Dekada

     What's up, beautiful people of the Philippine Islands? It's been a while (a long while, actually) since I last wrote anything on this blog. Actually, I've decided long ago to just be a photo blogger instead of the one who writes lengthy articles that I have no idea who's going to read. It's just this "nostalgic" moment I have during those MULTIPLY times, specially now that it's nearing its last moments as a social site, is why I'm jotting down a few (few daw???) words.

     A lot of stuff have happened... SOBRA!!! The past decade for me is an awesome, wonderful journey and experience. Been to other countries, taught theater arts, got an honorary masters degree, BEEN TO BORACAY (you have no idea how important that is to me), made real, awesome friends in my home church (which I miss most of the time), took fashion styling, become a co-stylist (still am) to one of the best stylist in the country (Noel Manapat), now a bonafide stylist, and now, opening my own stylist shop and designing my own line (whew!!!)

     If you asked me five years ago if I saw this coming, my answer would be... YES!!! I've always been the one people ask to tag along if they are going to buy new clothes. I even tag along when they're getting a hair cut! I'm pretty sure I got my sense of style from my Nanay. Every time it's my Nanay who pulled together my look when we go out, people notice it. If I was the one who put my on my own clothes, you'd know. It's usually mismatched, one sock is different from the other, or my waistline would be too high(I think until I was about 9 years old, it's Nanay who made me look good, NAKS) And really, I mean this... I thank God I inherited that sense of style from her before she left us for New York.

     Nio Manzano... fashion stylist... I had no idea this kind of profession existed when I was growing up. Basta ang alam ko lang, I know what looked good and what looked... not bad, but wrong. ACTUALLY, to be totally honest, when I was growing up, I always thought I'd be a singer or a stage (dare I say BROADWAY) actor. I love singing and dancing, with acting somewhere in the middle. At church, I'd be a musical director, choir director, or a coordinator backstage. I'd do choreography, vocal training,  hair and make-up, wardrobe, ELECTRICITY, carpentry, you name it, almost every thing behind the scenes and on stage, I'd do. When I was growing up, I'd always bombard my parents to bring me to auditions (they never did) but when I was finally able to go places on my own, I auditioned to every possible production I can. Unfortunately, I never had the proper training as a young guy, but when I reached college, I enrolled myself to voice and violin lessons. I eventually ended up... teaching voice, piano, and violin in, of all place, a ballet school. Don't get me wrong, I loved teaching kids (I teached Sunday school when I was active in the Baptist church I grew up in) but it has somehow distracted me from the bigger picture... a real, commercial production.

     Anyway, so many things happened... I got into the business of indie films which got me nominated for a number of award giving bodies (for original music, and sabit din sa sound, which we won, and of course, the film also won as best film both as a legit movie and as an independent film), and then, eto na nga, after how many years, fashion styling.

     When I style for a shoot, most specially if I'm the main stylist (usually happens for pre-wedding shoots or online shops or for my personal portfolio or for commercial print) I usually struggle with what garment I want to use. Most of the time, they don't really exist. So I end up drawing what I see and then have a dress-maker create it for me. I've already did designed on my own before, and they were sort of a success naman, but right now, I want to delve into the unknown... to be a fashion stylist SLASH photographer SLASH... dun dun dun... DESIGNER!!! Oh di ba, bongga? Bi-vocation lang ang peg, actually, hindi lang bi, multi-vocation, hek hek!!!

     What encouraged me to really pursue fashion design this time around is the fact that I've got rave reviews for designing a dress for my friend, Alex Lapa, which she wore to the 2nd Philippine Fashion Ball. It started out as this itch on my brain to create something for a girl. Good thing Alex is game with my design idea and she even sent me pegs for the garment. Now, that dress is an inspiration for a collection, and I'm going to show them off real soon.

    Read this blog before? Noticed something different? YEAP!!! I edited it, ha ha ha!!! I just felt that it's too early for a give-away... So instead, to end this blog entry, I ask the question "what would be the perfect outfit for you?" Come one, don't be shy!!! Tell me all about it!!! 

It's The Nio