I can switch careers now? Not! :D). I was just so grateful that I had great support from good friends as well as from my Elite Model Management family for this experience!

To have walked for SM Ladies’ Fashion, the biggest department store brand in the Philippines, was really an honor. And most importantly, my friends and I will have a fashion field day again at SM once the pieces from the runway make their way in-store. Now you know one of my most affordable fashion fix secrets!

Thank you SM Ladies’ Fashion for the incredibly fun experience!! And to the rest of you peeps who loved the collection as much as I did, see you all at SM 🙂

(Photo Credits: Megastyle.ph and Stylebible.ph)

x
TheBagHag