Gwen wears a LOUIS VUITTON top, trousers, shoes, and earrings. Photographed by Renzo Navarro for the November 2024 Issue of Vogue Philippines
From her humble beginnings in Bicol to the global stage, BINI’s Gwen Apuli has always believed that hard work eventually comes back to you.
Before BINI, Gwen Apuli used to model in her hometown of Albay, Bicol. This is apparent in the way she commands her body on set of the P-pop girl group’s firstVogue Philippines shoot, each movement intentional in front of the camera. With the shoot’s style inspired by ’60s mod, the girls take a break from their usual image, donning bobbed wigs of varying shapes and cuts.
The octet keeps the atmosphere lighthearted. “We’re all Gwen today,” jokes one member. (The bob resembles Gwen’s trademark hairstyle.) “Today, I’m channeling my inner Gwen,” jabs another.
After her time on the local reality TV show Pinoy Big Brother, the Bicolano performer was recruited as a trainee for the Star Hunt Academy, the program responsible for creating what many now call the “Nation’s Girl Group.” Gwen was one of the first chosen for the project, as revealed by manager MQ Mallari in the first chapter of Born To Win, a three-part docuseries. Initially unsure about pursuing this path, she took some time to reflect before rejoining the Academy prior to their official launch in mid-2019.
The program was rigorous and extensive. On top of having to live away from their families, the girls trained for hours on end under the guidance of both local and Korean coaches to prepare for their debut. Then, the pandemic hit in early 2020. There was the lockdown, and then the ABS-CBN shutdown. Amid uncertainties of the group’s future, Gwen learned to just trust the process. “And also, trust God’s timing,” she adds. “For me, as long as you work hard, even if the process feels really slow, all the hard work will eventually come back to you.”
“It’s a good kind of pressure. We take it as motivation to do better in what we’re doing.”
And it did: In 2024, BINI amassed over 5 million monthly listeners and becoming the most streamed OPM artist on Spotify Philippines. They also became the first Filipino act to perform on the stage at the KCON music festival in Los Angeles. Beyond breaking records, Gwen reaped sweeter rewards. Raised by a single mother alongside her four brothers, Gwen grew up familiar with financial struggle, but now, she’s finally able to support and give back to her family. And in June, she was able to fly her whole family out to Manila to watch her in BINI’s first-ever solo concert held in the New Frontier Theater.
The ‘BINIverse’ tour took the group across cities in and beyond the Philippines, including Cebu, Baguio, Vancouver, and Toronto, drawing fans at every stop. The sheer size of the crowds and the supporters who recognize them even on the streets abroad still leaves them in awe. “Until now, honestly, we’re still not used to it. I think one factor is that we’re pandemic babies. So, we’re used to it just being us and the cameras. We couldn’t really see how the Blooms were growing during the pandemic. So now, when we’re finally seeing them at our live shows, and seeing just how many they are and how much they’ve grown, we still can’t believe it.”
On and off stage, Gwen is known to be steadfast and strong, too. Many of the girls turn to her for a sense of calm; Jhoanna seeks her out when she needs quiet, and Sheena, who was also her fellow Pinoy Big Brother housemate, goes to her when she wants someone to lean on.
“The pressure is always there. It shows up in so many ways; it’s something that doesn’t really go away,” Gwen laughs. “But it’s a good kind of pressure. We take it as motivation to do better in what we’re doing, in our craft, to keep growing.”
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By BIANCA CUSTODIO. Cover Story by GABY GLORIA. Photographs by RENZO NAVARRO. Fashion Director PAM QUIÑONES. Beauty Editor JOYCE OREÑA. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Makeup: Carell Garcia, Julius Cabanisas, Mark Qua, Theresa Padin. Hair: Bill Watson and Cherry Reyes of Toni &Guy. Art Director: Jann Pascua. Production Design: Justine Bumanlag. Executive Producer: Anz Hizon. Associate Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Beauty Writer: Bianca Custodio. Nails: Extraordinail. Digital Associate Editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Digital Content Writer: Daphne Sagun. Multimedia Artist: Tinkerbell Poblete. Photographer’s Assistant: Alexis Wang, Dominic Pamatmat. Stylist’s Assistants: Neil de Guzman, Ticia Almazan. Hair Assistants: Glenda Eugenio, John Al-rey Valencia, Lindsay Agapito, Noel Muncada. Production Design Assistants: Gabrielle Mantala, Geber Cunanan, Jan Abal, Jonel Navarro, Olderico Bondoc. Shot on location at Balara Content Studio.
