ItsCool Club

Sugar Sugar Feature

2007-11-15T19:21:00.000-08:00

We're so happy that we got a mention in this month's latest issue of Sugar Sugar magazine. It's a fantastic up-and-coming publication that shares a lot of our sensibilities. The team behind this magazine is the same group of sistas behind Pink. This time around, they've been given more creative freedom and a bigger budget. It really shows as each page flip is a bolder step-up in artistic direction and content. Good news is that quantity goes up with quality. It's a monthly dose of Sugar now compared to the two-month wait for Pink. Also, the editorial staff is a dream to work with!

Educathon Photos

2007-11-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from Educathon, a public walk to raise more awareness for this country's need of more quality education that we've written about in the past. Thanks to our partner, Pathways for Higher Education for giving us a chance to support such a great event and sending us photos to share!

Adorable Videos

2007-11-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of songs we want to share with you today in video form. The first is a song called "Be Gentle with Me" by an indie group called The Boy Least Likely To. Love the use of the cute puppets to convey the soft, touchy-feely message. An added bonus is that actress Rashida Jones, who stars as the whip-smart Karen in The Office, is featured in this video showing a lot of chemistry with one of the puppets. The second song is "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor. This just captures the vibe that we want all our customers to feel each time they see/hug one of our toys =)

Kanye West & Kawaii

2007-11-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

Rapper Kanye West is having an intense love affair with Japanese pop art and kawaii these days. He loves kawaii so much that he wants to produce it in expensive bling form. To let us know that he's serious, he's teaming up with the modern day Andy Warhol and kawaii innovator Takashi Murakami to design the jewelry line.

This is a really strange but great idea. We'll being keeping our eyes on this one.

Video: "Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn & John

2007-10-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

One of the most innovative pop songs we've heard in a while. The whistling is just so hauntingly catchy. Romantic and strange just the way we like 'em.

Wee Will Doodle at Embassy

2007-10-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

We were at Embassy this past October 17th to see Wee Will Doodle set the mood for the designer toy-themed party inside the club. Hopefully, this won't be the last time that people dance and have drinks next to toys.

Kawaii Fashion by Comme des Garcons

2007-10-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Inspiring us this week is innovative Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons. These photos are from the fashion brand's latest runway show in Paris. Comme des Garcons shows are a bit different from other fashion brands that tend to simply give previews of the clothes that they will sell in the future. This brand literally is more interested in giving a fashion show; one that is based on experimental concepts and technique. Marc Jacobs definitely pays attention. He admittedly borrows many of Kawakubo's ideas for his own collections for both his signature brand and for Louie Vuitton. The idea behind these new clothes is authentic randomness the way a child's imagination runs free. That's why the look is very kawaii and artistically cartoony.

New Novelty Products Preview

2007-10-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

Here are three super cute novelty products that we have coming up. The first is a set of translucent star cell phone charms that has color which blends with the background. The second is a set of computer cleansing animals featuring monitor cleaner bodies and keyboard brushing heads (it actually sounds a bit creepy if we put it that way haha). The third is a new design lineup of our popular glow-in-the-dark wrist support jelly animals.

Expect all these to be in stores in time for the holidays.

Fresh + Wee Will Doodle

2007-10-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

Inspiring us this week are two Manila representatives.

Fresh is an independent designer toy store in Manila that is teaming up with our second inspiration, a public arts collective known as Wee Will Doodle. Wee Will Doodle's mission is to apparently fill all forms of blank spaces (from walls to white t-shirts) with their signature spontaneous pop art. On October 17, Fresh will be launching a line of toys popular in designer circles known as Dunnys, which are alien-rabbit shaped white vinyl molds that you can draw on. Obviously, Wee Will Doodle is going crazy over these toys and intends to bring the blanks to life in Embassy no less (first time we've seen a toy being released in a club).

By the way, we've begun talking with Wee Will Doodle for a little toy tie-up ourselves.

Paint-a-Lot Project

2007-10-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Last week, It's Cool was a proud participant of Paint-a-Lot, a small project organized by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the Philippines to promote art, culture and original work in the country. The very intriguing collaborative public arts group known as Wee Will Doodle was given full creative authority to do what they will on the entrance of IPO's Makati office building. Feel free to pass by anytime to see what they did (some preview pictures posted for you here). It's a simple but exciting gesture by IPO to openly show to the public the leadership role that they intend to play in the continuing development of freestyle innovation.

Danish School, Orestad

2007-10-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

And speaking of education...

Checkout Orestad high school in Denmark. We recently just talked about our love for the creative-driven city of Copenhagen and this clearly is an example of where that creative drive is coming from. Man, does it look like fun to learn in this place! If only all cities had the power to build schools like this.

Shining the Light with Pathways

2007-10-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

We've constantly stated that we're a strong supporter of education here at It's Cool, particularly for higher education (i.e. college level). We believe that closing the higher education gap between rich and poor will go a long way in solving the gap between rich and poor itself. Higher education is also a significant driver of creativity, culture, art and smart world-changing behavior (four things that we obviously want more of). It's no surprise then that we've been working quite closely with Pathways to help gifted but underprivileged kids get a better chance of having a great college education.

Throughout the year, we've been using our gift bags as awareness advertising so that our cool customers can find out more about this wonderful organization and learn what they can do to contribute. It makes us incredibly happy to receive inquiries like this:

Ei! I'm quite interested with teaching kids during the weekend. Do you need to be an education graduate?

To answer, passion and the gameness to do good is more than enough.

Keep the inquiries coming or contact Pathways directly at:

Tel: +63(2) 426-6001 loc. 4044 to 4049
Alingal Hall
Ateneo De Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Metro Manila 0917
Philippines

We were also a partner of Pathways in their "Shining the Light" event last April which brought together representatives from different schools all over the country for a conference on how to raise Philippine education to the next level.

Shining the Light ended with a walk for education (dubbed "educaTHON") that also saw generous celebrities participate to raise further awareness for the country's growing need for better education (figures show that an alarming 80% of the population are not even able to finish high school). The celebs included Karylle, Dingdong Dantes, TJ Manotoc, Philippine Allstars, and Starstruck survivors Vivo Ouano, Johan Santos and Jeric Rizalado.

Bad Monkeys

2007-09-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a preview of a toy design that we plan on releasing next year just in time for all you crazy-in-love couples looking for something devilishly flirty to give on Valentine's.

New Store Opening: TriNoMa

2007-09-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

We've just finalized a deal with Ayala to open a small cart in their new super mall, TriNoMa. You'll soon be able to find us in their Teen Zone area (beside Starbucks, across the food court) on the second floor starting in October =)

Brazilian Kawaii (Cuteness)

2007-09-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Inspiring us this week is Brazilian art studio, Mopa. It's seamless blend of Latin-Japanese pop is very thrilling. Mopa is our role model in how to make cute sexy as well.

2007-09-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of the sexy coolest cabinets we have ever seen. This is known as the Crepax Cabinet, named after its creator, Guido Crepax. Here's a description from Opus Interiors:

Guido Crepax (1933-2003), was hugely influential in the development of European comic art in the second half of the 20th century. His most famous storyline, featuring the character 'Valentina', was created in 1965. This series was very much in the spirit of the 60s, incorporating eroticism, and psychedelic, and dream-like storylines. In Crepax's work, many references are made to the works of 20th century 'Avant-Garde' artists, such as Rene Magritte, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Piet Mondrand, Roy Liechenstain, and Andy Warhol.

Copenhagen Street Fashion

2007-09-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen, the Danish land of Lego, is one of our favorite cities in the world. The city is beautiful, clean, crime-free and is run by a policy where creativity is a top priority. Artists and designers rule this city. It's no surprise then that the fashion sensibilities of the citizens are bursting with adorable color.

Visit the blog Copenhagen Street Style for more pictures updated daily. We also encourage a trip to Face Hunter, which covers the streets of London. There's also a nice directory of all the known street fashion blogs from around the globe at the right side column of Face Hunter so you can see what the real people of the world are wearing.

Bite-Sized Literature

2007-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

It's common knowledge that reading a book can expand and strengthen your imagination (which is obviously quite important for us here at It's Cool) far more than watching television or the movie version of the book can. It's also common knowledge that the thick appearance of a book can be an intimidating turn-off for a lot of us.

DailyLit just might be the solution. It lets you choose a classic book you want to read and then sends you daily installments via email. Each one will only take you around five minutes to finish. We invite everyone to join us in subscribing to Lewis Carroll's classic "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." We'll have an amazing mind-blowing experience in just 37 quick parts.

We Heart Tara McPherson

2007-09-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

A lot of our work these days is being inspired by Tara McPherson's art. Go through her website where she generously displays all her stuff for free viewing. Last time we checked, there was still a copy of her book, "Lonely Heart: The Art of Tara McPherson", at the Bonifacio High Street branch of Fully Booked. Most of the contents are already in the website though so get your previews there before you decide to let go of Php1,050 for the book.

What we love about Tara is that she's influenced in equal measure by heartbreak, animation and rock music. It really shows too. Her concert posters are held in equally high regard as her gallery and graphic novel work. Tara's art is a sparkling cocktail of dreamy bittersweetness that will make your own personal heartbreak go down a little easier.

Packaging 2008 (Final)

2007-09-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is the final look of our new toy packaging. At first we wanted to restrict it to one color to keep it more minimalist (and yes, we'll be honest, more cheap), but those few dabs of color on our logo just made it too irresistible.

Cuteness vs. Crime

2007-09-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

We here at It's Cool are obsessed with cuteness. Our design inspirations usually come from the Japanese kawaii movement. And so we were so amused to hear that even the Tokyo police is using cute to fight crime!

On top is a picture of Pi-Po, the official police mascot of Japan. The name of the character is based on the sound the Japanese police car sirens make (as in "pi-po...pi-po...pi-po"). Hard to believe that Pi-Po can deter anyone from doing crime but the virtually crime-free record of Tokyo speaks for itself. Maybe all we need is cuteness to win the hearts of wrong-doers and make the world a safer place.

Forever Friends Bear

2007-09-05T01:27:00.000-07:00

These are such inspired works of cuteness =)

Kiss - The best bloopers are here

Miss You! - Funny blooper videos are here

Expansion Stores

2007-08-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

This September, we'll be increasing our presence in a couple of Ayala malls. We will start selling right at the heart of Glorietta this coming Saturday (September 1st). Do visit our humble cart at the Activity Center (ground floor) of the mall. We will be in front of Kamiseta and Gift Gate. The cart is basically a test that Ayala is giving us. If we sell well, we can get a bigger store space some time in the future.

Also, we will be selling at a satellite kiosk near the entrance of Market! Market! for two weeks beginning on September 2nd. This is to support sales of our existing store located in the Street Market (which happens to be beside the mall's Activity Center at the ground floor as well).

Here's hoping we'll see more of you in September! =)

New Packaging

2007-08-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

We're really proud of the gift bags that we've been packaging our products with for our customers. Not only does it have a fresh full-color design, it also promotes a very worthy cause of helping Pathways get promising underprivileged kids a good shot at a college education.

To help Pathways a little bit more, we've decided to charge a token amount for our gift bags (Php20 for the regular size and Php50 for the extra large size) and donate the proceeds to the organization. At the same time, we also felt that our customers deserve the option of free packaging with a signature cute-loving look that only we can deliver. So we asked our super designer friend Tarn to give some Thai flavor to a brand new set of bags. We're giving you a preview here today and you guys will be able to see the real thing in stores before we end the year.

Video: "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat

2007-08-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Now this is just one of those songs that you put on when you wake up in the morning feeling totally in love.

Chocolate Museum

2007-08-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Nestle chocolate factory in Mexico had the inspired idea of creating a "chocolate museum" beside the production facility. Now, visitors can get a stylish mouth-watering view of sweet treats in the making. Find out more at Cool Hunter. Whoever thought they'd ever make a factory you can bring a date to? Manufacturing never looked so romantic.

Video: "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice

2007-08-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

We've already got a lot of people saying this is the best music video of 2007 so far. It's so simple and yet so innovative too. The shirts are so much fun!

Music: Jose Gonzalez

2007-08-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

We're counting down the days when we can finally listen to a new album by one of our favorite musicians, Jose Gonzalez. The new album is going to be called "In Our Nature" and we encourage anyone who likes smooth acoustic music with a twist to try and get a copy. Jose and his guitar just has a special way of making the atmosphere brighter and heart-achingly sweeter. Watch the video below featuring the songs "Heartbeats" and "Hand on Your Heart" if you don't believe us.

Plastic and Plush

2007-08-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

We're adding a new link today to a blog called Plastic and Plush, which keeps us updated on the latest designer toys around the world. Really good inspiration so far =)

It's Cool Poster

2007-08-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

We modified the print ad that we did recently to make this one poster size.

Movie: Across the Universe

2007-08-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

We're really intrigued by this movie. It's a musical love story (yeah, we seem to be really into musicals these days) based on a collection of songs by the legendary band The Beatles.

Farewell to Pink Magazine, Hello to Sugar Sugar

2007-08-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

It saddens us to discover that Pink Magazine, a strong supporter of our business for the past year, has seen its last issue this month =(

Fans of the magazine however need not feel all that devastated. Thanks to some quick thinking and creativity, many of the writing staff from Pink have come together to create a new teen lifestyle magazine called Sugar Sugar. Contact editor-in-chief Kai Magsanoc (business card pictured here) to know more about this exciting new release.

We're really happy that the staff recovered so fast and we're sure that this second coming will be better than ever. They definitely have our support since we'd like to think that we're pretty sugary ourselves.

By the way, if there are any aspiring young models reading this, Kai told us to forward the following message to you:

SUGARSUGAR Magazine will be conducting a go-see for aspiring models on Aug 25, Saturday, from 9am-12nn at Lumina, Crowne88 Condominium, 88 Panay Ave., QC. College students are encouraged to come. Pls tell ur friends, too. Thanks and see u! :) Pls pass.

Yi Spa

2007-08-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

Now this is a cool spa!

Video: "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

2007-08-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

This is a live performance of the song "Falling Slowly" from the sweet little acoustic rock musical movie "Once". The two performers Glen and Marketa (who also wrote all the songs together) actually fell in love in real life while shooting the movie. That's how powerful the songs are =)

Personalize Your Toys

2007-08-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

We've been getting a lot of requests to personalize our toys so we finally gave it a shot. This is what we did for a girl named Joanna who's celebrating her birthday in New York this October. Turned out pretty nice if we say so ourselves =)

Contact us if you're interested. We're only accepting wholesale orders for now though.

myCrush

2007-08-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

This cool little flirty feature is a new incentive for people to join Facebook.com. myCrush allows Facebook users to mark the hotties that they have a crush on within their network. If two users both mark each other, then both are alerted that there's a mutual attraction between them. They can then choose to do what they wish with this information =)

Art House

2007-08-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Cool Hunter features this fine looking salon in Tokyo. Amazing how you can make a building standout with a simple mural and strangely placed windows. If only all places of beauty knew how to be this beautiful.

Ad on the Beat

2007-08-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here's our print ad as it will look in this month's upcoming issue of the Beat magazine, which is distributed for free in some of Manila's best shopping and dining establishments. We're sharing the page with fashion accessory brand Eiko.

Whateva!!!

2007-08-05T18:53:00.000-07:00

Awwww... =)

Best Love Songs Ever

2007-07-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Entertainment Weekly has compiled their list for Best Love Songs Ever. See who made it from 50-26 and from 25 to #1 on two separate lists.

Our favorite on this list is the classic "Wild Horses", which is originally by the Rolling Stones. However, we much prefer the bittersweet modern version done by the Sundays (see video below). Guaranteed tears and fuzzy feelings after you listen to this.

New Print Ad

2007-07-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

We just finished a nice looking new print ad. If only we had the budget to print this on more magazines... =)

Dating Trends for the Future

2007-07-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

What will the future of romance look like? Yahoo! has compiled a diverse collection of answers to this question. Here are some of our favorites (love the anonymous phone line idea!):

"Safety will be on the minds of online daters in 2007," says Jeff Cohen. "In an effort to protect identities as long as possible, more and more singles will turn to anonymous phone numbers. Companies like AliasLine now offer anonymous numbers that automatically redirect to your home, business or cell number." -- Cohen is the author of "Dating, Inc.: Recruit, Select, and Retain the Right Man for a Relationship" and is About.com's Guide to Dating.

"With the competition for dates rising online, singles will need to be bolder in their profiles to invite more responses," says Liz Kelly. "Watch for more creative headlines, interesting short stories and funny photographs. More singles will also post voice and video greetings online as this technology takes off in 2007. " -- Kelly is a dating coach and author of "Smart Man Hunting" who also helps people with profile makeovers. smartmanhunting.com

"In 2007 more and more people will look online for love -- searching everywhere from social networking sites to alumni sites to online dating services," predicts Susan Mernit. "For the most casual daters, social networks will continue to be great spots to meet friends of friends, but social networks will start to 'graduate' to more focused online dating sites as social network users -- and younger daters -- hone in on finding longer-term relationships." -- Mernit is Yahoo! Personals' relationship expert. personals.yahoo.com

"Women will be taking more of the lead in dating and relationships," says Toni Coleman. "More women will be asking men out, making the plans, picking up the tab and proposing marriage. New services and products will cater to this new trend -- engagement gifts for men (rings?), first date tokens of affection, male-oriented venues for proposal weekend getaways, and more books and classes designed to teach women the how-to of courting and romancing their guy." -- Coleman is a licensed psychotherapist and dating/relationship coach. consum-mate.com

"Immediate gratification is where it's at in '07. First it was speed dating, then it was fast tech (cell phone dating, anyone?) and now it's REALLY fast, as in, 'Are you free...in five?' I-dating is going to branch out into handheld services and specialized Web sites where users can find mates for 'right now,' no chatting/courting/deciding time required. Get that IM loaded up and ready to go: Chances are, there's someone trying to page you." -- Gemini and Scorpio are co-authors of Gemini and Scorpio's Fabulous Guide to Online Dating.

"The honeymoon period with Internet dating and social networking is ending and people are becoming turned off by the safety concerns as well as the disingenuous nature of 'friending' hundreds of people you may never meet in person," says Sharon Gaffney. "In 2007 people will embrace the idea of using the Internet to make plans to meet new people while hanging out with friends -- groups of friends meeting other groups of friends." -- Gaffney is the co-founder of LetsMeetOut.com.

Senior Online Dating

2007-07-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Check out this site called LavaLife Prime. Even the generation of our parents are into online dating these days! Amazing!

Match.com reports that online dating for the baby boomer generation (aged 42 to 61) has grown 340% since the year 2000.

Video: "I Will Follow You into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie

2007-07-20T19:26:00.001-07:00

If heaven and hell decide
that they both are satisfied
illuminate the "no"s
on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
when your soul embarks
then I'll follow you into the dark

Warning Signs for Relationships

2007-07-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

A lot of relationships end unexpectedly because the warning signs sometimes can be so subtle that there won't seem to be anything seriously wrong for one partner while the other is already about to breakup. Author Elina Furman (pictured above) has an article on Yahoo! that lists five behaviors to look out for that signal your relationship is in danger. If you spot them soon enough, you might be able to save you both from a lot of heartbreak. Note that it usually takes a combination of these five behaviors to determine for sure whether your relationship is in trouble. Here are those freaky five:

1. Picking fights over small issues (your partner's looking for an excuse to end it).
2. Forgetting to call (feeling about you has changed).
3. Changing their stripes/having a major makeover (your partner may be preparing to be single again).
4. An increase in criticism (your partner is less tolerant of you).
5. Losing sexual interest.

Happier Home

2007-07-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Our Thai designer friend Tarn (AKA: Sugar Lullaby) sent us some great pictures of homeware that she wants to bring into Manila. We don't want to spoil the surprise when they do arrive, but we can't resist sharing this pic of happy flower pots. Talk about super cute!

BBC's Relationship Section

2007-07-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

The BBC has a great online relationship guide which provides a broad overview on the many issues a couple may face over a lifetime. Our favorite section for couples is the seven secrets of successful relationships feature, which honestly lays down the basic essentials for love that lasts. We were surprised to see "Argue Well" as one of the seven secrets, but it did make a lot of sense. Here's a sample cut:

Couples who argue well don't have to worry about not always agreeing. A good argument is an opportunity to share your feelings and strengthen your bond by reaching a decision you're both happy with.

We also love the oh-so-scientific explanation for secret #6, "Touch Every Day":

Touching is a vital human need. Studies have shown that without touching, many animals - including humans - will die in childhood. Being caressed also lowers blood pressure and releases natural opiates in the brain, as well as the chemical oxytocin, which is essential for human pair-bonding.

For singles, our favorite section is the flirting and body language feature. The hardest part in trying to start a relationship is lighting that first spark and writer Tracey Cox provides a major assist with this one. We discover that words have a very minor role in making that first impression:

Fifty-five per cent of the impression we get from someone comes through our body language
Thirty-eight per cent is from the tone, speed and inflection of our voice
and a mere seven per cent is from what we're actually saying!

The most amusing secret flirting signal for us is "Pointing" because of how unconsciously people do it and how easy it is to catch once we know how to spot it:

Pointing. Sneak a peek at what their feet and hands are doing - we tend to point toward the person we're interested in. If we find someone attractive, we'll often point at them subconsciously with our hands arms, feet, legs, toes.

Finally, this flirty feature ends with a useful safety tip list for cyberdaters. We found the last tip the most practical:

Give the details of your date to several friends - where you'll be, the time you'll meet, the person's name, phone number and address. Get them to phone you an hour into the date to check you're OK; you phone them a few hours later to report in again.

Cute Evil (Part 2)

2007-07-15T10:33:00.001-07:00

We were kinda surprised about how well our first line of toy devils did. Apparently, a lot of girls bought them for their boyfriends =)

We decided to create a new design and we're planning to release this little guy in time for Halloween.

Tarn's Toys

2007-07-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

The days when designs turn to actual toys are always magical moments for us. This time around it's extra special because the designs were brought to us by our Thai friend Tarn. We were so excited about these that we didn't even bother to take the time to take proper studio photos of the toys =)

Video: "Oh My God" by Mark Ronson (featuring Lily Allen)

2007-07-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

We confessed our unconditional admiration for Lily Allen on a previous post. Now she's back as a sexy cartoon bombshell backed up by the catchy beats of Mark Ronson in this fantastic video.

After the Morning Show

2007-07-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

We got some great messages after our segment on the TV show Kabuhayang Swak na Swak. Thanks for everyone who took the time to get in touch! Here are some samples:

"hi..good day.. im irish from bacoor,cavite..napanood ko po kanina ang its cool sa kabuhayang swak na swak..gs2 ko po sanang malaman kung san un pinaka malapit na branch niyo..gs2 ko po sanag bumili one of diz days e.. and gs2 ko lng po sanag itanong kung meron ba kayong stuff toy na mayroong picture frame na attached? un pwede po sanang lagyan ng pictures? thank you po..and more power.."

"nyZ..cOngrAtz pOh..snA dumAmi pa pOh brAnch niO pOh..cute pOh ng mgA tOys niO.. =)"

"Hi sir gudmrning,kau poh b myari n ITS COOL,ung tedybear?turuan mo nmn aq gumawa nun,thnks"

"just want to say na your products are really cool and very cute and your shop looks really nice...keep up the good work and more success as well..."

On ABS-CBN's Kabuhayang Swak na Swak

2007-07-13T22:12:00.001-07:00

We'll be featured on the TV show "Kabuhayang Swak na Swak" at 8 am tomorrow (Sunday, July 15, Manila time). Here's a summary of what the show's about:

Bayan Productions introduces its latest offering, Kabuhayang Swak na Swak (KSS) is a daily half-hour program which aims to help Filipinos by teaching them practical tips about business and life.

Let hosts Amy Perez and Chase Tinio take you on an informative yet equally entertaining trip as they tackle everyday Pinoy concerns regarding business, money, and life. Being entrepreneurs themselves, they’ll also be able to provide their own insights on the show.

From learning good business strategies, buying a new car or house to how to cope with the rising cost of living Chase and Amy have got it covered. This dynamic duo will make sure that their viewers will learn a thing or two from their 30-minute show.

Ever wondered how to turn your hobby into a lucrative business? What about ways to earn a little extra money? Kabuhayang Swak na Swak will give you all that and more!

Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to in KSS:

Biz 101

Learn the ins and outs of having a successful business! This caters to small and medium sized entrepreneurs who want to make the most out of their investment.

Negoserye

Thinking about starting a business? Here’s your daily fix on which business are hot in the market - and only need as little as P10,000 for capital!

Boss na Po!

Have you ever wanted to be your own boss? Here’s your chance to take a peek into the lives of successful men and women who have already made it to the top!

Sa Kabukiran

Thinking of starting a business in the countryside? Here’s your daily guide to businesses and opportunities in the rural areas!

Bayanihan

Sometimes all a person needs is a little help from his peers, learn the importance of joining cooperatives and their contributions to economic health.

Bago ‘To

Want to learn more about the newest trends in business? Find out which businesses have been creating a buzz lately!

Doon at Dito

Learn more inspiring stories about OFWs and their entrepreneurial spirit!

http://beta.abs-cbn.com/tabid/104/Article/932/Default.aspx

Video: "I See You, You See Me" by The Magic Numbers

2007-07-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

We just really love this song. It puts us in such a good mushy mood =)

Moms Heart Sons' Girlfriends

2007-07-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

We had an interesting meeting with the sales team yesterday. It appears that we have a lot of customers who are mothers buying gifts for girls on behalf of their sons. These purchases also represent a way for mothers to express their approval for the girlfriends/potential daughter-in-laws. It should be noted that moms tend to buy bigger and more pricier items as boyfriend proxies compared to when the boyfriends themselves are buying. So more power to you moms! Heaven knows guys need as much help as they can =)

On E Magazine

2007-07-10T19:00:00.001-07:00

The latest issue of a new publication called E Magazine features some of our cutest looking novelty items and labeled them as "ultra cool steals!". Hope everyone else out there agrees as well =)

Fashionably Late for a Relationship

2007-07-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting article in the New York Times about a project called "Fashionably Late for a Relationship". The production doubles as a live performance piece and as a film since it is being shot in the middle of Manhattan for all pedestrians to see. The concept is that a girl (actress Lian Amaris Sifuentes) is going through the ritual of preparing for a date but is going at a speed much slower than the world around her. For example, live in real time, the actress takes seven hours to drink a single glass of wine. In the film version, everything will be sped up to make it look as if the actress is going at normal speed while the rest of the world is rushing past her.

It's a great statement on how the pace of the world is becoming too fast for a lot of us to establish meaningful relationships with people. For any chance of real connection with another person, we have to rebel against this tyrannical speed set by the modern workplace and media overload. To bring the point home, the props and the set of the actress is intentionally old-fashioned so that even the girl's room joins in her rebellion.

Read People's Minds

2007-07-09T18:31:00.001-07:00

On the latest issue of Wired Magazine, there's an article by Clive Thompson that talks about how the online small talk software program Twitter actually allows you to almost read the minds of your loved ones. Twitter has become a globally addicting phenomenon, but at first glance, it seems absolutely useless.

Twitter is basically an open-ended instant messenger with a short word limit. When you post something, everyone in the network can read it. This allows you to update everyone you know about the smallest things that you are doing or feeling (e.g. "I bought a t-shirt today.", "I feel suck-y.") by the minute.

Apparently, these usually boring bite-sized updates of each other's lives develops into telepathic links. An intimate sixth sense emerges as the accumulating Twitter messages eventually give you an intuitive pattern of another person's life. By reading about every small detail of a person's present, you might be able to better predict that person's behavior when you meet in the future. It's the kind of deep connection that you see in couples who are in long-term relationships when they reach the point where they can actually finish each other's sentences.

The fact that we have an online tool that gives this ability to anyone interested has some very interesting implications. Can this strengthen long-distance relationships (even at a stronger level than some short-range ones)? Can this allow us to short-cut getting to know someone? Can we multi-task falling in love with someone while we're working in an office cubicle? Should we even try?

Modern Romance

2007-07-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

This month, we'll be introducing a new post category called "Modern Romance". This is inspired by the fact that a lot of our customers use our toys to score points with the opposite sex or as a small part in making someone feel more loved. Since we feel that we have become a unique part of the modern romance ritual, we have decided to take a look at the whole modern romance picture: how technology, cultural shifts and interconnecting globalization are modifying how we express love for each other.

We got the title off of a song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. As a tribute to them, here are two videos for the song "Modern Romance". One is the original by the band and one is a very interesting remake by TV on the Radio.

Cell Phone Txt

2007-07-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

We got this text message last night that really made our day. It's always really great when a customer feels exactly the way you wanted her to about your product:

"Hi thEre! Im hAzeL frn cAgayan de orO ciTy..I saW ur nMbr frM this cuTe sTuff my bRothR bought me! WeL, i jsT wnt 2 say thAt iM tOtaLLy inLuv w/ uR pRoDuct..i keEp oN sTaring aT it cOz iTs sO cuTe.. iTs jst a sMaLL thiNg buT it diD stOLe my hArt!.. =O KeEp iT up..iTs cOoL!!! c",) gOd bLeSs..=O"

On Toy Kingdom Catalogue

2007-07-06T21:04:00.001-07:00

We're featured on Toy Kingdom's latest catalogue. Just thought we should mention it since it seems that they forgot to put our logo on the toys =)

Cute kid model as usual though =)

New Stuff

2007-06-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

We'll be rolling out some new stuff for all our stores and partner stores this July. Hope to see you guys. Here's an update of where we're selling in Manila so far:

3rd Flr, Eastwood City Walk 2
Grnd Flr, SM North Edsa (Main Mall)
Grnd Flr, SM Mall of Asia (Main Mall)
3rd Flr, SM Megamall (Building A)
2nd Flr, SM Manila
2nd Flr, SM San Lazaro
Grnd Flr, Market! Market! (Street Market)

Gift Gate stores
Toy Kingdom stores
Rustan's Department stores

Battery Carousel

2007-06-30T10:15:00.001-07:00

Who says merry-go-rounds are just for kids? This hi-tech aquarium-themed wonder ride by Weisz + Yoes will have people flying to New York just to have a turn. Check out the great description from a recent article on Wired:

Instead of garishly painted horses, the seats will be translucent fiberglass molded into dolphins, turtles, clownfish, and other marine life. And unlike a traditional carousel, which spreads out from a center column like an umbrella, these creatures will be supported from below on a turntable, allowing unobstructed 360-degree views. All this will be housed in a nautilus-shaped structure featuring 93 SmartGlass windows that darken during the three-minute ride to simulate the experience of diving to the ocean floor. The final touch: Multiple projectors will fill the interior with images of marine life that slowly change to match what you'd actually see during a descent.

Movie: Bee Movie

2007-06-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Superstar comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock team-up with Steven Spielberg to make...a cartoon? Gotta love the trailer though which explains why they made a cartoon out of it. Check it out.

Art-sy Karaoke Space

2007-06-24T09:48:00.001-07:00

This is by far the coolest karaoke place we've ever seen.

Visitor Submissions

2007-06-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

This month, we found these product ideas in our email inbox (itscoolclub@gmail.com) courtesy of online guest Karen Umaly. Thanks for sharing Karen! =)

Brand Role Model: Lily Allen

2007-06-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Lily Allen, the sweet n' sassy British alternative pop artist, personifies what we want It's Cool to become when it grows up. She flaunts a unique child-like style that is still undeniably sophisticated. She sings uncensored with a sweet smile on her face. She matches girlie dresses with sneakers like no other. She has the world marching to the bratty beat of her own drum.

Second photo from the top was taken from neil365 and the next photo comes from Brian Romero.

Cell Phone Txts

2007-06-24T00:35:00.000-07:00

Message: Hi, i am jerwyne, is this the itscoolclub? I saw several keychain items, and i would like to inquire if you're accepting made 2 order custom design of the said items? Thank you!

Reply: hi =) we can, but the minimum quantity is pretty high. may we knw th occasion? if you want, u can send us th design at itscoolclub@gmail.com =) there's also a chance that we're making smthing similar to what u want so we can let u knw =)

Message: Its for a wedding, im thinking of a rag doll like newly weds wearing gown and tuxedo. I have d design and maybe i can email it 2 u on monday. How much will it cost me for 100-150pcs? Thanks you!

Reply: we'll take a look at th design and get back to u =) when will u need these items?

Message: D wedding will be sometime in january but i will be needing it on december! Can i just ask 4 an estimate quotation for d 100-150pcs. Simpliest couple design, i just want 2 have an idea! Thanks!

Reply: well, 100-150pcs probably wnt be enough to make it totally customizable at a reasonable price. but if we hav smthng coming up that comes close to th design u want, th price range can be anywhere between 50-100 pesos per piece depending on quality, size & degree of customization =)

Message: Ah okay! Thanks! I'll try 2 email d design 2night or on monday! I'll just text you then! Thank you!

Reply: no problem =) hope we can help u get what u want =)

Cell Phone Txt

2007-06-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

Message: helow 'its cool' hope na mgkarOon n kyo ng penguin...

Reply: hi =) penguins should be available by end of july =)

Sugar Lullaby's Blog

2007-06-18T18:01:00.001-07:00

We encourage everyone to check out our friend Tarn's new Sugar Lullaby blog that covers her latest design projects and cool sightings in Thailand such as this art hotel (pictured) called Reflecttions.

Maxims Order

2007-06-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

The owner of Maxims restaurant ordered chickens from us haha usually it's the other way around. We recently got a request for 150 mini plush chickens (probably for giveaways). We'll see what happens.

Great Bear Idea

2007-06-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Our Thai designer friend Tarn sent this bottle of bears that she handmade and we are absolutely in love with the whole package. Check out the candy-colored stars she attached to each bear too. What a great knack for detail! We're trying to figure out how to mass produce this so we can offer it to all customers.

On Pink Magazine

2007-06-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

We've got five mentions on the latest issue of Pink Magazine =)

This month the editors hugged us, gave us away, advertised us and offered us as rewards for answering their back-to-school survey.

New Product Charms

2007-06-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Just some new little trinkets that we're releasing come end of July. We've got zodiac sign pigs with retractable bodies, mini bears + rabbits, and some red giraffes just because we've never had anything like them before.

Cell Phone Txts

2007-06-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Message: R u stl located at markt markt? Wer? Id lyk 2 get ur notebuks nd odr accesories wt d colorfl liquid filled dsgn

Reply: hi =) we moved our market! market! store to the newly opened Street Market area near the main activity center of th mall. we're just across blue magic's shop =)

Message: In wat othr branches cn i also get d colorfl liquid filled dsgn products lyk notebuk, pencil holdr etc? U also hv it at market?

Reply: yup =) u can also find them at out eastwood store at th 3rd flr of citywalk 2 (floor before the cinemas) =)

Cell Phone Txts

2007-06-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

Message: Gud Morning, meron pa po ba kyo mga ivf trinkets? Ty

Reply: sorry for the late reply. ivf trinkets should be in stores by nxt weekend =)

Message: Ok kindly inform me po f meron na sa eastwud, ty

Dairy Cow

2007-06-10T21:05:00.001-07:00

We were actually debating how um...anatomically correct we were going to make this cow. The most obvious question being: Do the milk teats make the cow more cute or awkward? As you can see, we decided to agree with nature and just go for it.

Cell Phone Txt

2007-06-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Message: good even..were u able to get a cartoon illustrator/animator already?do u have new stuffs this com. aug. bec its my birthday.will u reopen br. in fairview or a new 1 in ever gotesco or podium or shngrila mall or megamall.i also go there.tnx

Reply: hi mala jean =) we're in china ryt now =) we were actually able to find a great illustrator in thailand haha new stuff will be coming out this month & nxt. will post updates on itscoolclub.com soon =) & of course, your birthday is encircled on our calendar =) if you're in podium, u can look for us inside toy kingdom. we're also at th toy section of all rustan's dept. stores. we hav a cart in megamall at th 3rd flr, bldg A, fronting Tokyo Tokyo =)

Cell Phone Txt

2007-06-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

Message: Gud mOrning. I have a question, hOw do i clean my 'its cool' stuffd toys? Thanks

Reply: hand wash wth cold water and flat dry. no bleach, no iron, no dry clean =)

Penguin

2007-06-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

We've got a new penguin toy coming out around mid-July this year. Last year we got a lot of requests to just clone Happy Feet characters. We opted to do something a bit more original. We'll see if it pays off.

On Chalk Magazine Survey

2007-06-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

We're giving away 25 toys for this month's Chalk Magazine readers who answer the survey which is next to a feature on a Php34,300 Louis Vuitton sandal.

Hey, you can actually fax in the survey.

On Meg Magazine

2007-06-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

We make two appearances in Meg's latest June issue. "All Clear" features some of our remaining liquid jelly items (now on sale). Love the colors in the layout background, but we're not sure if they're colored rocks, candy or breakfast cereal.

"9 Ways to Celebrate Friendship" is exactly that. Readers write about what they do with their close friends and the best entries get featured on the page. We then supply the rewards for interacting with the magazine. This is nice for us too because it gives us a chance to learn more about the recipients. We were really impressed with 21 year old Ateneo de Manila student AJ Cruz's idea of fun:

In our barkada, every summer, Christmas break or whenever one of us is celebrating a birthday, we make it a point to do volunteer work - we cook meals and make packed lunches, and then we drive around in the slum areas near our school and have a party with the kids there.

Toy Kingdom Mall of Asia Display

2007-06-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of those things that will mean a lot more to us than anyone else outside the company. For the first time ever, we have a display shelf that we made and designed ourselves inside someone else's store (Toy Kingdom, Mall of Asia). We actually made this more out of necessity than pride. The existing shelves inside the store were simply too narrow for us. To be perfectly honest, they seemed more fit for books than actual toys. The products we could squeeze in were at risk of damage and the products that were too big to be displayed could obviously not be sold.

That being said, we are very proud to offer our stuff on something with our name on it. If sales pick up enough, we might do more of these for other stores in the near future.

Movie: Once

2007-05-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

Our Thai friend Tarn pointed out this independent movie to us called Once. It's a musical about a street musician who bumps into an immigrant from the Czech Republic. They start writing songs together and their relationship develops as their music does. We found the great trailer for it but now we need a little luck trying to find a copy of the actual movie haha

Pouch Cuties by Karla Lim

2007-05-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool new concept by Karla Lim. She says she was inspired to do this because she's been seeing all these kids wearing pocket slings recently.

Required Reading: Competing on Analytics

2007-05-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

Traditionally, there's a lot of guessing involved in the business of retail. We have to estimate crucial things like how many orders there will be, how much time until stocks run out and what price each product should be. Add to that the less obvious guessing games of how big stores should be and how high rent gets until it becomes a bad deal for us.

A good business relies on predictability. Your level of success is strongly dependent on how well you can see the future. That's why we have to start taking steps to reduce the guessing. So this month, we're studying all about what data we should be gathering and analyzing in order to compete better with a book published by Harvard Business School Press called "Competing on Analytics". Hopefully, we'll learn a lot and be a much better company very soon.

Cool Libraries

2007-05-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

We're always going to be strong supporters of education here at It's Cool. That's why it makes us happy every time a spectacular library opens up somewhere in the world. The latest destination is Italy. The first three pictures at the top are of the Pontifical Lateral University Library. Leave it to the Italians to make reading look so chic and luxurious. Learn more from the Cool Hunter.

Of course, the reigning coolest library in the world is still in the American city of Seattle. The Seattle Public Library (see the two pictures at the bottom half above) is the masterpiece of Dutch super architect Rem Koolhaas.

If only Manila can have something like this in ten years (heck, we'd contribute money to a project like that).

Netherlands Institure for Sound and Vision

2007-05-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

These are photos of the newly built Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision. It holds all the television archives of the Dutch so visitors can come over and watch any original program that has been broadcast. The offices of the media companies are also inside together with a museum.

The most noticeable feature of this magnificent building is the colorful exterior. To achieve this effect, television images were fused together and were then baked right into the glass skin surface.

Read more about it in the New York Times. Photos posted here are also from the New York Times.

Cell Phone Scam

2007-05-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Some horrible people have been sending text messages to different people's cell phones claiming that the cell phone holder has won some sort of raffle. This is totally fake. Don't fall for it. There is no such thing as a raffle that you are automatically/magically entered in. Contact information alone such as your cell phone number or email address cannot be used as a basis for raffles of any kind, especially without your consent. Here's a sample scam that we've been receiving this week:

"D'AUDITORS of GMA.CHARITY FOUNDATION nform u dat ur CELFON nos. WON P 950,000. 00 2nd prize winner,drw last. 05-25- 2007 PLS CALL ME NOW,IM,MRS LELIBETH SANCHEZ,"

Here are the cell phone numbers so far that have been sending this scam:
+63 9174653165
+63 9172513610

Pie Movies: "My Blueberry Nights" & "Waitress"

2007-05-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Is it just a coincidence that two of the movies we're looking forward to see this year have pies at the centers of their feel-good storylines? Maybe it's simply because we can relate to the pastry's rich colors, soft textures and homemade sweetness.

My Blueberry Nights is a movie that was created by director Wong Kar Wai just because he was inspired by the face of pop jazz princess Norah Jones. The trailer here teases us at the end with the much talked about scene wherein actor Jude Law kisses blueberry pie off Norah's lips.

While the Blueberry tends to be a bit bittersweet, Waitress starring Keri Russell as a "pie genius" is pure sugar. There's no way you're not smiling after this trailer.

Jordin Sparks

2007-05-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

We'd wish Jordin Sparks goodluck on the final American Idol vote tomorrow if her impending victory wasn't such a sure shot. When we started this blog back in February, we made a list of dream celebrity product endorsers we couldn't really afford. Well, scrap that list because we think this bouncy bubbly teen would be the perfect fantasy famous person to represent our brand. She's just so huggable!

Market! Market! Street Market

2007-05-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we relocated our Market! Market! store to an area called the Street Market, which is a row of shops selling the best selection of gifts and accessories in the whole mall. We were actually the first wall shop to open in the space, which is never a good thing in retail. The area looked dead for a while and so did sales. But now everything is almost completely lit up and open for business.

Sure, a lot of the new openings represent competitors of ours but if competition is what it takes to catch the attention of mall goers, then bring it on.

Cell Phone Txt

2007-05-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Heart angel daydreamer toy project

Video: "Let Forever Be" by Chemical Brothers

2007-05-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is our favorite music video of all time! We were inspired to dig this up after seeing the kickass movie "The Science of Sleep". That movie's director also made this video. The concept itself is such an amazing mind-bending trip. We know you'll have fun watching it.

Gift Gate Trinoma

2007-05-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ayala's Trinoma mall had its soft opening today and Gift Gate has a great looking store at the ground floor. Check out the sweet spot they gave us inside.

Cell Phone Txt

2007-05-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

"ECSTATIC CARTOON DISORDER" a two man exhibition by darrel ballesteros and nemo aguila JUNE 13(wed)@ BIG SKY MIND 66b Dona J. Rodriguez st., E.rodriguez sr. Ave ,toontales and comic madness starts at 7 pm c u der:)!

Qantas Lounge

2007-05-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Australian airline Qantas has just completed its spectacular airport lounge based on the vision of world-renowned industrial designer Marc Newson (the guy who made those orange Samsonite bags). Guests who still have time to spare after admiring the jaw-dropping scenery are treated to fine dining, spa services and a totally pimp entertainment zone.

The Cool Hunter has more details for you.

Movie: The Science of Sleep

2007-05-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Half of the people who see this movie (particularly those expecting a straightforward plot or an art film with some "deep meaning") will hate it and the other half will absolutely adore it. We are totally in love with this latest from director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). The story is simple: boy (Stephane) likes girl (Stephanie). The storytelling is magically complex. The Science of Sleep follows a certain dream logic to capture the joy of uninhibited creativity and the random euphoria of romance. In the middle of this surrealist film, Stephane proclaims: "Death to organization!". If you're like us, after watching this, you'll start rooting for the random as well.

View the trailer below:

Cell Phone Txt

2007-05-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Hi..i bought the strawberry plush and it is sO cOol..im katrina..i hOpe u cn mail me at ****@yahoo.com..ill wait for it..mOre pOwer.! God bless.!

3D Printing

2007-05-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's coming soon and we can't wait. One day, 3D printers will make it possible for everyone to manufacture stuff that they want right from their home computer.

Aahhh...we're just imagining all the things we can do for the business with this.

Read more about it from the New York Times.

Pink Advertorial (Update)

2007-05-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

With the help of the guys at Pink, we were able to edit the text of our advertorial to something that's more straightforward and on point.

We like it more now.