Members of the editorial team, namely fashion director Pam Quiñones, beauty editor Joyce Oreña, art director Jann Pascua, and producer Anz Hizon flew in to meet the aspiring models. Photo by Alberto Papparotto
Photo by Alberto Papparotto
Embracing the rich tapestry of Mindanao’s heritage, Vogue Philippines’ first on-ground initiative of Vogue Faces champions diversity, representation, and redefining beauty standards.
Representation, participation, and inclusivity were the prevalent points of conversation at the Vogue Philippines Mindanao casting call. Held last January 4 at the Dusit D2 Hotel Davao, it was the first on-ground initiative of Vogue Faces. A favorite among both business and leisure travelers, the hotel’s prime location near the Francisco Bangoy International Airport made it the appropriate choice, as Vogue Philippines attempts to connect different islands of the country to the entire world.
Apart from discovering beautiful and diverse faces from various parts of Mindanao, it was the abundance of inspiring stories that fueled the Vogue team’s purpose for storytelling beyond the bounds of fashion.
The dialogue was invaluable: Vogue Philippines saw Filipinos take pride in their heritage, traditions, and origins, all in part of a greater narrative of redefining and challenging the so-called “ideals” and “standards” of beauty today. Members of the editorial team, namely fashion director Pam Quiñones, beauty editor Joyce Oreña, art director Jann Pascua, and producer Anz Hizon flew in to meet the aspiring models.
Beyond redefining beauty, the open casting call is a platform for diverse Filipino stories. “Through Vogue Faces, we are getting closer to our dream of creating a space where we can tell our own stories and represent our more than 7,000 islands through their own voices,” Joyce Oreña says.
For Pam Quiñones, a native of Cotobato, it was a particularly personal endeavor: “Vogue Faces is an open casting call that hopes to discover and represent faces and stories from all over the Philippines. Growing up in Mindanao, fashion has always felt Manila-centric, and it was uncommon to see and read about people outside the capital in fashion magazines.”
Quiñones continues, “To have Vogue begin its first leg in Mindanao and meet new faces from different backgrounds and hear about their unique stories was heartwarming. These are some of the stories, traditions and cultures I grew up with and it’s truly meaningful that they’re now represented. We also met a few aspiring fashion designers who are representative of the new creative spirit of Davao.”
Vogue Philippines aspires to have more casting call destinations to truly be able to represent Filipinos from diverse backgrounds. By featuring models of various ethnicities, body types, genders, and ages, the industry can better represent the diverse population it serves and contribute to a sense of belonging for individuals from various backgrounds. The modeling industry, like any other, has a responsibility to mirror the world as it is.
Visit the Dusit D2 Hotel Davao website for more information on the hotel and its current offerings.
