Ready, Set, Get.

It’s been a year since I set my foot on probably only the first of the many major points of no return I am ever going to face in my lifetime: leaving Planet Krypton (a.k.a UP). You can say I am starting my blog with a litany about my life after college because it’s graduation season, and I went to witness UP Mindanao’s yesterday to make sure my friends get their fair share of embarrassing whoo hoos as they come up the stage to get their diploma…jacket. And/Or because I still haven’t managed to secure a tangible proof of how good I can do in the ~*rEaL_w0RLd*~. Except, (I think) I have.

Unfortunately, it’s definitely not lots of cash - neither bills nor coins. In fact, I am as broke as Kim Chiu’s character Celine used to be in her most recent teleserye “Margaux-Margaux”. Which means, I still manage to leave the house with sufficient eye make up and heated curls. I am not the most optimistic person but let me just say “fortunately, I don’t have a child of my own to feed”. So, no pressure. This year, however, has only left me more religious in counting my blessings. Not to brag but I have been busy and extremely blessed that I just might end up with a series of posts about my funemployment, for which this post could very well be the first.

Behold, Exhibit A.

As tempted as I am to bask in my own glory, I’d like to be honest with the fact that in all my mini and mini-er exposures I can only be either nervous or hella nervous. This time, I was HELLA NERVOUS, among other complicated emotions. I blame the newspaper feature which had a photo of us with a caption that read “featured teens”. I’m long overdue for that but I’ve always been fond of being in character, so maybe I was trying to look legit… and knew my face, relative to others, wouldn’t be of much help in the convincing (?). 

Anyway, I have SM City Davao to thank for this ego-tickling experience. I got the invite to be part of SM City Davao Fashion Edge 2013 via facebook message from the mall’s marketing officer about 5 minutes after I told my former boss I’d be leaving my job by the end of March. So I easily filed the experience under “God’s will”, hashtag perfecttiming and responded with a short message expressing my interest. But really, I wanted to do a split while air guitar-ing in excitement. 

So, basically, I was one of 10 “fresh faces to watch out for” (5 females, 5 males) to grace the event as VIP Models.  Whew, that was just about enough tacky description to help me slip into a cringefest hahaha, but thank you very much.. I am not very good at handling flattering adjectives. Aside from the fact that I was among a group of legit teens, we had similar - if not totally the same - interests : writing/blogging and modelling. Except, they actually maintained their blogs and actually have modelling experience. *Awkward smile* 

The reality of the matter only actually sinked in on the day of the scheduled photoshoot with EIGHT ESPINO, when I met the peeps from SM and the other VIP Models for the first time. Here are a few (or way too many) selfies, which are my only BTS bits from that day. 

Shameless SM Store Mirror shot

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I tried my best to only drop the vaguest hints of what was about to happen, careful not to jinx it lol what could be worse? Getting your hopes up for nothing (e.g. Janine Tugonon ending up getting dumped by The Script lead Vocalist). 

I was sure I was getting something that would give many teenage Davaoenas a high when I learned we get to be styled by one of the most distinguished fashion bloggers, probably in the country, who happens to be from this City too: Cheyser Pedregosa of The Walking Recessionista (Lance De Ocampo for the males). I was sure it won’t be work for her at all until her flight got delayed; she had to beat a 9pm deadline for the pull-out, the night before the event itself. Well, girl managed to come up with a pretty neat collection, anyway! *snap snap snap* 

Photos

I wish I could brag about being so used to all the backstage tension as I am a showgirl, whut whut, but no - at least, not yet. My silk pants were too long for my “cute” self and I had a bloated tummy that peeked right out of my hanging top, that’s all. 

Backstage photos sans all the insecurities and nervousness. 

I took comfort in the fact that my mom would be in the audience and she’d reassure me I am beautiful after the event. And my friends, too..except they’d laugh at me crazy but profess their love for me in public (i.e., facebook, twitter, instagram), anyway. 

The thought of being part of the event itself is already enough favor. And I am always up for anything that would grant me experience and exposure. I am only 5’1, and although I always proceed with “but I have great personality”, that doesn’t always allow me the same perks enjoyed by women with legs that go on forever. But hey, free clothes and SHOES? Not bad, at all. 

It was a pleasure walking the runway with 5++ feet tall creatures. Thank God for SM City Davao, hah! Keep the collabs coming, yes? 

*Hair/MUA: Frances Marie Tendencia