Eric de los Santos’s(top left) pink summery colored dress for Stella. DISCOVER(top middle) your style at Markati Palazzo on the fourth level of The Podium. THIS versatile jersey(top right) infinity wrap from Bobon can be used as a dress, jacket, halter and skirt.A beautifully embellished(above left) handbag from Laura. Fun and playful pieces(second from top right) exclusive for women, available at Hotpink Lingerie in Markati Palazzo. Laura’s set of classy rings(above right), with pink tourmaline, amethyst, orange tourmaline and multicolored sapphires kyanite, prenuite and white sapphire stones.

OF course, you absolutely adore (place the name of your favorite long-established fashion designer or brand here) but part of what makes fashion fun is in discovering the little-known gems that give your sense of style an edge—or, not in the least, keep you fashionably apart from the herd. Of course, your busy life doesn’t give you plenty of time to hunt down such precious finds.  The good news is that there’s a new fashion destination for today’s men and women of style in the area of the Ortigas Business Center. Markati Palazzo on the fourth level of the upscale mall The Podium is, as its name suggests, a marketplace of exciting and innovative fashion ideas from 11 of the country’s most influential young designers.

Discover fashion and style with clothes and accessories from Stella, Bobon by Puey Quiñones, Limb, Wisdom, V, Rugged Door, Navarro, Central, Laura, Radar Pridewear and Hotpink Lingerie.

Bobon is the latest venture of the prolific and talented Puey Quiñones featuring his distinctive style. “Fashion is universal,” he says. “It’s for everyone.” And I’d like to create pieces that speak to everyone’s individual taste.” Many of his clothes are multifunctional, offering a practical approach to looking sensational day or night. Designer Roland Lirio is also featured in Bobon.

Stella highlights stylish designs from well-known designers Louis Claparols, Mitzi Quillendrino, Eric de los Santos and Roel Manapat. Not to be missed in this outlet are summery colored dresses and Cindy Red and White Blouse T-shirts with neckline buttons.

Limb is taken from talented young designer Dimple Lim’s surname, and it is all about her fascination with the moment of being. Known for her imaginative play on prints and proportions, Lim conceptualized Limb as the premier destination for those with a flair for refreshing urban clothing.

“I realized that there was a limited range of street wear available in the market,” she says, prompting her to design clothing beyond shirts and pants. Limb’s Markati Palazzo space features a wide variety of graphic tees and urban edgy pieces designed by Lim, and featured designers Jordan Arabejo, Regine Dullay, Czarina Villa, Jae Lee and Xander Tan.

Wisdom by Gail Angeles is the place for those who like feminine clothes. They will love her ruched jersey printed dress, yellow cotton butterfly dress, soft chiffon dress with pompoms, as well as her orange patent wedgies, tea-for-two patent shoes, and metallic distressed leather shoes with pearls.

V by Jana Mendoza stands out with its cutting-edge designs and exquisite craftsmanship.  Her clothes—which range from embroidered tunic tops to cleverly cut knits, along with contemporary corporate wear—can be best described as classics with a twist.

Rugged Door is a one-stop fashion shop for all-occasion menswear by Jeff Rogador, evening clothes for women by Veejay Floresca, and a whole range of casual wear for women—Michelle Ferrera of Sasha for smart casuals, Reian Mata for trendy casuals, and Libby Lavaro of II-Skin for sexy casuals. Yako Reyes and Jona Ballaran also have their wonderful bags at Rugged Door.

Navarro is the place to go for stylish corporate wear for men.  Tina Navarro and her husband are the designing couple behind the line, which has had a following with the corporate crowd in the Ortigas area. For this summer, Navarro recommends linen shirts that can be worn with slacks at the office, cargo shirts for weekends, and brightly colored long-sleeved shirts that can work both for the office and more casual days.

Central’s Hazel Santos says she named her boutique such to be a launching pad for young and upcoming designers. Hazel and her designer friends Javilie Phio Enaje, Kathy Cavilte and Nicolo Jonsay have made the store an exciting fashion destination for women on the go, with clothes ranging from minimalist high-end pieces to summery colored tulip dresses, as well as hand-made patent shoes and bags.  Hazel says Central soon will be offering custom-made shoes and bags to its customers.

Laura’s showcases jewelry designer Laura de Guzman’s collection of pieces made from precious and semiprecious stones, arts and crafts-style necklaces, and beaded evening handbags and purses. With her sense of the elegant and exquisite, Laura continues to broaden the horizon for fashion with her designs. Her bestsellers include cocktail rings and handbags, and she shares that she will be coming out with her own collection of men’s accessories soon.

Radar Pridewear is the first alternative-clothing line for women in the Philippines. It was in 2005 when partners Rebie Ramoso and Kristine Calleja realized that fashion still followed gender conventions.  The following year, the pair put up Radar Pridewear, an unconventional clothing line for women celebrating individuality and identity. Watch out for their statement tees with witty tongue-in-cheek messages.

Hotpink is a lingerie store that sells fun and playful pieces for the Filipino woman’s boudoir.  Carlo and Kaye Garcia say that their best-sellers include the Tara Baby Doll and Rebecca Fly Away Baby Doll lingerie sets.

With such a wealth of stylish choices to be found at The Podium’s Markati Palazzo, staying fashion-forward has just become a lot easier. 

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