It’s not every day one gets an invitation from Store Specialists Inc. to visit and shop at the new Banana Republic shop at Shangri-La Plaza. So I braved the EDSA traffic last Friday because I wanted to see the Issa London Collection.

I had no idea that Shangri-La had this new wing. It’s gorgeous! Can’t wait to see it fully opened.

The Banana Republic shop at the East Wing of Shangri-La Plaza is huge.

Their beautiful window shows mannequins lined up wearing Issa London dresses. The one on the right was being changed because I tried on her dress (size).

They have the famous Kate Middleton dress. The original Issa dress retailed for $575. Banana Republic’s version has a $130 price tag. This is currently out of stock online.

Issa first made headlines when the Duchess of Cambridge wore its iconic blue dress for the royal engagement announcement. The Issa London x Banana Republic collaboration is “fit for a queen, but made for you.”

The Shangri-La branch still had almost all the sizes of the Issa London collection last Friday. The online shop sold out of the Kate Middleton dress within hours of launching on August 8. In fact when I started writing this post this afternoon, the online shop was all sold out then halfway through, some stocks came in. And within minutes, the Kate Middleton dress sold out again.

I love the prints and the figure flattering silhouettes of this line.

Other than Kate’s dress, this is the most prominent dress from the campaign.

Sorry for the no smile photo. I had tried on almost ALL the dresses. I got three dresses from Issa and one from the regular “preppy” line of Banana Republic. Look what I found on Google, Naomi Watts wearing this same dress also with yellow wedge clogs. Mine are Swedish Hasbeens.
I didn’t buy the Kate Middleton dress. But now I’m thinking… maybe I should have.
I’d love to tell you which ones I got but I won’t. Promise to post them on instagram once I wear them. They are so lovely.
In the Philippines, Banana Republic is at Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 5, Rustans Makati and the newly opened branch at Shangri-La Plaza.