See the most head-turning style moments from Manila’s rising creatives at the celebration of Vogue Philippines’ May cover stars.
Mondays are not usually reserved for parties, but nothing about the 32 creatives of Vogue Philippines’ May cover is usual. This crop of digital natives is dictating the zeitgeist and challenging the norms by championing inclusivity, diversity, and collaboration across their respective fields, from fashion and entertainment to art and sports. Celebrating these emerging creatives requires a party that defies the status quo: taking a cue from the Met Gala and iconic Studio 54 parties, Vogue Philippines hosted a party on a Monday night with Manila’s rising young talents at Revel at The Palace in Bonifacio Global City.
Following the theme of “upcycling,” guests attended in their most creative re-wear and upcycled attire. There was no shortage of impactful style moments, from Chumason Njigha’s wedding dress-inspired all-white ensemble to Max Gutierrez going with the accessory of the Spring/Summer 2023 runway season, updating an old top with bows. Designers Daphne Chao and Rio Estuar went for pieces from their own clothing lines that used upcycled materials. All have one thing in common: they were pushing forward the boundaries of style.
Below, have a look at the best-dressed personalities of the night.
1/10Andrea Ang
“I’ve been wanting to do a Schiaparelli DIY and thought this would be perf,” wrote Andrea Ann on her Instagram story about her look for the night, which was a thrifted blazer from Thriftstetic with earrings from vintage jewelry store Souvenir and thrifted vintage door knockers sewn on by NPC Studios. She added a surrealist touch with a painting of an eye and a mouth on her hand inspired by a design by Paulina Paige Ortega.
- 2/10
Bea Marin
For her upcycled attire, Bea Marin accessorized an old dress she owned with an It’s Vintage jacket, a JOS Mundo necklace, and a ceramic box purse that Marin crafted herself. “I actually looked at the color of this and it matches,” she said of her accessories.
- 3/10
Chumason Njigha
Chumason Njigha’s attire was inspired by Dennis Rodman wearing a wedding dress while promoting his memoir Bad As I Wanna Be in 1996. The model wore an embroidered white mesh top, white wide-legged pants with a denim belt, and a lace veil wrapped around his head.
- 4/10
Daphne Chao
Cover personality Daphne Chao’s look was like no other; in fact, she revealed to Vogue Philippines that she made her look on the day of the event itself. “This is actually from our upcoming brand that we haven’t released yet,” Chao revealed. “So the top I just made today. And also the bag, I just made from the scrap yarns that I had left. And then the scrap that I have from here [the bag], I just put in my hair.”
- 5/10
Jason Dhakal
R&B artist Jason Dhakal chose to wear local brands Toqa and JOS Mundo, stating that “they’re brands that I know use upcycling in more different ways.” When asked about his inspiration, Dhakal revealed what he called his only agenda: “I really just wanted to be in a dress.”
- 6/10
Karina and Kamila Zhorabekova
“We were inspired by Wednesday [Addams],” revealed the content creator twins, who came to the event in matching black pilgrim collared dresses with patent leather shoes and black and white animal print sunglasses. “We just decided to be more serious with a black outfit.”
- 7/10
Max Gutierrez
Bows were the highlight of Max Gutierrez’s outfit, which was also the upcycled element of her attire. The upcycled top was paired with a Vania Romoff skirt. “I was styled by MJ Benitez,” shared Gutierrez. “I feel good!”
- 8/10
Rio Estuar
Rio Estuar embodied the theme of upcycling from head to toe with her clothing line. “I am wearing my own design from RIOTaso. Literally everything I’m wearing, up until my shoes, are upcycled fabrics that I created,” shares Estuar. “All in all, I’m wearing over two million small pieces of fabric scraps upcycled into the entire outfit.”
- 9/10
Siobhan Moylan
Filipino-Irish model Siobhan Moylan arrived at the event in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton that reflected her personal style, from her crop top and monogrammed skirt to the monogrammed Loop handbag, her hoop earrings and boots. “I feel good, I feel luxurious,” said Moylan when asked how she felt at the event. “And the boots, I always wear boots!”
- 10/10
Zild Benitez
Musician Zild’s look is reminiscent of the 2000s My Chemical Romance “Welcome To The Black Parade” style, but updated: from the smoked-out eyeliner to the striped black ensemble, accessorized with safety pins and metal studs; to the black skirt and leg warmers and the chunky black metal studded shoes.
