There are better stocking stuffers than, say, socks. Or mugs. Or picture frames. Of course, you would know that if you shopped at Market! Market! often enough. The mall at Fort Bonifacio, Global City has acquired a reputation for serious bargains. And rightly so. Large square footage devoted to a huge multi-level department store (replete with inexpensive goods) and individual markets on each floor focused on gifts, fashion, electronics and home furnishing pretty much make this the bastion of all things cheap and fabulous. (And yeah, they pretty much have everything).
Every day, about 80,000 people trek to Market! Market! to discover new things. And that’s on a weekday. On weekends, figures get marginally bigger. (About 20,000 more head to the mall).
Even stylists consider Market! Market! a great treasure trove of finds. One stylist friend has a habit of dropping by almost every week to peruse the
tiangges, only to come out of the mall covered in shopping bags. (The mall is dangerous that way).
For non-stylists (and there are many out there), the daunting task of finding amazing gifts for friends, family, significant other, colleagues and the random pet can seem demoralizing. But worry no more as this shopping guide has all the goods necessary to make Christmas complete for everyone on your list.
For dresses, head to Ziya (tel. 729-5701), an ethnic shop filled with Indian bangles, leather thong sandals in indigenous patterns, and colorful frocks. Wild paisley prints are the norm for this quaint shop. Paired with simple flats, they make a great gift for your picky, I-don’t-want-to-look-like-everyone-else best friend.
Another option is Taffeta (cell no. 0917-88193809). Filled with ruffled blouses and sweet empire-cut dresses, they have pieces ideal for your more classic-oriented older sibling. Professionals can pair the store’s more feminine pieces, like a cream ruffled blouse, with dark trousers and pumps for corporate wear that’s appropriate but not mind-numbingly boring.
Footwear is every girl’s best friend, and over at SNS (tel. 758-2634), these friends all come cheap. The shop manufactures their own merchandise locally. The latest pieces include great flats in animal prints, a festive red pair with mini pom-poms (perfect for casual ensembles that need a little pop) and basic shades of black and tan. All flats clock in at P650. Thongs, espadrilles and wedges are also available. It’s a great shop to visit – Christmas or not – when you’re looking to give yourself or a friend a well-deserved gift.
Find leggings for your trend-loving cousin at the 25th shop (tel.729-2404), located at the Fashion Market on the second floor. They have a selection of striped, lace, opaque and ruched leggings that will satiate anyone with a leggings fixation.
Moms, meanwhile, will gasp at the sight of all the native goods over at County Favorite (tel. 758-2312). Owner Marivic Avila sells everything from brightly woven
banigs to Christmas gift sets of native foods from the province. The intrepid shop owner even designs some of her own merchandise, including a collapsible woven tray that, she says, is not available anywhere else.
For those with larger budgets, Coreliz (tel. 757-2660) is filled with export overruns (although the sales associate informed me they were from Hong Kong) of hot designer labels like Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Diane von Furstenburg, Moschino and lots more. Though the tags are slashed, the clothes are in great condition. But they come at a slightly steeper price. While the other stores’ dresses are in the less-than-P1,000 range, Coreliz sells their designer dresses for about P6,000. But if your younger sibling – or, you know, yourself – has a passion for all things designer, this is a good way to go without having to mortgage your home.
If it’s cutesy inexpensive things you’re looking for (what else can you purchase for your co-worker with a penchant for sunflower picture frames, after all?), then Follow Your Heart (tel. 758-2239) is perfect. The shop has bags, toiletry kits, clutches and all sorts of other fripperies in adorable printed fabric. They even have those magic wallets in the same fun prints.
Trendy menswear store Fused (tel. 728-2103) has a range of fitted men’s shirts in adventurous prints. I purchased a pink polo shirt for my younger brother there last year and he’s still wearing it. The shirts range in price from P549 to P599.
Gift friends with cool T-shirts that riff on Pinoy pop culture. At Branded (tel. 805-0176), they silk screen logos of current hot bands like Juan Pablo Dream, Monster Bot, Hale and the like to Tito, Vic and Joey’s Song Hits on shirts (with sizes for guys and girls). Pinoy power slogans are also there, along with fun sayings like "Jeep my ride."
Kids will be overcome by joy at the sight of Edeng’s Toy Shop (tel. 758-2178). The shop is literally filled with hundreds of dolls, sports sets, action figures and stuffed toys. If you can name it, no doubt someone over at Edeng’s has played with it.