Celebrating Philippines Creative and Innovative Talents
As Fashion Month comes to an end, we look back at everything that went down. Fashion’s most hectic time saw a significant raise in environmental consciousness and a push, small as it was, in actually being inclusive with the takeover of designers like Tokyo James, Maximilian Davis and Felisha Noel.
Significant steps towards making an industry that has been notoriously racist, ageist, unhumanitarian and overall problematic into becoming a space where everyone is welcomed and most importantly respected and recognized. (From designers, to models, to factory workers, seamstresses)
Fashion shows weren’t the only events that took place this past September, it also welcomed newcomer; Vogue Philippine. Unveiled its very anticipated first issue and named Bea Valdes as its first editor in chief, Pam Quinones as fashion editor and Trina Epilepsia as digital editor. Talk about female power! Wuhu!
The fashion giant’s presence in Southeast Asia marks a before and after. An after that hopefully stands up for Filipino designs, heritage and talent. With Bea in charge she aimed to lead with purpose, leaning into their Filipino values of optimism and empathy.
The newest Vogue editor grew up in the Philippines, studies creative writing, industrial design and interior design. Making her a perfect candidate to lead the fashion world to new unexplored territories. Her work has been recognized as she was named one of the Top Ten Outstanding Young Individuals in 2010.
Her historic 422 page issue debuted with Filipino-American model Chloe Magno. A beautiful cover shoot that took us to a journey through the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. An editorial that explores Philippine’s fashion identity highlighting its heritage and craftsmanship.
Vogue Philippine will surely help introduce new talents, and its debut issue did just that. Pushing coverage of the next wave of Philippine-based designers, models, photographers and creatives.
Vogue, being one of or if not the most world known fashion institution, having presence in a country and area that has previously been looked over means a huge deal. Especially when it comes to being a medium of representation.
Ica Dy grazed Valdes’s second cover and opened up about the excruciating struggles women of color have to battle with. Dy, a current culinary student at Enderun College and model could’ve never dreamed of being worthy of being featured in a beauty editorial.
Having grown in a society that worships everything she wasn’t with a strong conviction that less melanin was better. Even though she actually looks like a model in every traditional sense of the word, the insecurities of being non euro-white stereotypical really messes up with one’s perception. Slowly the world has shifted into admiring Asian beauty and hopefully covers like this will only help women of all ages feel some kind of relief in not having to apologize for their looks.
Bringing in more inclusivity and new technologies are Filipino vanguardista fashion brands. If you haven’t heard this name before let us introduce you to Bayo , a fashion house recognized locally for their strong Filipino essence.
Bayo, a homegrown business that offers locally made ready-to-wear apparels, a variety of comfortable basics and stylish one pieces. Committed to not only creare high quality and affordable pieces but to enrich its community. Celebrating Filipinas in all fronts generating local employment including advancing in the circularity movement with regenerative fabrics. Fashion should be part of a value chain that turns clothes into resources, not eventual waste products.
As of recently Bayo incorporated their Bakong fabric, a natural and potentially circular material. Bayo has also been the first Filipino retail brand to become a meme near the United Nations Global Compact.
Coming in with full force, talent, dedication, dreams and with a lot to say the world welcomes Vogue Philippine!