Vogue Philippines gathers ‘curated’ line-up of A-listers for launch party
Exclusive, curated, elegant and detailed down to the T! True to the branding of the world’s “fashion bible” Vogue, the Philippines maiden issue launch delivered. Bravo!
We got our beautiful Blanc et Noir handwritten invitation two weeks before the Gala l. Since that was also the theme, it was a blessing that master designer Jo Rubio from Bulacan already had our size from the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) back in July.
He is known for making impeccable modern Filipinianas and created a long, edgy off-shoulder cut-out dress for me with touches of black feathers, to make a statement that was fitting for the evening’s festivities.
Attendees of last Monday’s Vogue Philippines Gala were a great mix of people from fashion, the arts, business, society and entertainment, based here and abroad.
We spoke with the very humble Archie Carrasco, chairman and CEO of Mega Global Licensing, Inc., who fought tooth and nail to bring Vogue Philippines to the country. He said, “Condé Nast was the one checking the guest list and they were very involved with the people who were going to attend.”
On the approved A-list were Anne Curtis, Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera-Dantes, Alden Richards, Piolo Pascual, Jericho Rosales, along with our own beauty queens, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa, Miss World 2013 Megan Young and current Miss Universe-Philippines Celeste Cortesi.
Many of them either cancelled prior commitments, moved endorsement schedules or just landed from abroad to be in the country to welcome Vogue Philippines. One was Pia, who flew in from Italy and wore a Gucci gown to go with her tanned skin and long straight hair that hid her jet lag flawlessly.
“It is about time we get our very own Vogue,” Pia said. “It has been something that I have been saying for years already. We have great fashion magazines in the Philippines, but we need our Vogue and finally, we have it here and I cannot miss it.”
Marian, who is known for championing Philippine fashion, promises that with Vogue’s entrance to the country, she will double her efforts in giving spotlight to our very own talents in fashion.
“Hihigitan ko pa at mas magiging active ako ngayong taon sa pag-tangkilik ng sariling atin,” the actress added.
Anne Curtis also recalled how she was so excited to read Vogue magazines when she was a child. “Now, we have our very own that will talk about important stories about our artistry and that the world could discover, too,” she said.
Heart Evangelista was also invited, but sadly she sent her regrets to the Vogue Philippines family due to personal reasons.
We usually see the same celebrities gracing the covers of our local fashion magazines. Many of the usual showbiz fans on TikTok were also flabbergasted that Vogue did not choose a household name for its launching. But for the people in the know, having our very own Fil-Am international model Chloe Magno gracing the maiden issue was the perfect choice to start telling the world why the Philippines is the newest fashion frontier.
Besides being a Vogue favorite in Japan, Korea and the UK, she is also a regular face for luxury brands such as Balenciaga. So starring in her own country’s Vogue just made her teary-eyed.
“It is different to bring this back home and do it here,” said Chloe. “It was pure heart and love.” Chloe was photographed by British Filipino-Egyptian Sharif Hamza in the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and wearing creations by local designers, too.
It’s a collective effort to introduce who we are in the global community. We spoke to the team led by editor-in-chief Bea Valdes about how Vogue Philippines will distinguish itself from the Vogue editions in other countries.
“The maiden issue explores the concept of identity — what it is to be fashioned and shaped by our environment, our landscapes and by the people we cherish,” said she. “It speaks of sustainable mindsets, in our own terms. It is filled with hometown heroes and global dreams all seen through Vogue’s unique lens,” she said.
Suki Salvador, president of MEGA Global Licensing, Inc., added, “This has been 30 years hard. The talks started out during the pandemic in 2020. The negotiations to bring Vogue in the country, it has been two years old. This is really our contribution from the Philippines to the world and it fills my heart with joy that we are on that level, we are Vogue, we can.”
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