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Tag: fashion designer

California Blooms

California is blooming and she is magnificent. I’m sure by now you’ve seen all the wildflowers everywhere. Spring has got to be one of my favorite seasons at all time. The other week ago, I finally got a chance to stop by and see the beautiful poppies in Lake Elsinore.

It was so relaxing to be surrounded by nature with thousands of poppies. I made this one shoulder floral dress for the beginning of the spring season. What do you like most about spring? Have you seen any of the super bloom yet?

XO,

Joy

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Golden Magenta Roccoco Style

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Hope everyone had an amazing Halloween this year! For this year’s Halloween I decided to take a fashion editorial shoot using the Roccoco Fashion as an inspiration. I created this headpiece with fall colored flowers and painted the sticks gold. For my outfit, I decided to use a vibrant magenta charmeuse to complete the look and made a blousony dress. I wanted this photoshoot to focus more on the dramatic hair and make up done by my dear friend, Celina

Photography: Eduardo Salazar

I enjoyed doing this photoshoot so much and the process on making this happen. For my fellow creators and my viewers, do you prefer this high fashion content or more of everyday lifestyle?

Xo,

Joy

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HII HARLEY

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It should be really obvious that I love dressing up… probably one of the reasons why October is my second favorite month and Halloween is my second favorite Holiday after December and Christmas.

As soon as October hits, I normally like to dress up and blog about different Halloween costumes. A lot of times people ask me why i like shooting, dressing up or making costumes.. Frankly, it makes me feel alive. I love that fantasy of it all and the creativity that’s put into it. I love that in that moment, I can be whoever I want, be in character and forget about everything around me for a quick second. I’ve also wanted to be an actress growing up, I’ve always loved expressing myself and my emotions and impersonating others —but since I decided to pursue design instead,  I guess when
i found my love for modeling and blogging – it made me realize it’s sorta like acting when you’re in character —- but in a sense shooting has also become like an escape and a hobby for me. I also love that I get to work with talented photographers and collaborate on creating something with them.
If you have no clue who I dressed up as, you have to go see Suicide Squad. It came out in the movies last year and the moment I saw Harley Quinn, I told myself that I want to dress up as her one of these days! I absolutely love that she’s crazy, exciting, colorful and a rebel. Therefore; i made a Harley Quinn inspired a two piece inspired outfit and played around with my hair and make up based on the movie. What do you guys think about this look? Do you know who you’re dressing up as for Halloween yet?
XOXO,
Joy

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A Summer Of Love

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Can you believe that summer is almost here? Other than the heat (which I’m not a huge fan of), I can’t wait for the long sunny days filled with fun, ice cream, summer concerts, festivals, beach days and road trips. As summer arrives, it is very important to find your summer essentials. I am very happy to share that I found one of my favorite brands as it was a love at first sight at “A Summer Of Love. Everything they have is boho chic that has the feminine and trendy vibe. I especially love this “My Michelle Belle Crop Top” that I wore at Coachella as it is so versatile, flirty and fun! I wore it with a draped skirt with a side slit that I made while it was super hot during the day and I also wore it with the “Lucky One Ripped Jeans” as it got a bit cooler during the day. What are you guys and gals looking forward this summer? Don’t forget to shop at “A Summer Of Love before summer fully arrives and don’t forget to use my code “JOY4ASOL” to get 15% off your entire purchase! 😉

XOXO,

Joy

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Gagachella

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Happy Friday Babes! I can’t believe a week has just passed. I feel like I was just in Coachella yesterday. As you all know, one of my favorite things to do is to make outfits every time I go to events… For this look, I made a cape with embroidered lace and a white crystal crown to go with my new favorite body suit from “A Summer of Love” and white embroidered lace choker from “Secretly A Mermaid”. This body suit kept me cool from the incredibly hot weekend and I love how gorgeous the lace is and stretchy the material that it’s made out of. It definitely gave me so much room for dancing, singing my heart out with my favorite bands and prancing around at Coachella! 😉 This body suit is perfect for music festivals or even just a go-to-summer-piece. I’m looking forward to wearing this more often with a pair of booty shorts or a denim skirt. What do you guys think about this look? I definitely felt like my inner Lady Gaga shined brighter that day. For all the babes that went to Coachella, I hope you had as much fun as I did and stayed hydrated. I have a few more Coachella posts coming up. Stay tuned!

XOXO,

Joy

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Butterflies

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Are you guys excited for Coachella? I’ve always wanted to make a butterfly inspired outfit so I made this two piece set with a high low skirt  along with a butterfly crown. I had so much fun making these as much as I had fun shooting this festival inspired look. I was actually super inspired by Maria Grazia Chiuri‘s Spring 2017 Couture line when I made this outfit as I am so in love and just obsessed with her collection!!! I wanted to play with the idea of dreaming, fantasy, fairy tales and magic. Chiuri accessorized her magical dresses with Stephen Jones’ garden- referenced headdresses which also inspired me to make my own butterfly crown. I’ve always loved the color magenta and also been wanting to make a butterfly crown since I feel like the floral crown has been played out at festivals.

If you guys and gals end up going to weekend 2 in Coachella, please don’t hesitate to say hi and chat! I can’t wait to just dance around in the desert. Also, if you have any outfit requests you’d like to me to make, feel free to comment and i’ll see what i can do!
Hope this little ensemble of mine inspires you to wear something fun and creative at Coachella!  😉

XOXO,

Joy

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Out Of The Woods

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I grew up reading fairy tales — maybe that’s why sometimes I feel like my imagination is always traveling to another land. And because of this, I’ve also always believed in the good defeating evil, romance and true love. We didn’t have Disney Channel in the Philippines so  I learned about Cinderella, Aladdin, the Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Alice in Wonderland through books. Reading fairy tales and imagining to be in a another land was probably one of my favorite things to do when I was a child. Twenty something years later, I still love the idea of what fairy tales teach us —although now I am more well aware that not everything has a happy ending.

It was probably a few years ago when I first fell in love and got my heart broken that I experienced one of the most magical things I’ve ever felt in my life. It really did feel like the whole world was spinning and butterflies were living in my stomach. Everything happened so fast and so passionately and then boom —all of a sudden, it was over. The next thing I knew was— I felt like there was actual hole in my heart and it was shattered in a million pieces and I didn’t know how to mend it or to glue it back together. Days, weeks, months passed by and I still felt so empty, so broken —so not good enough. Eventually, with the help of my friends, family and my faith in God, I pushed myself to get out of bed again, to stop crying, to move forward, to live in the middle of the pain, to try new things I never thought I could do, to face my biggest fears (heck, I even jumped out of an airplane), to reinvent myself, to fight to be the best person I could be. There were still days that I would unexpectedly cry out of nowhere or feel insecure why it didn’t work out or the infamous question of “what’s wrong with me?” conversations with myself. But I learned that —that was okay, it’s all part of the healing process. It’s completely okay to be human and to be broken so you can be whole again.

As I look back now, I never thought I’d say this to myself but it was actually a very beautiful process. I can honestly say that I am proud of the person I’ve become and when people from my past tell me that I’ve changed – I say thank you —because I fought to be the person that I am now. So for those ladies, who are single this Valentine’s Day or even heartbroken — I am here to tell you that you will be okay. I know that’s the last thing you probably would like to hear right now but you will be, I promise. Everything will make sense in no time. Just allow yourself to feel, to break, to cry (but don’t stay there), to move in progress until you can feel again, smile again and love again.

There’s going to come a time that you will fall for someone again —and when that happens, you’ll be scared again but this time around you’ll be braver and know that if my heart gets broken again – I know I’m going to be okay because I’ve already survived, went through hell and back and got my life back together but better. You’ll know that it’s always going to hurt but this time it will be a little bit easier because you’ve been there and done that. You’ll also know yourself more and will fight for your worth this time around. And just because you love them, it doesn’t mean that you have to love yourself less.

If there’s one thing that I gained from losing my first love, it’s self-love. And yes, I would do it all over again because it lead me to the person that I am now.

Now that I’m out of the woods, I found that there was more to life than the small world I lived in at that time. There’s other genuine, beautiful people out there deserving of my love and just because one person broke my heart into pieces, it doesn’t mean that nobody is going to come around and love me the way I deserve to be loved. Sometimes the next person even helps set you free from the chains you’ve been holding on to for all these years, or shows you different side of you that you’ve never seen before or ends up proving to you that not everyone is out here to get you. When you meet that person, let them in, love them and thank them even if things also don’t work out in the end.

I didn’t mean this to be a sentimental post, babes! But it turned out to be. Eeeeekkkkk. Well, this shoot reminded me of the song “Out of the Woods” by Taylor Swift. The lyrics and the music video felt so real in my life in so many ways. This post has a Part II so stay posted in the next few weeks. I made two outfits and got to work with @_256k Thank you for making me look like I’m coming out of a very dark, magical land in a fairy tale. It’s everything I imagined and more.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! Know that you are loved and you are worth it!

XOXO,

Joy

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Let There Be Light

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Christmas is only two days away. It’s the most joyful time of the year. You can feel it anywhere you go, from the twinkling lights, crazy last minute shoppers and the lines to see Santa Claus. Christmas is normally one of the happiest times of the year but for some people it can also be a sad reminder of things that are lost and unreachable. A lot of times the holidays make us stop and think of the people and things we love the most, who we celebrated with and who you’re celebrating with now. We remember our loved ones who has past and how they’re no longer here with us – the ones who played an important role in our life once and now were left to carry on without them.

Christmas is one of those holidays that brings us together and carry on the tradition on how you’ve celebrated it since you were a little kid. It’s a season that reminds us on how strong our bond was to those you love and who loves you. You miss opening your Christmas presents with them or sitting, laughing away with them at the dinner table and reflect on the memories you’ve shared together.

Growing up in the Philippines, I would like to think that I am blessed to have a family who was big on celebrating Christmas. My whole entire clan would go to church on Christmas Eve and I would be wearing my favorite dress as we sing carols away. After the service, we would have a feast at my grandparents’ house and be merry and wait until the clock strikes at midnight. My brothers, cousins and I would be so excited to open all our Christmas presents. One of our traditions was to have a gift exchange between the “little kids”, my cousins and I would put our names in one basket and pick from there. At that time, I remember that we would have to buy something within 50 pesos – which is a dollar here.

As small as that amount was, I will never forget the joy on our faces once we open what we got for each other. My cousins and I will play our newest gadgets and toys and thank our aunts and uncles and we would keep playing until we finally get tired. We would also make sure to hang our sock so that Santa can drop by and give us money by morning.

I remember one Christmas morning, I didn’t receive anything from Santa. My grandpa told me that Santa must’ve missed it. I was devastated. How could Santa miss my sock? Every year he didn’t miss it before, why would he now? There’s even times when he would write to me! If there’s one thing I took away from this, it is that – sometimes we get disappointed because of our expectations – we are placing them at the wrong place.

From my young mind, I realized then that even Santa wasn’t perfect. Life isn’t perfect. People aren’t perfect. They will make mistakes and that’s okay. Life in general is sometimes unfair, harsh and difficult, and yes, Christmas does make us realize this truth even more. However, let’s not forget to have a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness – that despite of all the imperfection of this life – we have perfect moments in between and the best thing we can do now is to make the most out of them… Go hug your mom and dad this Christmas. Tell them how much you’re thankful for them. Listen to your sister. Hang out with your brother. Play and laugh with your cousins. Talk to your aunt and uncles. Make your relationships stronger while you still have time. Be present. Tell someone you love that you love them and you appreciate their being. Stop holding back – it doesn’t do you any good but fill your life with regrets, pride and sadness. As much as there’s memories that make you sad – you can also be happy that they happened and they’re what made who you are now and that’s something that can never be taken away from you.

As a Christian, I am forever grateful for Christmas. It’s more than a tradition for me.  It’s a season for me to be thankful, to feel and show love to others and to celebrate Jesus. I understand that not everyone has the same point of view and that’s okay – but for those who do — let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas. It’s God’s undying love for us – so go out there and share the same light and love. Don’t be afraid and radiate it. Go sprinkle kindness and happiness and be merry.

I named my blog post ‘let there be light’ – as i thought it was very fitting for this season but it’s also one of my new favorite songs currently and I wanted to share it.

Have a happy merry christmas loves! Oh and I made this Mrs. Santa outfit, let me know what you think about it! 😉

XOXO,

Joy

Let There Be Light

Words and Music by Michael Guy Chislett, Matthew Crocker, Joel Houston, Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood & Jonas Myrin

Verse 1
There’s no darkness in Your eyes
There’s no question in Your mind
God almighty
God of mercy

There’s no hiding from Your face
There’s no striving in Your grace
God of mercy
God almighty

Chorus 1
Let there be light
Open the eyes of the blind
Purify our hearts in Your fire
Breathe in us we pray
Jesus have Your way

Verse 2
There’s no borders in Your love
No division in Your heart
God of heaven
God of freedom

There’s no taking back the cross
No regret in what it cost
God of freedom
God of heaven

Chorus 2
Let there be light
Open the eyes of the blind
Purify our hearts in Your fire
Breathe in us we pray

Let there be light
Open our eyes to Your heart
Desperate just to know whoYou are
Shine in us we pray
Jesus have Your way

Bridge
Good news embracing the poor
Comfort for all those who mourn
For the broken hearted
We sing louder

Release from prison and shame
Oppression turning to praise
For every captive
Sing louder

Restoring sight to the blind
Breaking the curse of the night
For all in darkness
Sing louder

Proclaiming freedom for all
This is the day of the Lord
Beauty for ashes

Verse 3
Let the light that shines above
Become the light that shines in us
There’s no darkness in Your way
So have Your way
Lord have Your way

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L O S T

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“Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs

Have you ever had a crazy idea? Crazy enough to trust the unknown, to feel lost? A few months ago, I had a crazy idea and told my best friend about starting an online store together. Five months later, here we are about to launch our brand “Secretly A Mermaid”  this Sunday on October 16, 2016. This black velour crop top & choker will now be available to be purchased on our site. I also made a black & white plaid culotte pants to go with it. My business partner and I have no idea what the outcome is gonna be but all we know is throughout all those sleepless nights, the hard work and feeling lost at times is, we are one step at making our dreams come true. As a young entrepreneur and a fashion designer, I am here to remind you that it’s okay to feel lost. It is okay to feel uncertain about what is ahead. It is okay to take a step back to give yourself a little break. I had to once in a while. Whatever you may be feeling, know that you are not alone. All of us gets lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer by the stars.

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The Rise of Culottes

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culottes

 (kjuːˈlɒts)

pl n

(Clothing & Fashion) women’s flared trousers cut to look like a skirt
[C20: from French, literally: breeches, from cul bottom; see culet]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
A few months ago, I was one of those people that said culottes are not for me until I finally decided to give them a chance. As much as I love fashion, I also love comfort and there are no pants that are more comfortable than culottes. They’re pretty much skirts that are made to be shorts. So I made one out of a black woven crepe and added a trim at the bottom. I also made a see through top that is versatile enough to be worn on the day time and night time. What do y’all think about this look?
XO,
Joy

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