Tomas' winning T-shirt design launched in NY

For sure to show the world how proud she was of her son Robin, Tessie Tomas wore a T-shirt designed by Robin to Bloomingdale’s flagship department store in New York City last Saturday, March 19, when Robin’s winning T-shirt design was launched.

“If Robin is elated,” Tessie told Felix Manuel, one of Funfare’s “beauty experts,” “multiply that by a million and that’s how I feel right now. Since he was a child, I encouraged Robin to pursue his dream.”

Robin’s V-neck T-shirt in layered tonal Supima cotton knit won the Supima T-shirt design competition last Jan. 19. The T-shirt will be sold as a “special edition” in Bloomingdale’s. The Supima’s annual Design Competition was previously known as The Competition of Emerging Designers.

“After this,” Robin told Felix, “I’ll never look at a T-shirt in the same way again.”

Robin is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York and had his internship under designers Anna Sui and Valentino. In May last year, he joined the Philippine Fashion Week and recently presented the Fall Collection 2011 in New York.

 “I’m overwhelmed by the support from my friends and people who appreciate my creation,” added Robin. “I’m glad that my mom came all the way from the Philippines to attend the launching.”

Incidentally, Felix was excited to meet Tessie at the event.

“I remember her as Amanda Pineda, Meldita and Barbara Tengco who are among her alter-egos,” said Felix. “When I was working at ABS-CBN as a researcher for the 1994 Miss Universe pageant coverage, I would sneak out just to watch her show Teysi ng Tahanan. Kalog pa rin si Tessie.”

Tessie is coming back on March 31 to start taping for her new show (network not revealed).

Four new Binibini bets identified

Four of the original candidates in the 2011 Bb. Pilipinas pageant won’t make it to the Araneta Coliseum on April 10 for the grand coronation night, aired “lived” by ABS-CBN. Only two winners will be proclaimed, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe and Bb. Pilipinas-International.

But the number of aspirants remains at 40 because those disqualified (for posing sexy in pictorials and other reasons) with the entry of four replacements, namely:

•  Bernadette Aguirre (No. 9), 18, 5’7”,138 lbs., a college student from Bulacan;

•  Girlie Lero (No. 17), 17, 5’10”, 118 lbs., a college student from Quezon City;

• Joanna Tuazon (No. 28), 22, 5’9”, a mission control analyst and college student from Bulacan; and

•  Monique Manuel (No. 40), 22, 5’6”, 105 lbs, a college student from Dinalupihan, Bataan.

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