The RadarThe MEGA Blog

A couple of hours before the Opening Ceremony of the 62nd Cannes Festival, Freida PINTO, Evangeline LILLY and Elizabeth BANKS are joining L’OREAL PARIS as new World Spokespeople for the brand.

“On the eve of the Cannes Festival, to which I want to reiterate our attachment, L’Oréal Paris is delighted that these great stars of world cinema have agreed to represent our brand”, states Jean-Jacques Lebel, President L’Oréal Consumer Products.

The sublime FREIDA PINTO was discovered by Danny Boyle in SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the film that won eight Oscars. After Julian Schnabel’s movie which she is currently shooting, she will be filming this summer in Woody Allen’s next film, as part of an impressive cast. “I am very moved to be joining the great L’Oréal Paris family and all these personalities: a family I am now proud to be a part of,” says Freida.

EVANGELINE LILLY came to our notice in LOST. Her character “Kate” also won her a nomination for the 2007 Golden Globe Awards as Best Actress in a Drama Series. For her first venture into films, she co-stars with John Malkovich and Romain Duris in an adaptation of Guillaume Musso’s novel AFTERWARDS. Evangeline is a politically committed actress. When she was very young she was drawn to humanitarian projects, and then founded a committee for the world development of Human Rights at university. She travels all over the world on behalf of this cause, and says, “It is a source of great pride for me to represent a brand whose ambition is to respond to every person’s aspirations to beauty, and contribute to the fulfilment and well-being of everyone.” Evangeline Lilly will have just come from Rwanda, where she is engaged in a humanitarian mission, when she joins L’Oréal Paris for the first time on the steps of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.

ELIZABETH BANKS is one of the most versatile actresses in Hollywood, as witnessed in her full list of achievements in the last year. She appeared in Oliver Stone’s W, a film where she played the First Lady Laura Bush, as well as the comedy ROLE MODELS. Banks has recently signed on to star in THE DETAILS opposite James McAvoy. Through her company Brownstone Productions, she will produce and star in the Universal comedy FOREVER 21 and will also star in WHAT WERE WE THINKING opposite Leslie Mann. Among her credits are SEABISCUITS, 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. “I am so honored to be one of the newest L’Oréal Paris Spokesperson and to join such a distinguished group of women who proudly say the iconic phrase ‘Because You’re Worth It,’” states Banks. “What impresses me most about L’Oréal is the company’s commitment to empowering women. L’Oréal wants women everywhere to not only take charge of their beauty, but to also take control of their health and well being”.

Vianney Derville, International General Manager of L’Oréal Paris says, “I am proud that all these actresses are now our World Spokespeople, alongside notably Jane Fonda, Pierce Brosnan, Penélope Cruz, Gong Li, Beyoncé Knowles, Patrick Dempsey, Kerry Washington, Aishwarya Rai…. We are delighted to welcome them as representatives of L’Oréal Paris. We have been completely won over by their rising careers as actresses, together with their attachment to the values of humanity and diversity.”

L’Oréal Paris has once again surrounded itself with exceptional personalities who represent the brand’s values. As artists highly involved with the world of today, they embody a new generation of actors with an immense amount of talent and commitment.

Images courtesy of Manmeet Bhatti for Freida Pinto and Kwaku Alston/Corbis Outline for Evangeline Lilly.

Our Big Beauty May 2009 issue is out and on our cover is the alluring actress and model Angel Locsin, who headlines our 10 Most Beautiful Women list.

I came across Angel a couple of weeks ago when she was shooting scenes for her new show, Only You, just outside the Mega Publishing Group headquarters in Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Fashion Editor Patrick Ty and I were busy proofreading layouts for our upcoming June issue when VP for Editorial & Production Lorraine V. Belmonte excitedly came up to us and said that Angel was right outside the building. We hurriedly grabbed a copy of the May issue, dragged photographer Paolo Buendia along, then headed to the ground floor. Outside was a swarm of fans eagerly taking photos of Angel, who was dressed “very” casually (she was in costume for her role as Jillian). We squeezed through the crowd (I even overhead someone say, “Hey, here comes the Mega team”) and approached Angel. I said hello and re-introduced myself in case she forgot who I was. Angel, who was sitting down and waiting to shoot her scene, looked up and smiled instantly. Phew, she remembered me! Patrick said hi and we introduced Angel to Lorraine. We gave her a copy of the May issue and I could tell that Angel was impressed by the cover. And how could she not? She looks scintillating in that gray draped jersey dress by Santi Obcena. And the smoky eye makeup by Lala Flores and luscious wavy locks by hairstylist Nante Alingasa certainly added oomph to her sex appeal. Angel gratefully accepted the magazine and also thanked us for putting her on the cover. We thanked her as well for allowing us to feature her again. As we exchanged thank you’s, someone announced that they were about the shoot the scene and asked everyone to stand aside. But before Lorraine, Patrick and I left, we had to document the encounter, of course, and asked Paolo the photographer to take a photo of us with Angel holding her cover up. After taking photos, we said our goodbyes, gave our besos and headed back to the office.

What started out as an ordinary Wednesday afternoon turned into an exciting one! Inspired by Angel’s beauty, I returned to my desk with renewed gusto to work on our June issue. And yes, we have another hot actress on the cover for this upcoming issue. Wait for it!

– Lacar Casanova, associate editor

presented by and Magazine

Refreshingly spontaneous. Unique to the very core. A born leader. Strictly uncompromising. These are the qualities of an Ultra Style Icon – and of an unparalleled style symbol like the Samsung Ultra Touch.

While many proclaim to be shining beacons of society, only some have proven worthy of such regard, both through their actions and distinct sense of style. MEGA and Samsung present a new breed of style icons whose life’s works and non-conformist fashion sense have touched and influenced many, in the same manner the Ultra Touch is leading mobile technology through stylish form and high-tech functionality. These three individuals dare to be different, exude confidence and are respected figures in their fields, making them incredible leasers in the world of fashion and beyond.

Chris Tiu He is a remarkable young athlete whose tremendous skills on the basketball court match his intense dedication to social service and community outreach. Truly a man for others, Chris divides his time between such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, the Philippine National Reading Advocacy and the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED). He aims to further create awareness and encourage others to join similar advocacies.

Divine Lee She believes style happens when fashion meets identity. She approaches fashion the same way she does life – making well thought-out choices and putting them together in a way that expresses one’s taste, lifestyle and state of mind. Her penchant for reinventing classic looks has made her a shining example to follow. A charitable individual as well, Divine helps empower people through livelihood and education.

Paolo Pineda He skillfully captures life as it happens in every photograph he takes – and in his very individual sense of style. This sought-after fashion photographer believes self-expression goes hand-in-hand with style, which is why he sees trends not as ideas to be copied, but inspirations from which one can draw to create a truly personal look. Active in social causes, Paolo works closely with the Autism Society of the Philippines.

Who will be the new Ultra Style Icon? Log on to www.samsungultratouch.com.ph to vote for your favorite Ultra Icon nominee. Tell us why and get the chance to win a Samsung Ultra Touch. Voting is from March 27 to April 30, 2009.

The participants of the Eighth Young Designer’s Competition have never been more excited. With the awards night happening on March 24 at Edsa Shangri-La, the finalists are up and about, eagerly making their designs come to life.

Last February 2, the eight finalists headed to Carolina’s in Megamall to shop and look around for the best garments and accessories that they can use for their designs.

The finalists also had their first ever photoshoot last February 16 held at the Mega Publishing Group Studio. Past YDC winners and now notable fashion icons Aries Lagat, Ivarluski Aseron and Alex Pigao were also present to give advice to the finalists.

The black-and-white themed photoshoot was the buzz during that day, and each finalist had the chance to express his or her own individuality. This was one of the few instances that the finalists were given a chance to build camaraderie amidst the tough competition and just have pure fun.

All guards were down as the finalists, with great enjoyment, posed and showed off their personal styles. They also received inspiring (and useful) tips from Aries, who recently won the first local edition of Project Runway, and Alex.

Of course, the day did not end without getting to know the finalists and finding out how their YDC experience has been like so far.

Vanessa Ang, who attended the Parson’s School of Design in New York, said, “The YDC is a great opportunity to share ideas and, of course, meet new people. I’ve also learned design practices that are integral to making a truly great collection.”

Another finalist, Kathleen Conde, said she has “become more meticulous with her designs and executions. Being in the YDC has brought out the perfectionist in me.”

“The themes presented in this competition are of international level,” yet another finalist, Earl Gariando, shared. “There’s a call to create something unconventional yet wearable. Therein lies one of the challenges.”

Here some exclusive behind-the-scenes during the photoshoot.
Read the rest of this entry »

Guess who was in the inbox of MEGA Magazine?
THE Scott Schuman!

The creator of popular fashion blog The Sartorialist of Conde Nast’s style.com, Schuman recently sent an email to MEGA Magazine editor in chief Carla Sibal to express his admiration to the magazine, which he saw from a Filipino colleague in New York. The issue that reached Schuman’s hands was said to be the September 2008 edition, which featured actress Anne Curtis on the cover.

“It was the first time I’ve seen a magazine from Asia that’s really worth the read! I’m very impressed with your articles and features as well as the styling for the shoots,” wrote Schuman.

MEGA, to say the least, is overwhelmed with Schuman’s wonderful words. Coming from a respected blogger who’s known and widely-read by the style-mavens and the upper echelon of the fashion industry in the city of Big Apple and around the globe, the MEGA editorial team. together with the top executives of MEGA Publishing Group, is simply flattered.

“It is an honor to receive an email from Scott Schuman. We will always be inspired to offer our readers the best and the latest— as we remain passionate and dedicated to the company’s vision of being the standard of Filipino media excellence,” enthused Sibal.

Schuman’s exposure to fashion is diverse—from being a director of men’s fashion at Bergdorf Goodman, to getting famous in the blogosphere for capturing “real people” on the streets donning striking ensembles, to covering runways during New York’s Fashion Week. Hand-picked by AskMen.com as one of the Top 49 Men of the Year in 2007, Schuman also landed a modeling stint for Gap in 2008 and was listed as one of Time Magazine’sTop 100 Design Influencers.

Catch an exclusive interview with Scott Schuman by MEGA editor in chief Carla Sibal. Soon to be printed in MEGA Magazine.

MEGA, a homegrown title, is a prestige publication of MEGA Publishing Group.

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Caption:
SCOTT SCHUMAN of The Sartorialist of Conde Nast’s style.com (photo courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Hi, readers! Yes, we finally have a new entry in our Mega blog. We dearly apologize for the long wait. But at last, we’re back to give you to-the-minute buzz behind our high fashion shoots, the glamorous people we interview and the posh events that we attend. And since we’re feeling generous (maybe because Christmas is in the offing), we’ll also be sharing trade secrets from fashion and beauty experts that didn’t fit inside the pages of our magazine. Now, these offerings should be enough to make up for the long absence, don’t you agree?

A month ago I had the delight of meeting the enchanting Rhian Ramos, lead of GMA-7’s dramedy LaLola. We were shooting the cover of our yearend 10 Women to Watch issue at the modern Quezon City home of photographer Doc Marlon Pecjo. Unfortunately, Rhian also had a pictorial to promote LaLola so I couldn’t do a full interview with her and only mustered short tête-à-têtes in between wardrobe changes.

Fortunately, we’re putting her on the cover of our first ever January issue. So two weeks ago during the Jan issue cover shoot, again at Doc’s house, I made sure that I sat with her and extracted as much quips, insights and intimate details from her as I could.

In nutshell, I found that Rhian is a family woman, a dedicated actress and a notorious makeup fiend. But most of all, she is a terrific sport. She had a taping the night before our shoot and was only able to get home at five in the morning. When she arrived at Doc’s house, she was obviously half-asleep but she still put on a wide smile on her face as she greeted us good morning. Our shoot lasted at least seven hours and despite the lack of rest, Rhian maintained a cheery disposition—even singing “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by Diana Ross and the Supremes from time to time. A Motown fan, I presume.

Rhian also looked absolutely alluring in the whimsical, wonderland inspired gowns by Dubai-based designer Michael Sinco. Would you believe if I told you that each of these gowns cost as much as a brand new car? I’m not exaggerating. Of course, our cover models only deserve the finest. Rhian went through six costume changes and my favorite is the orange-yellow-white pleated dégradé gown you see here. To see all the dresses she wore, you’ll have to wait for our January issue to be released.

Absolutely stunning dress!

Rhian needed five people to assist her in the gown!

But first you’ll see her in our December issue with nine other equally laudable personalities in the fashion and entertainment realms—models Paula Taylor, Bea Soriano and Pathra Cadness, fashion designers Catherine Cavilte and Jona Ballaran, jewelry designers Janina Hoschka Dizon and Victoria Panopio, and famed TV host and actress Mariel Rodriguez.

Packed with loads of style and glamour, our turn-of-the-year issues surely won’t disappoint. Happy reading and ciao for now!—LACAR CASANOVA, associate editor