WHAT IS A FASHIONISTA?

In line with this month’s focus on fashion, the inimitable enumerates his list of the country’s most style- forward ladies

ashionista—it’s a word I’ve heard very frequently of late, mostly from those in the business of style and design. Maybe it’s my ‘sage’ age, but that word rarely comes out of my lips. I mean, it’s the same as saying fashion plate, trendsetter, or style maven. You say ‘to-may-to’ and I say ‘to-mah-to’; that sort of thing. People tell me to get with the programme—but, dahlings, I am stuck on CNN, so don’t change the channel. But, for the sake of this article, I am using the word ‘fashionista.’ Who knows—I might even get to like it.

According to Google, a fashionista is a person devoted to fashionable clothing, particularly unique or high fashion. For most people, to call someone a fashionista would mean to say that he or she is one who obsessively follows the latest trends. However, a real fashionista, one who is glamorous in her own right, is what I’m writing about here—and they don’t exactly have to be someone in the fashion industry.

Now that we know what a fashionista is and what it means to be one, palanggas, I’d like to share a little list that I compiled with two true friends that moi has chosen because, after all, they are definitely in the know— n’est ce pas?

All the ladies on my list are women of stature and substance in our so-called alta sociedad and several are achievers in their respective fields. Many of them are wellknown for their lovely looks; others for their grace and wit; all of them for their stylishness. In no particular order, my top fashionistas include Maripi Muscat, Carol Garcia, Vicky Zubiri, Maricris Zobel, Kathy de Guzman, Sandie Poblador, Cris Albert, Baby Forès, Bledes Forès-Legarda, Babette Aquino-Benoit, Linda Legaspi, Michelle Pamintuan, Jackie Ejercito, Tina Ocampo, Kaye Tinga, Lizette Cojuangco, Vicki Belo, Ria Prieto, and Samantha Eduque. Also on my list are Tessa Valdes who’s always a winner, as are Trisha Panlilio, Pie Alvarez who is mayor of San Vicente in Palawan, Mandy Santos, Ching Cruz, Beng Dee, Maria Parsons, KC Concepcion, Tootsy Angara, Rosanna Ocampo, Fortune Ledesma, and the gorgeous Lovi Poe. A family affair rounds out my list thanks to Zelda Kienle and her daughters, Stephanie Kienle- Gonzalez and Jessica Kienle-Maxwell.

I’m very sure that there are a whole lot more. The sexuals—homo and metro—would know. But my deadline is haunting me, dahlings. So just be happy, palanggas: that’s the best style of all.