Mikael Daez: Hunk in a hurry

MIKAEL Daez shows off the Tiki Man from South Africa and other favorite things. Photos by Romy Homillada

GMA 7 actor Mikael Daez,  young man in a hurry, dresses not to impress, but to express himself.

The former model has a keen fashion sense and describes his sartorial style as “laidback.” And though he does not consider himself thrifty, he can be a “control freak” at the mall.

“I buy only things that I need,” he said, “but I treat myself to a good find once in a while.”

He lugs around a trusty gym bag because he spends long hours working out. “I lift weights. I don’t use the treadmill because I need to bulk up.”

Peace envoy

Mikael has been named Peace Ambassador by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, along with apl.de.ap, Epy Quizon, Noel Cabangon, Christian Bautista, Anne Curtis, Gloc 9, Karylle, Derek Ramsay, among others.

Apart from the Kapuso afternoon soap “Sana ay Ikaw Na,” he is shooting his second movie, GMA Films’ entry in the Metro Manila Film Festival, “Sosy Problems”—a followup to his debut, “Temptation Island.”

Trademark shirts

GIORDANO leather jacket from Hong Kong was on sale.

He keeps it cool and simple. He has lots of H&M shirts but recently discovered the Japanese brand Uniqlo. “I have a lot of Penshoppe (he’s a brand endorser), Old Navy and Gap shirts, too,” he said.

Short cuts

Comfort is a priority, so he has stacks of  shorts. A fave pair is from Giordano.

Different shades

Mikael loves wearing shades, which he has in different styles and colors. “I have red-rimmed Ray-Bans, H&M aviator glasses and Cotton On wayfarers,” he said. “Shades change a person’s vibe.”

Sporty jackets

He’s a sports-jacket type of guy. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, he wandered into a Giordano store and found a “gorgeous” leather jacket. “Luckily, it was on sale.”

NIKE baseball cap

Slim jeans

He’s partial to slim-cut jeans. A size 32, he has lots of Penshoppe jeans in his cabinet. “I am very particular about fit,” he said. He recently treated himself to a pair of Victor Jeans.

Shoe challenge

He’s not a shoe addict, just a “sneakers” guy, and he gets attached to old pairs.” Among his favorites are his Converse Chuck Taylors and Penshoppe sneakers. He also has a pair of H&M boots. “But I have Doc Martens boots, too, and Sperry boat shoes.” He’s a size 11, making shoe-shopping challenging.

Gym accessories

He usually wears baseball caps—like the Nike-Jordan cap he picked for this shoot. “I don’t like headgear that looks too rugged or grunge,” he said.

For lifting weights, he has invested in a good pair of gym gloves.

Fave bags

He loves his Penshoppe gym bag so much, that he got his brother and sister the exact same carryon.

PENSHOPPE shoes

The giveaway at the Rotterdam film festival, which he covered for his old Kapuso show “World Premieres,” was a white messenger bag with zoo prints. “You are supposed to color the bag with marker pens. It’s like a coloring book for adults.”

Travel souvenirs

The show allowed him to travel all over. He brought home lots of souvenirs, like a keychain from Paris, a bag from The Netherlands, Mar del Plata (Argentina) fest ID, a 10-rand bill and Tiki Man from South Africa.

A sentimental guy, he has kept his Ateneo graduation medal, too. But the best-loved memento in his collection is his late dad Leo’s Mont Blanc Classic wallet. “He had it the day he died in a car accident seven years ago,” he related. “I was a sophomore in high school at the time.”

One scent

Mikael sticks to one scent: Diesel Fuel for Life. He had read in a magazine that it was wise to wear just one brand “so that people, ladies especially, would identify you with it.”

He prefers fresh-smelling fragrances to fruity or musky scents.

Grooming kit

Mikael can be finicky about hair and skin care products.  In his grooming kit are 1 Osis Hexwax, Cynos Paste, Heliocare Ultra UV, No 4 Avines Glossy Modeling Clay and Aloe Vera.

New gadgets

His laptop was stolen in a  mall recently, so he bought a Macbook Air. “I have a lot of gadgets,” he said. He has a PlayStation3, a Nintendo DS, iPod Touch and a Philips headphone and  iPhone.

He has kept his old Gameboy even though the screen is in black and white. It’s a classic, he said.