Maniolas

Posh Maternity by Edwin Tan features casual and formal long dresses. MANILA, Philippines -Shopping for fashionable formal ensembles can be a frustrating endeavor, especially for infanticipating fashionistas and busy mothers who wish to dress up their kids sensibly but have few available style options. Posh Kids and Maternity, the first Filipino designer label of its kind for ready-to-wear kids and maternity lines, was recently unveiled in Greenhills and has launched its online store. Charm Sevilla, the brains behind the retail clothing project, sees the added value of 24/7 shopping online. Charm says,  “For Posh Maternity, we have basic, streamlined silhouettes and some fancy dresses; Posh Kids has a robust selection of smart, trendy beautiful special occasion formal attire for young boys and girls. All are elegantly styled and very wearable.”         Her latest clothing label banners designers Pepsi Herrera for Posh Kids, and Edwin Tan for Posh Maternity. Herrera’s line boasts a wide range of limited-edition formal children’s wear and a look that is fun and luxurious at affordable prices. His holiday collection features staples such as long sleeves and pants for boys, pastels and glittery party outfits for girls and christening gowns for infants. Tan’s Posh Maternity collection spells “chic, sophisticated pregnancy.” Known for his sexy elegant designs for ladies and impeccable suits for men, Tan dresses moms-to-be super stylish yet formal dresses for special occasions.  Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Posh Maternity’s flattering styles come in standard sizes of maternity long dresses and formal Read More …

Now and then I walk my students in Creative Writing through a lesson in description, which — as I’ve often noted in this corner — is at best always more than a rendition of the physical setting and the people and things in it. In the hands of a skilled or a gifted writer, a plain object can acquire a strange and memorable luminosity. Sometimes all it takes is the uncommon but logical and precise choice of a word, such as when William Faulkner describes a campfire as being “shrewd,” struggling and managing to keep alive despite the wind. At other times good description requires the writer to step back and to set things in a larger context, balancing fine detail with the broader sweep of memory and understanding. I don’t even need to draw on the likes of Faulkner or Greg Brillantes or Kerima Polotan to demonstrate what I mean. Take this passage from a story submitted to my fiction class a couple of semesters ago by a young student named Katrina del Rosario, part of a story titled “Paying Respects.” Rather quiet in class, she more than made up for her reticence with this outpouring of brilliant prose: The first Dayaos had been very successful farmers, and the land burst with green and trees and stalks and vines heavy with bright fruit; now only one or two Dayaos farmed the land, with the most magnificent of trees cut down to build houses. The elders remembered entire lives lived Read More …

Philippine President Benigno Aquino lauded democratic reforms in Myanmar as he signed several bilateral agreements with his visiting counterpart Thein Sein Thursday. Thein Sein arrived at Manila’s presidential palace where he was accorded a red carpet welcome for his first visit to the Philippines. Aquino said the Philippines, which also made a transition from authoritarian rule to democracy in the 1980s, would be helping Myanmar in opening up its society. Formerly one of the most vocal critics within ASEAN of Yangon’s ruling junta, Aquino praised recent “historic developments” in Myanmar which include the holding of elections, release of political prisoners, dialogue with the opposition and opening up to foreign investment. “These herald a new chapter in Myanmar’s history. The Philippines supports these initiatives and offered assistance through capacity building, through technical cooperation,” said Aquino after a meeting with Thein Sein. The Philippines has offered to help Myanmar establish its human rights commission and training in areas like agriculture, entrepreneurship, fisheries, eco-tourism and “gender issues,” Aquino said. The two presidents also discussed peace efforts with rebel groups in their respective countries, Aquino said, adding that the Philippines would be appointing a resident defence attach� to further cooperation. The leaders also oversaw the signing of several agreements including one that will allow Filipinos to enter Myanmar without a visa and another that will expand cooperation in renewable energy. Aquino thanked Myanmar for the aid it provided after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines last month, flattening whole towns and leaving more than Read More …

Guangzhou, CHINA – The Hai Xin Sha Tourist Park Island is a master-planned showpiece of art and culture that had famously hosted the Asian Games in 2010. Today, it hums with local and foreign tourists who take in the cool air and sprawling, manicured sights. At its heart beside the Pearl River stands an exhibition hall. Beyond it are four immaculate white spheres a short distance from each other. This is the inspiring venue of the Audi Innovation Exhibition. Even as Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Guangzhou itself bannered its respective motor shows, Audi chose to highlight its affinity for creative automobile solutions through technology—giving credence to its famous tagline “vorsprung durch technik” (advancement through technology). Audi China brand marketing head Rene Köneberg remarks that it is the first time the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer has staged something this large in Asia, and adds that the four large spheres are actually exhibit pavilions that highlight Audi’s advancements in motorsport and vehicle technology (not to mention reflect its iconic four rings). One of them houses “The Conference of Birds,” an art installation conjured by New York-based French musician and visual artist Sebastien Leon Agneesens. Inspired by the aforementioned Audi mantra, Agneesens filled the room with hundreds of silver foil balloons on the ceiling and the floor. Dangling small speakers resonate with the sound of chirping, and at the center is a dissected version of an R8 E-tron’s chassis. This, says Audi, “presents a new stage in Audi’s development of its ultra-lightweight construction technology—a Read More …

HOMEGROWN retail company, New City Commercial Corp. (NCCC), is embarking on a multi-million renovation of its supermarket at NCCC Mall of Davao on Ma-a Road in Davao City. But the refurbishment is not only limited to the grocery section. but to the mall itself and the department store, as well. Although he refused to provide figures, NCCC Supermarket president Javelin Lim said they are investing millions of pesos for the renovation being undertaken at the mall. “These changes, especially at the mall’s supermarket, were unveiled on December 1 when NCCC celebrated its 35th year in retail business,” he said. Lim explained that what they are doing right now to improve their retail concepts or services should not be taken as measure to go “head-to-head” with the competition. “We are not going head-to-head. They have their own market and ours have been with for the past 30 years,” he said. Tjader Regis, NCCC Supermarket assistant vice president for marketing, for his part, said the company hired a Hong Kong based consultancy firm to design the new concept of the supermarket. “The conceptualization started last year….Gusto naman naming ipakita na we are at par if not within the standard of excellence that national chains can offer,” he said, apparently referring to national retail giants that have expanded in the city, such as SM Supermalls, Robinsons, Puregold and S & R. With the new design of the supermarket, Regis said that its “looks and feel will be different.” “And the way that we Read More …