MEGA Fashion Crew Grand Finale

Sixty contestants originally battled it out for the race to become MEGA’s Top Fashion Crew. The ending is near and the final challenges will play the most critical role in the lives of the contestants. The last ten has bested all the past challenges but only 5 will be chosen. For the final two challenges, the contestants have to release all their creativity and efforts to win.

The two remaining teams have to first produce a motion editorial. The photographers have to execute their ideas not just in print, but through a video that will establish their edge. The fashion stylists, make-up artists and hair stylists have to produce the look that will work and highlight the photographer’s vision. Last, the model must not just pose for the camera but act out the scenes to complete the motion editorial.

The final challenge is one of the main highlights that will seal one's mark in the fashion industry. The team will be tasked to produce a MEGA magazine cover. Being the best fashion magazine, it has always been a great pressure to put together the look of the cover. The cover must convey the content and feel of the entire magazine. The challengers will know first-hand what it takes and what must be done to perfectly deliver the glossy cover of a magazine.

This is the final episode that everyone shouldn’t miss!

Everyone has witnessed the struggles and triumphs of everyone through all the challenges. Still, friendships were established in the course of the competition. Their skills have been tested with their creativity improved. Now, it all boils down to the final judgment for the last ten finalists.

The question is, who makes the final cut to becoming MEGA’s Top Fashion Crew? Find out tonight on ETC.

 

Mega Fashion Crew: Final Stages

Weaknesses were overcome, challenges were surpassed, and two teams have remained.

MEGA  Magazine has brought out only the best people deserving to be part of the fashion industry. Sixty contenders originally made the cut but only ten survive for the grand finale. With only two episodes left, the battle to reach the top intensifies.

Last week's episode gave a glimpse of the process to becoming the final two teams of the MEGA Fashion Crew. Everyone saw the difficulties and victory that all the challengers went through. The remaining teams have reached this far. To prove that they’re the best, a tougher round of challenges will be prepared for them.

Will it be the Vanguards or the Fashion Army?

For the  first round, four challenges will be given . Each challenge will showcase the skills of each member from the hair stylist, make-up artist, fashion stylist, photographer and model. Teams will put together a photo layout for L’Oreal Paris, a beauty shot for Maybelline, a fashion page for FILA and an ad for ZenZest. Each member will lead the teams through the different challenges, highlighting their niche in the industry.

Special guests will be top model Borgy Manotoc and fashion enthusiast and columnist Tim Yap, who will become part of the challenges in this episode.

The four challenges will test the different strengths of each member. In the first part of the grand finale, everyone will know the reason why the remaining challengers are still in the game. Their edge in the industry will be further revealed; the creative skills of each will be tested.

But in the end, only one team will be crowned MEGA’s Top Fashion Crew.

 

Response From Mary Grace Cafe

In response to the review I previously made about Mary Grace Cafe, they emailed me  their side of the story.

The first email came from the Mary Grace  Head Manager of Dining Operations. It was followed by a message from the owner's daughter who is  also the company's Kiosk  Development Manager. Both of them apologized for the bad experience I reported in my previous post.

The first email read as follows:

"I am deeply sorry about your unpleasant experience in Mary Grace Trinoma. At around 7:00 this morning, Mary Grace
Dimacali, the owner herself called to inform me about your October 1 blog. I checked the net at once and saw your review about Mary Grace. We are so distressed to know that we disappointed you and made you feel unimportant. 

We are currently investigating about the concerns you raised: delayed
service of Amatriciana, missing cheese roll and our inability to respond to your
e-mail. This is definitely not the “Mary Grace way” of taking care of our
guests. Emailed feedbacks for the month of September, positive and negative,
were forwarded to us and were discussed with the branch managers and the café
staffs during our last month's meeting. We also make sure that we get back to
the senders to thank them. I will investigate why we failed to see your emailed
feedback.

I will get back to you as soon as I have all the details and I am
assuring you that this is being taken seriously and constructively.
Maraming salamat po for calling our attention. This will surely help us
improve. We owe our success to people like you who never failed to remind us of
our shortcomings. I pray that you will give us another chance to serve you in
the future.

Please always feel free to email us at
marygracefoods@yahoo.com.ph and we hope we will not disappoint you this time.
You may also contact me through my contact details below. God bless you
amazingly as you continue to bless others with your valuable insights!"

Later in the afternoon, she added:

"I would like to inform you about the result of our investigation regarding the delayed service of Amatriciana and the missing cheese roll. Trinoma cafe's record shows that they had problems with their computer ordering system from September 7 to 12, 2011. Printers and ordering monitors weren't working well and were pulled out for repair on Sept.10, 2011. Coordinating with kitchen of what food to serve was done manually. This caused the confusion between the order taker, the dispatcher and the cook.

I talked to the people involved including the manager who was in charge that time. Necessary actions on how to avoid the same incident when ordering system is down were reviewed and polished.We really hope to be of service to you again."

Ms. Marian, Ms. Mary Grace's daughter has this to say:

"We came upon your blog just recently. We are very sad to hear of this,
and we deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused! Rest assured that
we are reviewing SOPs to avoid causing disappointment to other customers!

We are very grateful for your feedback! Thank you for this! My mom always says
that it is has been customer concern that has helped Mary Grace grow through the years.
Mary Grace would like to give you a call. May we get your contact information? You may email me
back. Have a good day Vanity Specialist! God bless you!"

To Mary Grace Cafe:

Apology accepted. I appreciate that you are taking measures to improve the quality of your service and that you listen to feedback from customers. I did not blog about it to demand special treatment as a customer nor ask for a truckload of cheese rolls to make up for your shortcomings. I just wanted to call your attention to an area of your enterprise which needed improvement after failing to get your response from the email I sent you. This is  because I want Mary Grace Cafe to stay long in the business, and hopefully, be successful enough to put up provincial branches (including one here in Cagayan de Oro) soon. Thank you for keeping an open mind about customers' comments, whether good or bad.

I will definitely visit one of your branches when I visit Manila again and will report to you my feedback then. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will be a good one.

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MEGA's Quest for the Best New Young Designer

Are you a budding designer who wants to break into the  fabulous fashion scene in the Philippines?  Here's good news for you:  MEGA announces  its opening of application for the Young Designers Competition.

MEGA , a top fashion magazine in the country, has been consistently on the hunt  for young talents who can continue to bring innovative designs to the fashion scene. Generation MEGA’s Young Designers Competition (YDC) provides aspiring designers not just a break in the industry, but the opportunity to highlight their aesthetic for the public to see. The competition has paved the way for Rajo Laurel, Oj Hofer, Furne One, Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Aries Lagat, Mich Dulce, Ivarluski Aseron, Veejay Floresca, and Vanessa Ang among others to establish their names in the fashion industry. During the first ever telecast of YDC, Russell Villafuerte was awarded as the first grand prize winner.

MEGA once again opens its doors for the 10th edition of YDC. A screening will be held to serve as a venue for aspiring designers to showcase their creations. Participants must convince the esteemed panel of judges that they are worthy to be featured on the pages of MEGA. This is the second time that participants will be given a rare chance to showcase their fashion flair on television. The story of their determination will transpire in front of millions of viewers, anxious to meet the newest additions in the fashion industry.

Interested applicants may download the form at the MEGA website - www.megastyle.ph. Deadline for confirmation is on October 10, 2011. Designers must submit a 500 word essay about who they are, and present two works (one formal and one casual wear) during the callout.

Watch out as past YDC finalists and winners share their thoughts and experience through a video callout on the MEGA Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/megamagazine.

 

Mary Grace Cafe Review

It took me almost a month to post this review on Cafe Mary Grace. I had to give it time for a more objective recount of my sad experience in one of their branches, in Trinoma Mall. Had I written about it minutes after it happened, I might have blurted out words that will only compromise the integrity of this blog.

I was in Manila for an intensive 4-day seminar. The schedule was so hectic that I didn't even have the time to check out the latest cosmetics in the nearby malls.

On September 9, 2011 (Friday),  my friend and I decided to pass by Cafe Mary Grace on our way back to where we were staying.  I've heard a lot of great things about it, especially its cheese rolls.



Since it was already 8:00 PM, I opted for a take-out of pasta Amatriciana and a cheese roll.  I was considering on bringing a box of cheese rolls home to CDO so I had to try it out first. The cashier told me it would take around 10-15 mins to prepare the pasta. We were already tired but I thought the wait should be worth it.

We got ourselves seated while waiting for my order. Fifteen minutes have passed and my friend was already getting impatient. I followed up the order with one of the waitresses who told me it wasn't ready yet.  After a few more minutes, I noticed some pasta being served to people who came much later than us. My friend noticed the waitresses glancing at our table. Finally, someone came to us and checked my receipt. She hurriedly went to the kitchen and came back with my order packed for take-out. More than 30 minutes of waiting for a pasta and cheese roll is a little too much, don't you think?  I could have ordered for a pizza delivery at the dorm and it would have been much quicker. Although it was a Friday, it wasn't that busy for Mary Grace Cafe as a lot of their employees had their hands free.

I asked the waitress why it took them so long, she was apologetic about it but did not offer further explanation. When we got to the the place where we were staying, the bread that I believed to be the cheese roll seemed flatter that I thought.  It turns out it was the garlic bread that came free with the Pasta Amatriciana. The cheese roll, although only Php35, was something that I so long wanted to try wasn't in the bag!

Partly, it was my fault because I didn't check the bag before leaving. The receipt was not even there. Perhaps with the rave reviews about Cafe Mary Grace, I trusted that there staff is trained to be efficient in what they do, such as delivering the order on time,  putting them with the receipt in the bag and checking if they are complete. Apparently, I was wrong. After all, the good reviews have much to do with the taste of the food than the quality of service they offer.

I think they're pretty good with the dine-in clients.  As I have  mentioned, people who came later than us were being served on time, and it looked like they were enjoying their meals. For some reason, they lacked the training in handling to-go orders. Yes, the staff is generally friendly, but  it doesn't necessarily translate to efficiency.

The Pasta Amatriciana was a flavorful blend of thick tomato sauce with bacon and chili, plus the Italian meatballs. But with the disappointment I was feeling at that time, I couldn't really appreciate the taste. It was pretty decent for its price of Php 210 , but not something I would crave for.  The imaginary cheese rolls must have been good,  if only they came with my order.

As to the Cafe Mary Grace customer support online,  they don't fare well either. I tried sending a complaint about the incident, which was written as courteously as possible, to no avail. Probably the person assigned to check the emails isn't doing the job, or they have read my message but they don't welcome negative feedback.  Well, they can bask in the positive comments from customers that they proudly display on their tables, but I hope they are aware of the other side of their business that they should do something about. As Jack Canfield puts it, " you cannot improve your life, your relationships, your game or your performance without feedback." I hope Mary Grace Cafe will take this review constructively.

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Mega Fashion Crew: Exuding Beauty in Threes

Hype is building as the remaining teams feel the pressure to prove that they should be MEGA’s Top Fashion Crew. As a final twist last episode, no teams were eliminated during the last challenge. But for this week, good will not be enough.

The teams have made it this far and the judges are expecting only the best among the best.

People always view beauty as seemingly effortless. In reality, it requires a lot of work to create an image worthy of perfection. It also needs quite a great deal of attention to achieve. This week’s challenge will show beauty in different aspects and stretch the contenders’ creative ideas further.

A three pronged challenge awaits contestants as they strive to be the final two.

Contestants will have to show beauty through three different mediums: a print ad; a television commercial; and a fashion show. The teams have already executed fashionable photos and a stylish runway show. But will they be able to pull-off a tv commercial for a product feature?

In just one challenge, teams have to display their strengths in the three challenges to wow the judges. The teams also need to convince judges on a product feature through a tv commercial. Will the challengers survive through three challenges in one episode?

Veteran director Joey Reyes and top creative director Mr. Manuel Villafania share their ideas and expertise as a guest judge for the episode.

The teams must be bold enough for a beautiful triumph. The four remaining teams will have to show only their strongest to make the final cut for the grand finale. Who will be the last two teams vying to be MEGA’s Top Fashion Crew?

Catch Generation MEGA Season 2: MEGA Fashion Crew every Saturday at 7pm, with replays on Sundays at 10am, only on ETC.