What Went On During Vogue's Monday Night Out

Vogue Philippines threw a weekday bash in celebration of the 32 talents on our May 2023 cover story.

On a Monday night, three weeks into May, one hardly expects to find bright young creatives and tastemakers gathering together to enjoy good music and eat pizza—although cool titas and titos would remember that one of the most happening parties of the aughts took place on a Monday at Embassy Cuisine. Within the sparkly walls of luxury lounge Revel at The Palace in Bonifacio Global City, Vogue Philippines brought back that unexpected weekstart twist to revelry, a perfect recipe for an evening to remember. 

Rising young talents across a variety of fields, from fashion to music, art to athletics, got together to celebrate the May 2023 issue of Vogue Philippines and have a good time. Each of the featured individuals went home with a fragrance from Jo Malone.

For many attendees, the event was hardly part of their usual routine. Such was especially true for two of the featured creatives, Matt San Pedro and Daphne Chao. “I never thought I’d be in Revel!” San Pedro joked, following that being on the cover story of Vogue Philippines wasn’t exactly in their cards either. 

“I was so surprised!” Chao said, upon seeing herself on the cover and finding out the event was dedicated to them. “To celebrate, to be celebrated, it feels nice. It feels really nice.”

Filipino designer Chris Nick arrived fresh from dressing all the contestants of the recently held Miss Universe Philippines competition. “It was the very first time black has ever been done in a pageant. So it’s part of history,” he shares, amidst the excited chatter and pulsing beats. According to him, the weekday event drew a welcome comparison to another well-known happening. 

“I remember watching this documentary about Studio 54, about how people would go out on the weekdays,” he explained. “So I was like, okay, it’s fun to be out on an actual Monday night for a change.”

At last night’s party, the stylish crowd proved to be a who’s who of Manila’s young creative set. Tasked with the theme “upcycle,” there were no shortages of head-turning fashion moments. Cover stars Juliana Gomez and Siobhan Moylan arrived in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton outfits, while photographer Shaira Luna, who arrived fashionably early, wore a top made out of a pillowcase, thrifted trousers, and a tote bag featuring one of the issue’s young bloods, musician Zild Benitez.

Denim seemed to be the night’s hottest go-to. Lharby Policarpio suited up in a Canadian tuxedo, while actor-couple Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara donned matching jean jackets and skirts, monogrammed with the signature LV logo. Mandy Romero sported a double denim look, while Angel Leighton and Sophia Jharling debuted their own takes on the oversized and distressed pant.

Guests jived to the tunes of Tolo Marvelous, who kicked off the party with familiar upbeat tracks. At half past nine, a parade of waiters promenaded through the party carrying Hennessy shots for everyone—a proper kickoff for the night’s revelry. DJs Javier Pimentel and Hideki Ito followed, taking things up a notch: their signature rave-worthy mixes bringing a fresh edge to the party. 

Just near midnight, the waiters once again took to the floor, this time holding up boxes of pizzas, eliciting welcome cheers from guests. Whether they were drinking gin-and-tonics, ice-cold Heinekens, or teetotaling with non-alcoholic beverages, Yellow Cab pizzas are always welcome. After all, what’s a good night out without good company and a proper slice of ‘za? 

With midnight approaching, the lounge had transformed into a dance floor, corner to corner. From the view above, it was impossible to distinguish one group from the next. Who was from where and who did what didn’t matter on fashion’s Monday night out. 

As with any celebration, the roster of personalities stayed on until night became closer to morning, and thoughts of cocktails turned toward a yearning for tomorrow’s morning coffee. 

Celine Mallari

Contributor

Celine Mallari is a former digital features writer at Vogue Philippines and contributor at GRID Magazine. Her expertise revolve around content writing, community management, customer service, social media management, design, and research. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde where she studied fashion design and merchandising.

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