I love my Larry Alcala stuff!

ybe a couple years back, Freeway launched their National Artists tribute. I've always wanted to get something from their collection, but could not find anything that suited me. The clothes were great, albeit a bit expensive, but I don't mind getting something to honor great artists of the Philippines.

I've never been able to get any from Freeway. I know they launched F. Sionil Jose and Jose Garcia Villa. Their names, I am familiar with. Their legacy, I am aware of. Unfortunately, I have not read any of their works. This fact embarrasses me a lot, moreso that I still have not bothered to get their work. They also launched a Ramon Valera line which makes me doubly idiotic because I hardly know the work he's done for fashion.

So imagine my joy when Solo, Freeway's sister company, launched their own great Filipino series with Larry Alcala! This man, I am extremely familiar with! I remember spending Sunday mornings looking for him in his Slice of Life cartoons. I've read a few strips of Siopawman and Kalabog and Bosyo. Larry Alcala is one of the most popular comic strip artist in Philippine history! And I love his work!

I immediately trooped to Solo the weekend after they launched his line. Unfortunately, they still did not have all the shirt designs shown in their website. The ones they launched were the more formal kind that costs an arm and a leg. I decided to get myself the watch instead.

Lovely watch! So Filipino with trademark Larry Alcala drawings of Filipino games. It's a bit difficult to wear, but it tells time and it's cool, so I love it!

A few months later, I was finally able to get another Larry Alcala item. I was finally able to get hold of their Telepono shirt. Among the other designs there, this shirt fit me the best and its illustration was the one I liked most. So it was perfect! I didn't get it immediately though. I left the store to go around the mall some more and to ponder if I should really get it. I've already spent too much on the Komikon the day before, would it still be okay to purchase another whim?

Well, I did end up getting the shirt. I loved the design. I loved how it fit me. I loved how Larry Alcala it looked.

Now I have two LA items, it might be time to stop getting them na. I'm hoping if they release another artist line, they wait for a few more months when I've saved up again. I can imagine how my pocket will hurt if they decide to launch a Jess Abrera or Nonoy Marcelo or Pol Medina, Jr. Oh dear.