Fashion

A Pop-Up For the Kids in the Neighborhood

Cebuanos and Manileños come together for a special collaboration.

A culture that sprouted from diversity might put up a good challenge to bind all the differences. Like a bouquet of flowers, the beauty of the combination of differences creates a beauty in unison.

This is how Don’t Blame the Kids and The Good Neighborhood describe their newest collaboration that brings together the cultures of the north and the south.

Don’t Blame the Kids or DBTK is a clothing brand based in Quezon City. Before DBTK, the owners Vince and Emil Javier were already entrepreneurs.

DBTK is a clothing brand that aims to change people’s mindset with straightforward and direct messages.

According to Lex Ignacio, the brand Chief Content Creator of DBTK, the Javier brothers were also invested in the shoe business.

“It started through the interest in clothes and being drawn to the idea of creating something that you can call your own… and it happens to be closely intertwined with style and apparel in general,” Lex adds.

Willow Hoods is the Co-founder and Creative Director of TUF® Barbershop, and the Founder of The Good Neighborhood or TGN, a local clothing brand.

The launching of DBTK x TGN collaboration will be held in TGN’s shop at Esmero St., Capitol Site,Cebu City.

The Good Neighborhood, by November 2017, was set to be a place to build and create new friends. He excitedly shares how he has always dreamed of having a safe space to relax.

“When I was a kid, I’ve always wished to have a spot where I can go, do whatever and feel comfortable,” Willow says.

The crossing over of both brands from north and south began with the same vision earlier this year. According to Lex, Cebu was indeed their choice to put up the pop up shop.

“We were conceptualizing new ideas we can work on, and we were thinking of having pop-up shops in different countries but we knew that we needed to start locally, we then have chosen Cebu as our location because their culture is very rich and their community is very inviting,” he says.

With the same vision to highlight the essence of community and togetherness, the DBTK and TGN collaboration happened.

Cebu City’s culture and lifestyle attracted DBTK, especially its art scene, music scene, skate scene, and a lot more.

“Fortunately, we were introduced to the guys from The Good Neighborhood and right off the bat, we thought of creating something together hence the collaboration,” Lex says.

Willow adds, “The aim of the project is to bridge the gap between our disparity and differences – to continue breaking boundaries and expanding our horizons”.

The collection comes with four designs that aim to bring the essence of community and togetherness.

Their look book celebrates differences. “We’ve used factors that best describe both our identity as a brand and design elements that communicate our ideas in unison like a bouquet which brings in the beauty of flowers altogether,” Willow expresses.

The look book of the collaboration is reminiscent of the diversity and individuality of kids in the neighborhood. This, according to Willow, draws out their connection and affinity.

As a clothing brand that serves in the north, DBTK aspires to expand even more. “Our aim with DBTK is to continue changing the mindset of people towards young generation around the world with its timeless, positive, and goal-oriented messages and designs imprinted in every product we create,” Lex shares.

The collection comes with four designs that aim to bring the essence of community and togetherness.

The brand also hopes to expand to reach further in the spectrum. “We also aspire to continue reaching out and have our pieces available to more countries because more than just apparel, our merchandise does not only improve one’s style and we don’t only make designs that are aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. They also embody special stories that are worth sharing to the world,” Lex adds.

This is a collaboration of the Cebuanos and the Manileños; the crossover will shell out four different designs each of which having two color ways, limited to only fifty pieces. This collaboration will be launched on June 30, 2018 in The Good Neighborhood 91-C. Esmero St. Capitol Site, Cebu City.

Each shirt design can be bought for only Php 800. And for the kids in the neighborhood, this pop up is surely something worth experiencing.

Related Topics:Don't Blame The Kids The Good Neighborhood

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Fashion

Ravens, Runways, and Revelations: A Glimpse of Amato

by OJ HOFER | photo credit JOSEPH ONG | jewelry ROYAL GEM

Fashion had become as instinctive as breathing—so natural that one scarcely noticed it. Yet, after seasons adrift in sartorial limbo, the piercing peal of Birds of Prey by Amato Furne One jolted this archipelago’s fashion scene to attention. Amato’s spectacle soared beyond mundane couture, drawing me from the quiet of my atelier to the intoxicating front row at the reinvented Tops in Busay—from the low murmur of machines to the electrifying brouhaha of the style set.

: A lattice dress with an aureole, beautifully bedecked with Birds of Prey, opens the show.

: A winged bustier frames the face with bold curlicues.

: A fringe dress with a farthingale rustles mysteriously in the nocturnal stillness.

: A bell-shaped T’nalak dress, woven with vivid dreams, sways with mystery.

: A T’nalak ballgown, shrouded in black mesh, catches the moonlight like a whispered secret.

: An entrance-making tulle and T’nalak off-shoulder ensemble commands attention.

: A crystal-studded bodysuit paired with a vinyl trench coat burns with fierce intensity.

: A red lacewing butterfly emerges, shedding the remnants of a tattered cocoon.

: A fiery ensemble, cloaked in phantom glamour, leaves an unforgettable impression long after the wearer’s exit.

Amato is not merely a label; it is a visionary ideal stitched in silk and dreams, a symphony of artistry that transforms yarns, fibers, and fabric into fashion phantasmagoria. Under the deft hands of Furne One, Amato has adorned the world’s most fearless icons—Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez—women who, like his creations, embody style, strength, and spectacle. His couture is not merely worn; it takes flight, transforming the wearer into a mesmerizing apparition of fleeting beauty—a phenomenal vision that lingers long after the moment has passed.

But how does one conjure such fantastical transformations? To offer a glimpse into the mind of this visionary, we posed three playful questions:

Oj: If you were a bird, would you soar as a mighty raptor or scheme as a clever corvid?
Furne: I’d be a raven—sharp-witted, shrouded in mystery, and draped in the perfect shade of midnight. Its inky plumage matches my flair for dark romance; because even in shadows, I prefer a little drama.

Oj: What would be your most formidable power?
Furne: As a raven, I straddle the seen and unseen—transcendence is my superpower.

Oj: What bird would you absolutely refuse to be reborn as?
Furne: Never a turkey—too commercial, too festive, and far too likely to end up as Thanksgiving dinner.

Fashion

Lucky Colors of 2025: Harness the Energies of Emerald Green & Carmine Red for Success

Thom Browne Cropped tweed jacket

by Oj Hofer

With the Year of the Wood Snake underway, understanding the significance of lucky colors can help align us with its energetic flow. Rooted in Chinese astrology and Feng Shui, the year’s fortifying shades—emerald green and carmine red—offer mindfulness and good intention attracting luck, and fostering personal growth.

Emerald green, associated with the Wood element, symbolizes renewal, clarity, and inner peace. In the year of the wood snake, its dynamic energies will empower and inspire you, fostering growth, renewal and wise transformations. The hue is ideal for moments of self-reflection, study, or creativity. Wearing or incorporating this shade into your space enhances balance and mental focus.

Carmine red, linked to the Fire element, embodies passion, confidence, and vitality. This year, which according to the Bazi Four Pillars Chart, has a lack of metal, earth and fire elements, it will bring balance and the propitious energies. It’s perfect for professional meetings, decision-making, and moments requiring assertiveness as a splash of red can energize and embolden you throughout the day.

Stella Macartney vegan Leather tote

Stefano Ricci silk tie with paisley print

To fully harness their benefits, use these colors in a contemporary, mobile context; through clothing, jewelry, bags and accessories. Alternate between these two potent tints based on your needs. For example, wear green for calmness and clarity when you are going into stressful and mind challenging meetings or appointments. Choose red when you are going into places or situations where you need courage and motivation such as fashion galas, elite socials, prestige affairs, VIP gatherings and so forth.

Saint Laurent crepe de chine mules

Optionally, you can also choose to wear these colors inconspicuously in small details, such as a garnet or jade bracelet, or a ruby or emerald pendant and earrings set. Men can wear a burgundy or forest green tie or pocket square, or casual polo shirts with poppies or with botanical prints, or jade and garnet jewelry. Doing so can subtly align your energy with the year’s vibrational flow.

Jan Leslie emerald bracelet

Daily Mood Cuff Links with red tiger’s eye tubes

The use of colors is more than just aesthetic choices or preferential picks. Colors can serve as energetic tools, reminding you of your good intentions and keeping you mindful of you daily motions. Effecting an optimistic mental state in the wearer, they can effectively shield you from negativity while fostering prosperity and emotional balance. Thoughtfully incorporating them into your wardrobe and surroundings ensures that you move through 2025 with confidence and the right intentions.

Embracing emerald green for tranquility and carmine red for strength are intentional, mindful choices that have the power to transform your energy and shape your path forward. May you have the best of luck in navigating through Year of the Snake with harmony, energy, and the power to attract good fortune.

Events

The First NUSTAR BALL

Janine Taylor, June Alegrado, Jackie Lotzof, Frances Siao, Ina Ronquillo and Christine Pelaez

The NUSTAR Ballroom, a magnificent venue at the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu, sets the stage for last night’s first-ever NUSTAR Ball.

Black was the color of night at the Zee table.

Glamorous guests from Manila and Cebu converged at the NUSTAR Ballroom, an exquisite venue within the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu. The evening unfolded with a seated 5-course dinner. The opulent feast started with Beetroot Salmon Gravlax, adorned with caper berries, caviar, set with delicate edible flowers; and a main course of Compressed Pork Belly with Crackling Skin and Baby Scallops. Another highlight was the auction of coveted items like Dior and YSL handbags, a limited-edition Bulgari watch, and an exclusive 2-night stay in Nustar’s opulent 3-bedroom villa—complete with a private pool and a dedicated butler. The charity evening benefited the Cameleon Association, an NGO based in Iloilo City created in 1997 that developed a global approach to act on the causes and effects of sexual violence against children.