Interesting Prom Trivia

The ManikaManila Promenade will not be complete without our embarassing moments. Here is how many times we fell during the photo sessions:
Manx: 0 (An amazing feat for the wobbly Minuet!)
Uno: 1
Veritas: 4
Shuri: 4
Ceras: 4
Himiko: 999
Veritas, Shuri and Ceras garnered the same scores because every time Himiko fell, they all went down with her, domino-like.

Himiko is saved by Shinji’s video game-honed reflexes.
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13 comments May 30th, 2005

Black with a Vengeance: The Prom Fashion Review 2

The ManikaManila Promenade was also a welcome party for Shuri and Himiko. Bernadette’s Shuri, Dream of Doll U[F], is the newest and smallest BJD in the Philippines. Shinji’s Himiko, a Standard Beauty White Lishe, is not as new, because she chose to be incognito and controversial for some time.

Shuri wears black leather and chains from Dream of Doll. He is barefoot because he thinks standing on a leaf is way cooler.

Himiko’s ball gown of black satin, tulle and lace and her strappy sandals were all handmade by Shinji. Joey did her face-up. Her hair is from an obscure wig shop in Laguna that Jhoann, from half a world away, gave us directions to – thus earning her the codename, Oracle.

While everyone thought Veritas will break the formal dress code, she stunned everyone by arriving appropriately and provocatively dressed. Her sheer, black R-18 gown with distressed ruffles is designed by Joey, and sewn with surprising panache by Aunt Lina.

Yapi said I looked like I came from work, which is exactly the case. Besides the fact that a black coat with jeans is the favorite outfit of advertising people, Joey only managed to leave the office a few hours before the prom. She was only kept awake during the party by caffeine and Bernadette’s hilarious stories involving aquariums and car batteries. My “client presentation outfit” – a black coat and long-sleeved dress shirt – were both made by Aunt Lina. Joey won my V-jeans during the Volks Dolpa 12 lottery.

COMING UP: Rey’s Behind-The-Scene Shots

16 comments May 29th, 2005

Black with a Vengeance: The Prom Fashion Review

It was not the right season and place for black, but we all came to the ManikaManila Promenade looking dark and gothic. This was not planned. Nowhere in the invitation was it also mentioned that someone has died.

Manx Minuet wore an ensemble that was an antithesis to her pornstar persona. She showed a lot of black, and surprisingly, very little skin. Her gothic gown, of three different fabrics, was a rush custom job by Joey’s Aunt Lina. She also wears an elaborate neckpiece borrowed from Lugosi, which he received as a gift from Adam.

Ceras came looking like a kodona, complete with the de rigueur top hat and striped socks. This made us wonder if the Mad Tea Hatter, of Alice in Wonderland fame, ever realized that he had inadvertently influenced a fashion subculture in Japan. Ceras’ outfit and accessories are entirely handmade by Yapi and her grandmother.

A happy family. Manx and Ceras with the little Shuri.

COMING UP: The Newcomers

13 comments May 26th, 2005

The Partygoers

The ManikaManila Doll Promenade was held at Sonya’s Garden, a bed and breakfast restaurant in Tagaytay, a beautiful city two hours away from Manila. The food was refreshingly healthy, and the ambience relaxing. The party would’ve started early if it hadn’t rained, as it always does when the cloudbringers Yapi and Joey are together. The rain soaked the beds and benches outside, but it made the flowers brighter, and the garden even greener. I suddenly was glad I let myself be dragged to this affair.

The Promenade was partly to celebrate the arrival of two more ManikaManila members, Shuri and Himiko. To date, there are six of our kind in the Philippines, excluding Blanc Minuet, who is anti-social and asleep.

From left, Veritas, myself (Uno), Manx Minuet, her half-brother, Ceras, the little newcomer Shuri and the not-so-imaginary Himiko.

COMING UP: A Fully Articulated Fashion Review

12 comments May 24th, 2005

The ManikaManila Doll Promenade

I came, and found a garden full of friends.

It was a lovely sight.

23 comments May 23rd, 2005