MANILA, Philippines - In an industry that gets off (and consequently begets) gloss, it’s easy to get blindsided and lost in the shuffle. Which is why it helps to have people around you who can call a spade a spade and see past the bullshit. They will tell you about yourself and the world as it is but share the same verve, passion, and joie de vivre to make it out as how it should be. It’s called collective idealism, like minds thinking alike, birds of the same feather flocking together.
We’ve thus called upon these duos, trios, and collectives from the world of publishing – the names behind some of the most exciting images you see in print and online media who, despite reveling in their industry’s dog-eat-dog proclivities, have got each other’s backs, no matter their position or paycheck. Some started off as friends and eventually became business partners, others found each other through function but ascended into the realm of pure intention. And others, well, it’s just the kind of partnership that fits. Soul mates?
Princess Barretto, 26, set designer; Eizel Nocon, 27, accounts manager; BJ Pascual, 26, photographer
BJ, Eizel, and Princess first worked together on a shirt brand in college. After graduating, the three pursued different paths that eventually crossed when BJ invited Eizel to be his accounts manager, as his career took off. Princess re-entered the picture when she was invited to do the set design for a magazine shoot BJ was doing. Now, their perfectly balanced team is slowly conquering the publishing world, one magazine cover at a time. But what makes their partnership work? “We’re more friends than workmates in a sense that we look after each other,” says Eizel. Things such as cheering each other on during a shoot or supporting someone’s vision illustrate their friendship as a huge key to their success. Photo by BJ Pascual
Thursday Room, Design collective Jill Adolfo, 25; Eldzs Mejia, 24; Soleil Igancio, 25; Chi Jihan, 25; Kris Abrigo, 24; Tokwa Peñaflorida, 25; Fold Canela, 27
Some say that working in big groups can be taxing especially when delegating tasks and making decisions. But Thursday Room proves otherwise. Their team of seven seems to be working on the same wavelength. “Nakakatawa pag nabasa nyo yung mga brief namin sa isa’t isa parang ‘O, alam mo na ‘to.’ Ganun lang laman sya. Tapos gets na nila kung ano laman,” says Eldzs. They have known each other since college, but they only started Thursday Room in 2011 (yes, it was on a Thursday). Since then, they have been illustrating, writing, making films, and doing everything creative for various clients in different industries. This October, they are planning a group exhibit along with a few other creative friends.
Qurator Studio, Team of stylists Cath Sobrevega, 25; Katrina Aquino, 22;Melville Sy, 24; Maita Baello, 26;
Qurator Studio started when acclaimed celebrity stylist and the team’s “mentol” (“mentor-idol,” according to Maita) Pam Quiñones flew to London. When Pam left, she turned her business over to the team of young stylists who once served as her assistants, on projects that ranged from magazine covers to red carpet events. Despite their mentor being cross-continental, the team still knows how to hold down the fort and make the business work. With years of styling experience for #TeamPamQ, they’ve grown into their own and definitely know how to make stars such as Sarah Geronimo, Marian Rivera, and Anne Curtis shine brighter. What’s the secret to making the team work? They divide and conquer tasks, all without losing their sense of fun. “I can’t imagine doing this without them. And we always get excited when we have a project together,” Cath ends.
Paolo Lorenzana, 30, Editor of Bench/BLOG and NOUS Chronicle and Ina Jacobe, 22, intern
Paolo and Ina met in the way a lot of millennials meet new friends: via the Internet. Paolo tweeted about needing interns and Ina responded by submitting a visually-striking résumé. Hers stood out from the bunch and Paolo got her onboard. Their first project together was a shoot in Pampanga, which was, as Paolo said, a baptism of fire for Ina. “It was very spontaneous. She got a feel of how I like to work which is basically I need to feel a shot,” says Paolo. Unlike other mentor-mentee relationships, Ina has the freedom to speak up and share her ideas. But what makes their team work is they complement each other. What the other lacks, the other person fulfills.
RJ Roque, 27, stylist and Elaine Carag, 26, editor of chalk magazine
Elaine and RJ first saw each other during a press conference for Maroon 5’s concert in Manila. Despite not being introduced, the two ended up working together a few months after when another stylist referred RJ to Elaine when a shoot fell through. The duo have been working on shoots for Chalk magazine ever since. What makes their partnership work? “We’re total opposites, that’s what makes (our partnership) click,” says Elaine. While RJ’s indecisiveness extends to the simplest things (like eating a cookie or booking flights), Elaine keeps him on track. But their differences aren’t hindrances; they complement each other, making their partnership a seamless and creative yin-yang. Photos by Joseph Pascual