Collective Soul
By Liz Anne Bautista
You'd never guess that, within the confines of the warehouse-looking facade along the one-way street of Malugay, is the city's new destination du jour for shopping, food, art, and parties. Referred to as The Collective, the massive space, which used to house an autoshop, brings together a bevy of alternative retail shops that cater to the young and hip Manila set. Although the fresh paint smell hasn’t quite faded, and some shops still stand empty or half-finished, here are some of the stores that are open and already reinventing our concept of retail:
Sundae
A yummy concept: According to owner Angela Gurango, Sundae is a fun and youthful women's apparel store, and its bright baby blue and purple exterior and watermelon green striped interior reflect that. They carry casual women's clothing, shoes, and accessories, as well as sneakers for guys, too. Their brand list includes Carlotta (Manila), Risa Recio Jewelry (Manila), Prinsara (Manila), NTICE (New York), Harlequin (Sydney), and Vans.
One-of-a-kind flavor: Almost everything in the store is available only from Sundae, and they never have more than four of an item. Best-sellers include necklaces by Risa Recio and custom dresses by Carlotta Manila.
Drop by: Sundae is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12nn to 9pm, and Sundays from 12nn-6pm. They close late during Collective events.
Ch-ching: Tops from P600-P2200, bottoms from P900-P1250, dresses from P1000-P2000. Shoes from P1500 up. Accessories from P400 up.
Updates are posted on Sundae’s Twitter: twitter.com/shopsundae
Wingman
Damn, it's good!: Wingman serves recognizable, comfort food made "the proper way.” Everything is made from scratch: grinding meat, making sauces, hand-rolling and pressing the tortillas, etc. The atmosphere is laid-back and unpretentious. Wingman’s hope is that diners will think to themselves, "Damn, these are the best burgers/wings/ribs I've ever had!"
Why it's good: According to one of its owners, Erik Waldie: "I've been cooking basically all of my life, and the recipes I use in Wingman I've literally worked on for upwards of two decades. At the end of the day, we want the customers to sense the time and attention to detail in our food, but without overtly thinking about it as to interrupt their comfortable meal in a casual setting."
Ch-ching: Food ranges from about P150-P280 per meal, while drinks are at P60-P500.
Homeroom
Class Act: Owner and model Brent Javier decided on the name Homeroom (“hmrm” for short) after much thought. He says, "When I said the name to myself, I already pictured the whole store layout more or less in my mind. I thought it was something everyone could relate to, along with my vision to introduce other brands that people may not have seen yet in the Philippines."
Chalk Up: Homeroom's draws are its concept and theme. The store looks like a real classroom complete with a biology lab skeleton and oversized chalkboard that you can tag up yourself!
Drop by: Come to class every Tuesday to Saturday from 12 noon to 9pm, and every Sunday at 12 noon to 6pm.
Crazy Eddie's Shirts, Slacks, and Wonder Emporium
Old school: Owned by Eric Lumanog (aka DJ Euric), David Dimaano (DJ DDouble), director/photographer Nick Santiago, and retail expert Jason Malajacan, Crazy Eddie's is a product of their “boredom with Manila's lack of fashion forwardness." The store feels like a 1950's thrift shop/appliance store. It was named in part after one of their best friends who passed away a few months ago, who also envisioned opening a clothing store.
In store: They currently carry their own brand, Crazy Eddie's, consisting of button ups, hoodies, pants, cardigans, and varsity jackets, with a lot more cooking up in the lab. They also carry accessories imported from Seoul, like bowties, ties, pocket squares, glasses, belts, bracelets and more. Soon, they will be carrying other brands from the States like 10 Deep, The Hundreds, Acapulco Gold, Free Gold Watch, and LRG.
Drop by: They operate from Tuesday to Sunday, and are open from 12pm to 9pm (sometimes later).
Blackbook
What's in store: The concept of basic clothing created by digesting unique expressions of elements from street art, cycling (they have fixed gear bicycles, or "fixies", which are all the rage in Japan), motorcycles, military, the outdoors, native American mysticism, and the like. The suggestion of this lifestyle is the base for all products and projects that Blackbook is involved with, and always lives in its themes for the season.
Pushing it: Blackbook aims to raise the level of respect and appreciation for Filipino independent designers, who push the boundaries of product design internationally, but are overlooked locally. They want to show people that there is a different retail experience other than what they normally gravitate to.
Drop by: Tuesdays to Saturdays from 3pm-12 midnight.
Ch-ching: Shirts from P500 to P700; Button downs around P2000; Prices for other products (shoes, lamps, etc.) are available upon request!
Visit www.blackbookdesign.blogspot.com and follow them on Twitter : twitter.com/blackbookdsn
B-Side
What's up B: B-Side was created by DJs Mulan, Red-I, and Jeff for the sole purpose of having an alternative music venue in the city. No pretensions; just good music and good people. And they also have good burgers and wings, if you ever get hungry from all the dancing.
The vibe: B-Side takes pride in its vibe: easy, casual, and come as you are is what differentiates them from most places. No need to plan your night, just roll out of bed if you wish and drop by for a drink.
Drop by: B-Side is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 9pm onwards. They plan to open from Monday to Saturday.
Ch-Ching: Beer is P60, while cocktails are P100-up.
Vinyl on Vinyl
V is for Vinyl: Vinyl on Vinyl (VOV) was among the first stores to open at the Collective. The store is for anyone who likes them V’s - from vinyl toys to vinyl records.
What else: Aside from the vinyl stuff, the store also holds collector's items (both toys and art), monthly film viewings, turntable lessons for aspiring DJs, and art exhibits and talks.
Drop by: Tuesdays to Saturdays from 3pm-12 midnight.
Ch-Ching: Art prints from P500-P1500; records at P350 each.
For updates, follow Vinyl on Vinyl at twitter.com/vinylonvinyl
Wabi-Sabi
Healthy Street Food: A noodle house and vegetarian grocery, Wabi-Sabi offers a unique approach to dining. The food is owner Ibarra's version of the things you see and eat in the streets – familiar noodles and sandwiches, but made vegetarian. Ibarra says, "It is about healthy street food, if there ever was such a thing."
On the menu: The menu is very simple: "You eat what noodles we have for the day; no servers, so sometimes you have to get the food yourselves…parang mamihan." Explains Ibarra. So far, their bestsellers include shoyu ramen (a must-try), Vietnamese pho, the banh-mi sandwiches (Vietnamese baguette sandwiches), and the lemongrass iced tea.
Drop by: Open Mon-Sat from 12 noon to 9pm. But, on Fridays and Saturdays, they extend up to 12 midnight.
Ch-Ching: Noodles go for P95 for a big bowl and their sandwiches are P75/half and P150/whole.
Source: Juice.ph
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