Love is never about playing it safe. It’s about risks.

You can never love without getting hurt – that is one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in the past. To love is to accept the verdict without bitterness, without regret, without a smidgen of a doubt. When you love, you will get hurt. Accept it as a fact. It’s part of the pain-pleasure phenomenon. Somewhere along the way, you will fall for someone who wouldn’t feel the same. Somewhere along the way, you will encounter some jerk who will break your heart. But you should never be afraid. In fact, these things should be the things which should keep you going. These things would hurt you and batter your heart. But these things are what matter – the nicks along the way are what make love special. Because it is through these obstacles that we learn to love truthfully and completely. And since the best teacher is experience, there is no better way to learn than to actually be hurt. The heartbreaks only make us stronger people.

You should be willing to take the risks if you want to fall in love. If you don’t take the risks, then it’s not loving at all. If you’re going to let one prick ruin everything, then you’re never going to be able to love again. You should be ready to give everything you are; you should be ready to invest your emotions and feelings with the risk of being left vulnerable. In order to do so, you need to trust people. It also follows that if you want to be loved, you have to earn the trust of your loved one. The very essence of loving is taking risks. That is why it is called falling in love.

Loving is worth the risk. If your love is true, then there’s nothing to worry about.

Am I ready to love again?  Hmm... We'll see.

I SUPPORT: REX CLOTHING

The concept of the business started as a simple dream to create original t-shirts. After the process of conceptualization, they have evolved into creating a high fashion street wear brand that is still original in design which will appeal to the younger market.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE DESIGNS!

ONLY PHP 499.00 per shirt!!!

Rex Clothing aims to help young Filipinos to go to school. With every purchase of Rex's item, a part of it will go to a designated charity!

Rex Clothing is available at The Ramp / Crossings , Trinoma Mall also available at 2c18 BACKSTAGE STORE, 2/F Serendra Bonifacio Global City.

 Like their page on facebook, https://www.facebook.com/rexclothing

SHORT STORY

Who cares about the heavy fog down south - It’s time to be brave and hit the hue.



(Bespoke salmon dress shirt, Club Monaco khaki shorts, Ribbon belt by wright supply and lime green pullover and daddy's vintage brown leather slip ons)


Last weekend at my nephew, Gabriel's christening was all about bold slabs of color.

MODERN CLASSICS

Clunky and masculine yet fun - my shoe shape of choice at the moment. Whether they're bucks, brogues or derbies, I can't seem to get enough of them. Here are some of my picks from T & F Slack Shoemakers London: 

"T & F Slack Shoemakers London is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Tim and Fiona Slack, who are dedicated to making modern classics."

Bakit mahirap sumabay sa agos ng ating mundo?

We’re living in such a fast paced world. It’s getting harder and harder for me to cope with life. While I’m trying to catch up with the world, it keeps on accelerating. More and more times and find myself wanting to stop and breathe some fresh air.

Why are we in such a hurry? It’s not like it’s the end of the world (as if anybody knows when the world would end, but that doesn’t matter). Why can’t we all slow down and agree to continue with a relatively slower rate? Everyone’s competing with one another – intimidating one another. It makes me sick.

And I’m not sure whether the actual fact upsets me or the realization that I can’t keep up is what’s infuriating me.

We’re ordinary people. Let’s take it slow. This goes to everyone, and for everything. Including school. Including love.

Wait for my kiss. It’ll be more fulfilling that way.

EMBASSY PRIVATE CLOSING PARTY

Last July 13, Wednesday, We all went back to the place where it all started, paying homage to the mother of all nightclubs in Manila.

Gio Emprese, Chill Torralba & Patricia Tumulak

Tara Tambunting, Stacy Rodriguez &  Gio Emprese

Gio Emprese & Fenelle Victoria

JM Sy, Gio Emprese & Lee Cruz

Nights come and go but the memories will last.

I'm Proud to be an Embassy baby. Never have I known a club that both attracted and repelled me, made me feel like I was the shit & humbled me at the same time. Embassy pretty summed up my adolescent years. Real friendships gained and lost in Embassy--too many memories! both crazy fun and those we can't quite remember!

EMBASSY FOREVER!!!

Shout out to everyone who ever made "pa-guest list" from me for STOLI SUITE/FEVER/PLAYGROUND FRIDAYS  Love you all! 

THRIFT FIND : WAXED CANVAS TOTE

When you combine canvas with wax, you get perfection and this midnight blue waxed canvas tote I got at the Korean thrift shop the other day. Choosing canvas over plastic, this tote is large enough to fit a great deal of gear for my everyday supplies like my laptop, moleskine, magazines and my camera and my 4 cellphones. 

For only 300 Php  and without batting an eyelash, this ultimately is the perfect lazy weekend tote.

IT’S ALL ABOUT ACCESSORIES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

Looking good isn’t rocket science but hey, if you still have those awful basketball jerseys, cheap boxy dress shirts and baggy pleated trousers in your closet, it’s time to restock your basics and invest in clothes with some character.



You don’t really need to think twice, throw away your most roughed-up shirt from rotation and that shirt with yellow armpit stains, pour it with gasoline and burn! Trust me, it totally won’t cost you a fortune.

For shirts, consider the slim cut button down opposed to the boxy ones you’d usually pick when shopping and remember to tuck the damn thing on.

To smarten up your look, go for this Black Leather Braided Slim belt from Peter Werth, these go perfectly with suit trousers as well as your favorite pair of selvages for a night out and smart tailored shorts for a trip at the weekend market.



Also, hats like the Hessian trilby by Peter Werth offer shade, flair and a twist to your weekend wardrobe of jeans, t-shirt and espadrilles plus, when it isn’t on your head, you can crush it into your weekend tote and still survives nicely.



To top it all off, add a vintage feel to your looks with these Ray-Ban Original Clubmaster Sunglasses. They add automatic originality to your looks and fashion style.

A little bit of new always keep things interesting - embrace it!

The Classic Plimsoll

Cross over between a sneaker and a boat shoe, the Veja Méditerranée organic cotton canvas plimsoll is all you need for that lazy weekend at the farmers village market or that short lunch drive to Tagaytay!

QUENCHING YOUR THIRST... SOON!!!

From the creators of IZAKAYA and DISTILLERY....

The finest European GastroPub will soon open this June at The Fort Strip.

Because you can't have too many places for good beer in this city.  

See you at DRAFT, Manila!!!

Hello there!

Photo by Dustin Ibay

Tank Top from Top Man

Washed out denim shorts from American Apparel

Denim long-sleeves from Surplus Shop.

Alpargata shoes from PAEZ

Hat from SM department store

Hello! Yes, I'm still alive! It's been crazy the past months but I'm genuinely excited for the upcoming things I'm gonna be busy with. A lot of the people I know have experienced stress in more ways than one. As for me, I'm keeping everything well-balanced - albeit hard.

Get into that MOSHI Monday habit!

I

 "MOSHI MONDAYS at IZAKAYA! The sweetest spot on a Monday night. 

The best 90s + POP + DANCE + today's TOP40 ALL NIGHT!

 Savor the best Japanese sake and sushi with the best soundtrack on a MONDAY night.

 Bring your friends and let's hang! ♥ 

Hosted by Gio Emprese and Toni Lopingco

 Contact 0927-447-2215 for birthday packages/reservations/bookings/private karaoke room rentals/inquiries."

Photography: Dustin Ibay
Art Direction & Styling: Gio Emprese
HMUA: Eileen Pepino
Model: Chill Torralba

Wide-Leg leopard Jumpsuit to order from Michelle Lobendino. Accessories, stylist's own.

Photography: Vincci Larang

Styling: Gio Emprese
HMUA: Wilhelm Alega & Mhia Guarino

Model: Patrica Go

Dress to order from Elyse Laguatan. Platforms to order from VIAN PAREDES. Accessories, stylist's own.  

Anyone out there?

The last entry in my journal is dated November 2nd, and a lot has happened since.


I haven’t really felt the urge to write lately. It’s not that I have nothing to say (believe me, I have plenty). It’s just whatever I start to write I end up deleting. I can’t seem to focus on any one thing at the moment. A lot of things run through my mind making it difficult to put anything down on. I start to write, then edit, then write, then edit some more. I keep editing until I end up with nothing. I guess you could say that’s pretty much my life at the moment: a few hundred things going on with a few hundred different messages and absolutely nothing to show for it. It’s rather complex and mind-boggling. I’m not used to so much uncertainty and indecisiveness.
.
I'll try to update this "blog" more often.