The inevitable Christmas shopping trip can either be a dream or a nightmare, depending on how prepared you are for the frenzy. Too many list lusted-for items or gifts for all, but rarely do you come across a holiday guide that gives you enough mental wiggle room to decide for yourself.
While I’m not claiming Santa Claus status here, I think that by pointing you in the direction of potential festive purchases — sharing who made what, how, when and where — I would’ve made heavy bags pulling shoulders out of their sockets a bit more bearable. Here are a few shops and labels that should yield surprises for a host of personalities and budgets.
* * *
Special thanks to Ian Belleza and Macel Abejero.
* * *
Eastpak by KRISVANASSCHE
The American bag manufacturer has worked with a succession of cool names in the fashion industry, from Raf Simons to Eley Kishimoto. Their latest, a partnership with the Belgian-born Kris Van Assche, Dior Homme artistic director since April 2007, melds technology and craftsmanship. Cosmopolitan yet hard-wearing, the collection is made up of seven designs, each with a range of uses in mind.
Available at Bratpack Greenbelt 5, Robinson’s Ermita and Alabang Town Center.
Flight 001
Harking back to the ‘50s and ‘60s, when travel was more Mad Men than Real Housewives, this retro-modern retail outpost has been a jetsetter favorite since 1999, a year after John Sencion and Brad John envisioned a store as streamlined as flight itself.
From the first outlet in New York’s West Village, Flight 001 has made its way around the world. Filipino frequent flyers should be happy to note that fun and functional travel-related products, from pouches and passport holders to eye masks and luggage tags, are now up for grabs at the brand’s first Manila location.
At Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Herschel Supply Co. has come back strong in recent years through the perennial trend, heritage chic. With a story dating to the early 1900s — when Peter Alexander Cormack, a barrel maker by trade, and his wife Annie made the journey from Wick, Scotland, to Canada — Herschel draws inspiration from travel and mountaineering. Over a century later, brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack, Peter and Annie’s great grandchildren, now head the business, creating timeless backpacks, holdalls and bags instead of barrels.
Available at all Bratpack stores.
Toddland
The Balboa, California-based sportswear line, founded in 2009 by Todd Masters, has “make rad stuff” its motto. As a result, they’ve tied up with Yo Gabba Gabba and Adventure Time on pop culture-fused shirts, sweaters and accessories. But it’s the brand’s clever use of a classic handlebar mustache on everything, from socks to cardigans, that got my attention: it evokes both Americana and the Pringles logo.
Available at Bratpack Greenbelt 5, Makati City.
So far, the Dutch designer denim company has enlisted model Arizona Muse, actors Caleb Landry Jones and Clémence Poésy, and chess champion Magnus Carlsen. The common thread that these individuals share, apart from being photographed by filmmaker Anton Corbijn, is a tough kind of cool, something that the brand — the first to unleash a “Raw Denim” style of jeans in 1996 — has in spades. Make sure to check out the fruits of their longstanding design collaboration with Australian industrial designer Marc Newson.
At Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Supra
Established by native Californian Angel Cabada in 2006, Supra is a street-inspired footwear company that has built a keen following in the international music, skateboarding and art communities. Drawing upon the goodwill of this widespread network, Supra, through the Primer Group, its exclusive distributor in the Philippines, recently flew in some of the scene’s most influential skaters. Chad Muska, Erik Ellington, Jim Greco, Tom Penny and Lizard King held sessions in Tondo and Plaza Rajah Sulayman, Manila, to the amazement of their Filipino fans.
A range of styles are available at Grind, Nuvali; Bratpack Greenbelt 5, Abreeza, Robinsons Ermita, Gateway, Alabang Town Center; Res|Toe|Run TriNoma, Glorietta 4, Cebu, Festival Mall, Robinsons Magnolia, Centrio Cagayan De Oro; Shoe Salon Trinoma, Glorietta 3, Marquee Mall, Abreeza, Rockwell Power Plant, Shangri-La; Urban Athletics Greenbelt 3.
Ellesse
Throughout the ‘70s and ’80s, the Italian sportswear company (pronounced “el-LESS-she”) was closely linked to skiing and tennis. Originally set up by Leonardo Servadio in 1959 as a way to combine his love for the wintertime sport with his expertise in tailoring, Perugia-born Ellesse has somehow pulled off a few industry firsts.
For instance, French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac worked with the label during the mid-1980s, a pioneering collaboration between a casual clothing line and an haute couturier. In later years the trend continued with a sportswear collection for Valentino. And as a young man, menswear designer Brunello Cucinelli modeled for Ellesse; after founding his own company, he then asked Servadio to return the favor and model some of his cashmere creations for L’Uomo Vogue. Ellesse celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009 and, thanks to its youthful, timeless appeal, appears to be at the cusp of a revival.
Branches at Alabang Town Center, Bonifacio High Street Central and Abreeza Mall, Davao City. The apparel line is available at Bratpack Greenbelt 5, Bratpack Robinsons Place Manila, Bratpack Gateway Mall, Bratpack Eastwood City, Bratpack Marquee, Bauhaus TriNoma, and The Travel Club Express Mactan Cebu.