Twinkle and Happy in Grand Indonesia

Last weekend I had guests from Manila, designer Twinkle Ferraren and her sister Happy. They totally deserved those sparkly happy names since my day with them was literally a laugh trip. I haven’t laughed so much in an entire day in I don’t know how long! Gosh. I wish we took more photos, but then again I was so exhausted, I didn’t even get to doll up!

Twinkle is in Indonesia as the sole representative of the Philippines for the Textile Congress in Bandung. She design and outfit with punk rock feel using local Philippine textiles. It was perfect timing for me to bring her to the Meet the Makers event wherein she would see local Indonesian artistry at work. (Click here to see photos of Meet the Makers.)  They seemed enjoyed seeing all the creative local handicrafts! Then I decided to take them to Grand Indonesia for…

1. Merienda at Crystal Jade (Xiao Long Bao, crispy pancake and fried prawn dumplings)
2. Alun-alun – sorta like our Kultura and Rustans all rolled into one
3. Wandered around the mall which has crazy interiors with different themes in certain levels and all out resto interiors which they found super fun…We even peeked at how freshly made Magnum Bars are done at Magnum Cafe.
4. We had Dinner at Social House – my go-to restaurant for visitors because of it’s chic vibe, lovely interiors and yummy food. They loved (my favorite) Grandma’s Iced Tea. The baked mushrooms, grilled eggplant with mozzarella, peso and honey sauce, fresh spring rolls and creamed corn soup were all a hit with us.
5. The local fashion brands (same level as Social House) – I was sure Twinkle would love to see how edgy and fashion forward Indonesians are through their local brands. Too bad the mall was closing, coz we didn’t even get to check out all the stores!

I leave you with some photos of the mall which Twinkle risked getting vertigo for…. 

TWINKLE*FERRAREN is a Filipino designer. She aims to create everyday art products, bringing art & culture closer to everyday living. She started out her career by apprenticing with Dita Sandico Ong who does my amazing modern Filipiniana gowns. (Click here to see the Dita Sandico Ong gown I wore to the BWA Fashion Show) She studied in London’s Central Saint Martins (where greats like Stella McCartney, John Galliano, Zac Posen and the late Alexander McQueen also studied) and did an internship under the Di Milo’s label in Harrod’s.

• Click here to learn more about Twinkle Ferraren
• Click here to see her creations.
• Click here to read more about Central Saint Martins and why it produces many of the worlds best designers