Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i VOGUE PHILIPPINES

At 5:00 AM, there is only a shallow pool of light from our headlamps, to illuminate a few steps ahead into the darkness. I follow the guide on a slick, carved path, as it snakes between limestone slabs, on to a suspended bridge, swaying above treetops of this Rizal rainforest. As morning beaches, we climb across stone stairs, overlayed with gnarled roots of trees—Balete, Banaba, Al ibangbang. Such is the business of catching sun rises at Masungi Georeserve. With photographer, Artu Nepomunceno, the Vogue team watches as dawn breaks across the karst dotted landscape. In the highest peak of the park, atop a cluster of boulders, sit Billie and Ann Duma liang. They are all smiles and warm welcomes. The Dumaliang sisters affectionately refer to the hect ares of Baras…

THE LOOK…

SHOPPING…

WHEN ALEX GENTRY FOUND HER BATHROOM FLOOR COVERED WITH THE SOAP SHE MADE, with no room left to step, she knew it had become more than just a hobby. What began as a stress-relieving activity during lockdown evolved into an exploration of high-performance organic skincare ingredients, leading her to enroll in a two-year course with Formula Botanica. This journey, fueled by a passion for clean ingredients and a gap in the market, laid the foundation for Pure Culture, a local clean beauty brand that Gentry says is committed to redefining beauty through accessible, science-driven skincare. Pure Culture is founded on a sense of responsibility, starting with the intention to call their market “beauty citizens” rather than consumers. “As a citizen, there is accountability to think beyond me,” explains Alex. “We…

IN THE AFTERMATH OF SUPERTYPHOON HAIYAN, Nicola Sebastian found herself on a beach in Eastern Samar, one that was previously known as Jagnaya Beach before it was renamed Yolanda, after the deadly storm surge of 2013 rearranged its landscape. She went there in the wake of a breakup, wanting to understand and bear witness to how people piece themselves together after such devastating loss. “I was unsure if people would want to talk about their traumas, but really the stories poured out,” she says. Listening to the stories of Yolanda survivors, reading historical texts on Samar, she found herself asking a different kind of question: How does the geography of the Philippine islands shape how Filipinos relate to ourselves, to each other, and to the world? This was the starting…

DESIGNER FEATURE BEFORE SOHO FRANCOTTE'S HANDS LEARNED HOW TO CUT AND SEW, THEY WERE ADJUST ING MICROPHONES, playing key boards, and hitting the drums. “My [partner] sings and plays guitar [for our band Coffee Or Not],” the musician tells Vogue Philippines, “we work with loop stations. [We're just] two people but we can sound like a full band.” By 2020, the duo had been holding concerts and tours around Europe fulltime for over a decade, while on the side, Soho was a press officer and tour organizer who promoted other musical projects. When the pandemic hit, however, she was forced to reevaluate her career. Wishing to remain creative, she began designing initial bag prototypes before launching a crowdfunding campaign. From there, she created Lubay, her alternative leather goods brand based…

FOR CHAU BUI, ONE OF VIETNAM'S MOST INFLUENTIAL SOCIAL MEDIA FIGURES, fashion has always been a means of self-expression. The 26-year-old recalls how she got her start, raiding her parents’ closets, and thrifting at second-hand stores, not really expecting the massive attention her unique stylings would get online. These days, she's often seen in eye-catching outfits at high-profile events, or at fashion weeks all around the globe. “Fashion was my playground to get creative. And until now, what I love about working in fashion is the boundless creativity of it all,” she tells Vogue Philippines. With millions of followers across her many online channels, the model-slash-influencer has won various awards in her industry, been on numerous magazine covers, and was even listed as one of Forbes Vietnam's 30 Under 30.…

WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT, NEADA DETERS ENUMERATES THE FEW ITEMS SHE CAN FIND ON HER DESK: a couple of books, a set of headphones, and photos of her family. “These are all I need,” she says. Her mind for minimalism started back when she was still in university. Then, she went on a backpacking trip across Asia with only a small bag and a few choice items. “I didn't need much to have such a fulfilling experience,” she shares, “and that taught me a lot about life.” Deters’ “Less is More” principle extends to her beauty brand Lesse, which she founded in New York in 2018. While others might advocate for an extensive skincare regimen, the Fil-Australian and her brand promotes a stripping back to the essentials to build a…

FEATURE IT IS A WOMAN'S DUTY TO USE ALL THE MEANS IN HER POWER to beautify and preserve her complexion,” wrote the Irish dancer Lola Montez in her delightful 1858 guidebook, Toe Arts of Beauty. How closely, but misguidedly, have I followed this advice! From the time I've been able to roam the drugstore unsupervised, I have been engaged in a battle for beauty. In my youthful zeal for perfect skin, I leaned upon scrubs and heavy-duty toners, most of which chafed and stung— to my great satisfaction. When acne came for me in college, I armed myself with prescription-grade gels and capsules that blitzed my spots and made my skin flake. A fair price to pay, I reasoned. Recent decades featured laser treatments and powerhouse potions I one-click purchased…

THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE WAY ANN AND BILLIE DUMALIANG SPEAK ABOUT CONSERVATION THAT REVEALS TO YOU THAT THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOREVER. In another life, Ann says she'd be an engineer; Billie, an entrepreneur. Or a K-Popstar. “They look like they're having so much fun!” she laughs. But in this lifetime, in their words, Masungi is a “forever thing.” Conservation is in their DNA, passed down from their father. Their answers are instinctive, informed by years of lobbying against political rivals and bonding with scientists. Their shared vocabulary is equally diplomatic and academic. They geek out about snails even when they are the only two in the room that can understand. Despite their young age, their work is prolific. Aren't they tired? “Tired? Um… yes,” Billie says, laughing,…

IN HER IDEAL WORLD, ISSA BARTE WOULD LIVE ATOP A MOUNTAIN, learning how to paint and dance. But only because in this future world, her job is finished. The Philippines would be decolonized. Indigenous communities wouldn't need to fight for their land. Perhaps an Indigenous person is even president. Advocacy workers have become community workers. NGOs don't exist. Because they don't need to. “I have dreams that change monthly,” Issa says. “But I know whatever I do will always be connected to community work. I feel like I'm delusional about the fact that there's a better world for tomorrow, but I truly believe it.” She refers to herself as “delulu” (slang for “delusional”) many times in conversation, but not quite as many as she expresses how she believes anyone can…

NINA UNLAY Writer, FORCES FOR CHANGE “I am not a hope ful person, but I don't need to be because I have a little brother and sister. I've seen the future since they were nine years old and already engaging my parents in debates about presidential candidates. The future is bright.” GAB MEJIA Photograpaher, FROM SOME ISLANDS AGO, WE DREAM “It is through the power of collective dreams which renders me hopeful of the future amid the vicissitudes and injustices that we disproportionately face in our country and world. Only when we collectively dream in multiplicities, can the threads of hope re-weave itself in our ancient story web.” ROYAL PINEDA Architect, TROPICAL LUXURY “Today, I see a genuine desire to be one with nature again, leading to more responsible living…

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT LIZA SOBERANO. The young thespian seems wise beyond her years. As someone who's played everything from a strawberry farmer, a downtoearth heiress, a blogger, to a warrior, the 26-year-old is imbued with a certain self-awareness she generously attributes to her craft. “The thing that I love most about acting is being able to portray different people, different characters. It's like allowing myself to completely kind of let go of everything that makes me, me,” the award-winning actress tells Vogue Philippines. “I think as an artist, it just makes me feel so empowered, to hone such a skill or talent.” It is likewise something that she believes helps her see things in a nuanced light. “It helps me understand the world a bit more,” she says. “It helps…

FEATURE JAPANESE CLEAN SKINCARE BRAND DAMDAM FINDS ITS SANCTUARY IN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD OF GION IN KYOTO. Displaying products made entirely of native ingredients to furniture crafted by local artisans, the flagship store unfolds as a sensory experience. It is only fitting, as the word “Damdam” in Tagalog means “feeling.” Co-founder Giselle Go emphasizes that “beauty is a feeling. It's not and it shouldn't be just about looking good, but it's about feeling good, too.” Her journey began with 10 boxes of skincare products during her move to Japan. As a former beauty editor, Go would regularly receive new releases from different brands. But, she admits that as she was getting older, she “started to learn which products or ingredients my skin was responding more positively to and which ones…

IN MANILA, EVERYONE TALKS TO YOU LIKE THEY'VE KNOWN YOU FOR AGES. Weaving through the busy alleys of the Dangwa flower market, it's apparent. Linger at a stall a second too long and its owner might convince you to bring a small bouquet home (or maybe more if they're really good). That is how Geloy Concepcion finds himself looking at tulips inside a florist's cold room tucked in one of the flower shops in the area. After casually chatting with a florist along Dimasalang street, their conversation somehow led them to a detour to see the flowers hidden in a huge cooler. Walking out with nothing in hand, Geloy laughs. “At least nakita na natin kung ano nasa hob ng mga ito, ‘di ba!” (“At least we got to see…

LIKE MANY GREAT STORIES, CAMILLE RIVERA'S CONSERVATION JOURNEY BEGAN WITH A MOMENT OF WONDER. She was a child enjoying a beach day with her family in Camiguin when she decided to put a seemingly dormant starfish back into the water. “When I put it back in the ocean, I saw the feet of the starfish move,” she says. “It's been out of the water for hours, right? That made me very curious.” From witnessing that “rebirth,” her curiosity eventually turned to a passion for bringing life back to different communities. Today, Camille runs Oceanus Conservation, a non-profit she founded over the pandemic whose focus and expertise are on the planting and preservation of mangroves. According to its mission statement, it aims to “protect and and restore blue carbon habitats and…

“IMAGINE IF YOU COULD FILL UP A CONFERENCE ROOM IN GLASGOW WITH THE AMOUNT OF FLOOD WATER THAT FILLED UP OUR COMMUNITIES [IN THE PHILIPPINES],” says Natasha Tanjutco. She and sister Isabella wanted to conjure this image in the minds of the leaders present at the first Conference of Parties (COP) they attended in 2021. In the air-conditioned rooms in Glasgow, Scotland, the sisters felt that the people making important climate decisions were disconnected from the reality they experience on the ground in the Philippines. “The leaders were talking as if the climate crisis was going to happen in the next five to 10 years,” Tasha says. But growing up working with urban and island communities in the archipelago, the sisters already knew that the climate crisis was happening. From…

PAGE 62 R E N A I S S A N C E M A N When that passed, he ran with a crowd he describes as “beautiful people who liked fashion.” During a high school trip to Rome, he scored a red velvet Tom Ford jacket. While no one around him knew it was Gucci, “I did,” he says. He chose Milan's Carlo Secoli Institute as a fashion school because it taught more “concrete” things—and because it cost less than others. Over summers, he worked odd jobs—waiter, data entry at a provincial office, salesman at Diesel. In the back of design classes, he made fast friends with Nel Ratnayake, a fashion student from Milan. The two cracked each other up imitating the teacher constantly telling them what they couldn't…