A few weeks ago, the Philippine Star's Y Style sent me on a mission: to find out about Issey Miyake's newest scent. Reflections in a Drop is the designer's limited edition take on his classic fragance, l'Eau d'Issey, which was introduced sixteen years ago and continues to remain a classic favorite.

To my surprise, I didn't just learn about the perfume. Thanks to Jean Marie Eudes, Issey Miyake's Asia Pacific Trainer, I got to learn about the designer himself, and the ideas behind his creative process. As a result, I ended up learning a thing or two about how a creativity-driven business could be run. Oh, and the perfume smelled really lovely, too.

Here's a look into what makes Issey Miyake tick:

Try everything out
“A lot of people know Issey Miyake not as just a fashion designer, but also through his fragrances, which are famous worldwide. But Mr. Miyake is more than that. Mr. Miyake is an artist. He is involved in a lot of projects: in fragrances, in fashion, and also in architecture and photography,” Eudes says.

He is an example of someone who doesn't limit himself to one thing, but finds opportunity in everything that comes his way, no matter how unrelated it may seem to his specialty. I mean, how often can a fashion designer say that he's helped design a vacuum cleaner? But we'll get to that later.

It's all in the (brand) name
“Something interesting is that Miyake in Japanese means 'three houses' and Issey means 'one life' or 'a life' and it is quite fortuitous because a creative world is built around three houses in a way.”

Not all of us have the good fortune to be named after luck-bringing elements, but we do have the power to remake our 'name,' be it via the company we work for or the name of the business we put up. No one knows what makes a band click, but we do know that if anything, its name should be catchy.

Embrace the unknown
Issey Miyake's creative process can be divided into three 'houses.' The first is the House of the Unexplored.

“This is the house of the discovery of new ideas. It is the research for innovation. Mr. Miyake does not like to copy, he likes to reinvent things, he likes to create new things, he likes to surprise the people. That's why he will never repeat himself in his creations. This is good for fashion and fragrances.”

Innovators are people who break away from the pack. They take a good thing and make it better. They research. They find. By embracing the unknown, one uncovers little untapped niches, veins of gold yet to be mined. In other words, doing your homework on a venture makes your success in that area more probable.

Two heads are better than one
Next comes the House of Meeting.

“Mr. Miyake loves to (collaborate), to meet new people. He likes to exchange new ideas.”

For his latest fragrance, he teamed up with perfumer Alberto Morilla, the nose behind scents like CK One and Flower by Kenzo. He's also collaborated with James Dyson, famous for coming up with a vacuum cleaner that doesn't use a bag, on... you guessed it, the vacuum cleaner I was talking about earlier.

Don't forget the little things
“The third house is the House of the Quest of the Essential.

“For Issey Miyake, what is more essential than life? He always tries to find ideas with simplicity and are essential in our life.

Don't get caught up in your fame and fortune. Remember your roots, and your roots will remember you. Just kidding. We Filipinos have a saying: never forget where you come from. Your family, your friends, your planet. Never forget the lessons that you've learned along the way and never forget that there will always be someone better than you, so you've always got to be on your toes and do your best. You may not be able to please everyone, but you can die happy knowing that you've at least pleased yourself.

All together now...
Reflections in a Drop is an example of how Issey Miyake makes all of these elements come together.

“That's why for his first fragrance, for example, he was inspired by water. His first fragrance, l'Eau d'Issey, was made around the water concept. L'Eau is French for water, and Issey means life, so l'Eau d'Issey is 'the water of life.' He is very interested in this element, which he considers the perfect element on earth. That's why today, we have a fragrance built around water.

“The fragrance is a bit different from the original fragrance. It's very powdery, very fragrant. It has a musky trail, very feminine, very fresh because in the top note we have the mandarin but the notes of the lotus and rose are the same as the original. They are the link in the universe of l'Eau d'Issey.

“The lotus and the rose represent the meeting between the east and the west. As we know, Issey Miyake is a Japanese artist. The lotus represents Asia. The rose represents the occidental countries. Something that Issey Miyake likes to do is strike a balance between modernity and tradition. This is what he calls harmony.

“Once agin, Issey Miyake has created something new, something different by mixing some works. And this is really in the concept of Issey Miyake and this belongs to the House of Meetings of Issey Miyake.”

Putting all these together has enabled Issey Miyake to continually refresh himself, keep himself relevant. It's something that every business strives to achieve, especially in today's cutthroat world.

Last week, I got the opportunity to be in the same space with some very lovely ladies. It's not often that anyone gets the chance to see so many great people in one week. I guess I was just lucky.

In the crowd, watching Alicia Keys

I got to watch the Alicia Keys concert in the Mall of Asia, courtesy of Luis Katigbak, who had free tickets for the August 5 concert. We got there around nine, thinking that we were late for the concert, only to find that the second opening act hadn't even begun.

Because of the weather, the concert had to be moved indoors from the open field, which was where it originally was supposed to be staged. I guess this was why minor pandemonium ensued, resulting in the displacement of a lot of people (us included) from their proper seats, as well as the late, late start of the concert.

We were about to leave when the band started playing and Alicia Keys came onstage. She was as beautiful in person (if seeing her on the projection screen counts as “in person”) as she is in her pictures. She was a performer through and through, talking to the crowd, Luis, said, as if it was her boyfriend. “I'd like to ask you something,” she purred at the Alicia-hungry crowd, “I'd like to ask if I could play my piano for you.” The crowd cheered. I have to admit that I didn't know all her songs but she didn't care, performing every one of them as if they were number one hits. Some lesser musician would have not expended so much effort. Not Alicia.

Another thing that I love about her is that she isn't exactly a size zero. She had hips. She had a real body, not a stick thin one that could get blown away with the next gust of wind. She was curvaceous, some would say bordering on fat, but that somehow made her really, really sexy. And she knew how to work it too, in her skin tight jeans and corset-inspired top. Plus, she was fit. Judging from her on stage moves, it looked like the woman was no stranger to squats. Score one for real-bodied women!

Thanks Luis!

On tour with Dita Von Teese

Yup. I literally went on a tour with burlesque diva Dita von Teese. The Dita was here in Manila to perform for Belo's 18th Anniversary Venetian Ball. The weekend before, Carlos Celdran had told Quark Henares that the more people went on the tour, the better. Of course, he made the mistake of saying that with me in the room.

Now, I love Dita von Teese. Until now, I cannot understand why Marilyn Manson divorced this exquisite looking woman. Sure, he ditched her for Evan Rachel Wood. Maybe it's me but I'd take Dita over Evan any day.

So. I asked, begged and pleaded with Quark to take me along on the Celdran tour last Thursday. And take me along he did, though because of a missed text, I almost didn't make it. Apparently, Quark had texted a bunch of us about the meeting place, but I didn't get it. It was only when Luis called, saying that they were looking for me, that I found out that the thing was pushing through at all. So, even though I was already in my writing groove and wasn't even sure if I could make it, I hauled my butt off to the CCP. I got there in time to catch part of Carlos Celdran's Imelda Tour. Also there was Quark and his mom, Vicky Belo (of course), Erwin Romulo and Mitch Dulce, both of who started their Dita stalking the night before, having gone to watch midget boxing with her.

The tour was fab. Carlos filled us in on Mrs. Marcos' life, and all the politics and gossip that went with it. Everyone, no matter how they feel about that part of our history, as long as they don't take what is presented too seriously, should see it. Dita was fab. She wore a simple green dress and cute black flats, looking every inch the lady. She had on her signature red lipstick, and her signature red half-moon nails. It was like being in front of royalty. It was hard not to stare. As we were leaving, I gathered my courage, introduced myself to her, and shook her hand. It was smooth and white. I tired hard not to hyperventilate.

After the tour, there was talk of continuing the Dita stalking to Club Mwah along Pioneer Street, where Dita was going to meet people from the fashion world. Mitch and Erwin decided that they had to go home to change. I went home with Mitch, who was nice enough to lend me a blouse so that Dita wouldn't catch me wearing the same blouse I was this morning. I'm not usually this wardrobe conscious but hey, this is the big Teese we're talking about.

We got to Club Mwah just in time to see the show end. I didn't catch sight of everyone in the crown but I did see Rajo Laurel, Robbie Carmona and Raymond Guttierez. Afterwards, everyone had their pictures taken with Dita, who had changed outfits as well. She wore a red mandarin collared 1940's-style dress and super high heels. Her hair was in a coif, every glossy black strand in place. She moved with grace and poise, never out of character. I shook her hand again and told her that I loved her. And just to assure her I wasn't some crazy fan, I added, “I'm straight, but I love you.” I admit, it as pretty shameless. The last time I had fallen apart in front of a celebrity was when I said “I love you” to Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys. Dita broke into a grin and said, “Thank you.” I felt my heart flutter in my chest.

That was enough Dita von Teese for me. For some reason, following a celebrity around made me realize that life is only as interesting as you make it. When I got home, I dug out my sister's copy of In Style that had an article on Dita. How does Dita manage to always stay beautiful? She:

1. Uses sunblock. A lot of sunblock.
2. Never goes out without make-up. Not melt-in-the-sun makeup, at least just enough to look polished. She also makes sure to pick what she wears really well so she's never out of character.
3. She's conscious of her style, down to the last detail. Her nails, for example, have been painted the same way since time immemorial.

The funny thing was that the whole time I was with her, I never saw her fuss about her appearance. It was as if her polished look came naturally, and wasn't artificially done at all. Now that's style.

Thanks Quark, Erwin and Mitch!

Midnight coffee with friends

Even though I had just technically shared space with two celebrities in the space of a few days, I will still say that there is nothing more comforting than hanging out with a few of your close friends, which is what I did with two friends that I knew from grade school, but didn't really get close to until after college, even though we went to different universities. The meeting was spur-of-the moment – they happened to be having dinner, I happened to be in a nearby mall.

There are some friends that, no matter how close you are to them, you can only stand in small doses. There are others, on the other hand, who you feel you could spend every day with and never grow tired of, even if all you did was talk about the same things. These two girls fall into the latter category. They are friends that I turn to in good times or bad. They are there to pick apart my problems and praise my triumphs with none of the envy or malice that many people nowadays harbor towards their fellow men. And I feel the same way for them.

The three of us come from different backgrounds – N is involved in the family business and, we feel, would make perfect stay-at-home-mom material, while L is a freelance interior designer whose career is on the express train to success. Me? I'm just trying to make a living doing what I love and without giving myself a heart attack. We talked about our problems, about L's upcoming wedding (which we are all excited about) and about L's business deals (which we are all excited about as well). I told them about the Teese, and they were happy for me, even though they weren't fans. It was enough for us that each one was happy, and whatever form that happiness came in, as long as it was legal (N is a devout Catholic and is in the running for sainthood), was a source of joy for the others as well. I love these two women to bits and I daresay that I would do almost anything for them. I would say, take a bullet, but I would draw the line at say, eating turtle. Needless to say, it was a night filled with fun conversation, but a kind of fun that was warm, fuzzy and comfortable, different from the buzz of a concert or the high of being near a celebrity you idolize. What I felt with my old friends was the joy of coming home, of being loved, accepted and encouraged, no matter what was going on. You could say it felt almost like coming home.

This is the kind of pleasure that I am glad to have capped off my week with. After all, what is the use of a fine life if you have no friends to enjoy it with?

In the spirit of friendship, would like to extend my thanks to everyone who has read and commented on my column, especially those who have shared their dreams, ideas and inspirations. Circumstances has made it hard for me to comment, but let it be known that your participation is very much appreciated.

It's the middle of the year again. You know what that means. It's time to reevaluate yourself, see if you've accomplished the goals (aka Resolutions) you set early in the year and see whether said goals have worked for you, or if you've decided to take a whole new direction in life. If you fall into the latter category, now is the time to make new goals for yourself, ones that you will try to reach in the second half of the year.

I actually should have done this in June-July, but since the third quarter won't be over till September, I figure that I can be forgiven for doing this a little bit later than I would have wanted. I think that the point of setting goals is to make them work with your life, and not the other way around, unless they're things like quitting smoking or getting off drugs.

Here are my goals for the rest of the year. I've made the main points pretty general, so you can apply them to your life as well.

1. Be more productive

The thing with goals is that you have to be as specific as possible, so that you don't slack off and don't make up loopholes for yourself. In my case, since I write for a living, being more productive would mean upping my writing output. Accepting more assignments (without overloading myself, of course) and querying more publications (looking for more work).

I look to prolific writers like Ian Casocot, who never cease to amaze me with his output. He's always getting stuff published, entering competitions (and winning!). More importantly, he's a really nice person who seems to truly enjoy life (it helps that he's based in sunny Dumagete). He recently got long listed for the prestigious Man Asia Awards, which is a big, big, big deal. Congrats, Ian! You've already won!

2. Up your fitness quotient

I am a certified armchair explorer. The only exercise I get is clicking my mouse finger and walking to and from my desk and the kitchen. But I have to face facts and get off my chair and out into the real world. My dream is to be able to do parkour, a gravity-defying activity that demands strength, speed and agility. For someone with muscular dystrophy (a disease where your muscles deteriorate over time, until you die a slow agonizing death because your heart – which is also a muscle – just stops beating), this sounds impossible. The key – and this holds for any physical activity -- is to take small steps. My small step is to learn how to run. I've set a three day a week workout schedule, and am looking forward to my 9th run this month, that milestone which will mean that I have been going at it for three straight weeks.

My inspiration would be my sister, who, despite having a 9-5 job, still makes time to go to the gym. I'm also inspired by David Belle, Sebastien Foucan and Chase Armitage, parkour/ freerunning royalty. I have a copy of Jump London, the Foucan-led documentary where freerunners take over some of London's most popular landmarks. I try to watch it as often as possible so that I don't lose sight of my goal.

3. Work on my projects

Goals shouldn't be all about work. I want to be able to do things that are good for my soul as well. On the drawing board are plans for more fiction, helping out with my church's website, writing a movie script and collaborating with local artists. You know, things that you'd do whether or not you got paid for it. But of course, money is always a bonus!

My inspiration for this would be New York-based Filipino designer Rafé Totengco, whose bags are the favorite of the Hollywood set. Aside from making bags that have adorned the likes of Jessica Alba, he's created a limited t-shirt to commemorate the opening of Harvey Nichols Jakarta, the profits of which will go to the Green Peace Foundation. Just in case you're in Jakarta, the shirts will be on sale starting September 19, 2008.

4. Get inspired

If you've noticed, I've included inspirations to each of my goals. These are people who have made it and whose stories I use to help spur me forward. They may be family, friends or heroes. If you know them, it wouldn't hurt to find out how they got to where they are now. If they're famous personalities you read or watch, just handling their work is inspiration enough.

For example, just being in Sputnik, the comic book store in Cubao's Marikina Shoe Expo was enough to infuse me with creative energy. It helped get me out of the slump that we writers experience from time to time. Another of my cure for the slumps is to talk with Leah, an interior designer friend of mine who seems forever motivated. Interacting with people like her is enough to renew my zeal for what I have chosen to do with my life.

5. Don't forget to relax

I just realized that I don't really know how to relax. I spend my weekends working to make up for my weekdays and my weekdays working towards my weekends. I'm always agitated, always worrying about deadlines, always wondering what I'm going to do next. So. I've decided to force myself to learn to relax, even if it kills me. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. I've implemented laptop-less weekends, for example. I can work on weekends (deadlines are deadlines, after all), I just can't lug my laptop around with me. I'm also learning to monotask (the opposite of multi-tasking), so that I get to concentrate on what I'm doing. It's much more relaxing than agitatedly working on a million things at the same time.

My inspiration for this would be Jesus. He did one thing for three years, thereby changing the world.