So fresh, so clean: YStyle in the year 2014

MANILA, Philippines - As you may have noticed, there have been a couple of changes around here. Last year was a pretty good year for us — we threw a bitchin’ anniversary party with Joey Samson, produced a 10-minute documentary and magazine that chronicled the beginnings of the section (anecdotes about guerrilla shoots in Manila and DIY covers abounded), staged the amazing #CuttingAge fashion show together with Olay and of course, had the swankiest Christmas party ever with free valet for all our guests and half a million pesos worth of raffle prizes and giveaways. However, it was also the end of an era as we said good-bye to our former editor, Bea Ledesma, who had been with the section for nearly a decade.

As we bid sayonara to Bea (or the “old hags,” as she would’ve said) we welcome the new YStyle editor, Regina Belmonte, along with two additional members to the team: creative director David Milan, and contributing fashion editor Carla Villanueva. From the get-go, this brand-new team has been brimming new ideas, new projects, new goals for the section. Here we were, a bunch of friends in their mid-twenties who’ve known each other for years, suddenly entrusted with our very own newspaper section. This is probably what it must have felt like when Tita Millet Mananquil gave Celine Lopez, then in her early twenties, full creative control over her brainchild: a fashion section specifically dedicated to young people.

However, unlike Celine, we aren’t starting with a blank slate: we’re building on a decade’s worth of tradition. Art and fashion collaborations were a huge part of YStyle and always will be. This is seen most clearly with our monthly collaborations with various artists on our logo, which we’ve decided to continue with a slight modification: not only will our monthly artist collabs result in a new logo, but also in a special art/fashion editorial. Mano Gonzales, our artist for January, is the first one we’ve tried this concept out with and we’re incredibly excited to present his collaboration with Carla and photographer Ralph Mendoza in this week’s issue.

Last week, we also launched a brand-new monthly section called “Color Me Obsessed,” in which we talk about things we love that aren’t necessarily related to fashion or beauty, just to prove a point: we love fashion and beauty, but our worlds don’t revolve around them. In fact, by looking outside fashion and beauty once in a while, you may find new inspirations. We’re also bringing back a familiar voice to the section: writer Hannah Cruz’s. Technically, she’s been there all along, having written for YStyle  during Celine’s time, but now, we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her writing for us regularly again. Apart from Hannah, expect a wider variety of contributors to the section. We’re always on the lookout for people who could be “a voice of a generation” and if you think you’ve got it, feel free to send us an e-mail or a message on Facebook. No need to approach any of us at a bar — just find @ItsOnYStyle on Twitter or Instagram or add YStylePhilstar on Facebook. You can also send your portfolio to YStyle@philstar.net.ph.

The same goes for other collaborators: designers, photographers, stylists, makeup artists and hair stylists and artists. We’d love to see your work, so much so that perhaps sometime this year (hopefully sooner, rather than later), we’ll be holding a casual go-see of sorts to meet new talent. YStyle has always prided itself on finding and promoting new talent (Joey Samson and Everywhere We Shoot didn’t discover themselves, you know) and we’re looking forward to meeting a whole new crop this year.

Of course, we can’t think of everything by ourselves — if there’s anything or anyone you want to see in our pages, please feel free to leave a comment, tweet, e-mail or direct message. The whole #girlsgoneYSTYLE campaign is really all about beefing up our social media presence because honestly, all we want to say is: We’re much easier to reach than you think and we promise, we’re listening.

So, excited yet?

Photos by EVERYWHERE WE SHOOT, Produced by DAVID MILAN, Sittings by REGINA BELMONTE, CAI SUBIJANO and CARLA VILLANUEVA, Makeup by MAYESA DE LOS SANTOS, PIA REYES, EMMAN CONCEPCION and ANTHEA BUENO of MAC Hair by DAN MARK MENDEZ, BEJAY ONG and KENNETH AGBAYANI of Bench Fix