Best Foot Forward: Dr. Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas, Antoinette Jadaone, and Chynna Beverly Lim on The Pursuit of Self-Discovery

Three women talk about the passions that raised them, the purpose that guides them, and how they express both through VIVAIA’s Fall-Winter 2026 collection

For board-certified dermatologist Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas, MD, filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone, and fashion creator Chynna Beverly Lim, individuality isn’t shaped by their careers but by the fervor that emerges through their work.

Continuing this two-part collaboration, in partnership with footwear brand VIVAIA, these three women look back on how they discovered a deeper connection with their individuality through their careers. From the people who nurtured their passions to challenges that sharpened their resolve, the three also recall how VIVAIA’s RE:WORK campaign allowed them to express their personalities comfortably in style.

Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas, MD

Despite growing up in a family of medical professionals, Dr. Robredo-Vitas recalls that following in their footsteps was initially the last thing she wanted to do. “When I went to college, I specifically chose a non-pre-med course. But even then, I found myself gravitating towards medicine. So, I would say that I wasn’t really forced to pursue it, and that I just eventually decided that that’s what I wanted,” she says.

Moving into the city to take on dermatology, however, came with the pressure of proving her potential, not necessarily to her peers and relatives, but more so with herself. “My biggest fear was not being good enough, not knowing or achieving enough, or eventually being exposed as less capable than people believed I was,” the doctor says. “I don’t think that fear has disappeared completely, but what changed was the way I responded to it; I learned to prepare thoroughly, ask for help, and focus more on the quality of work.”

Embodying this renewed sense of confidence and intention was said to not only reflect through her work in and out of the clinic, but also in how she styles herself, particularly her footwear. “My day involves many hours of standing and moving from consultation to procedures, so comfort is genuinely non-negotiable. So I find it very fortunate that brands like VIVAIA exist, that put comfort and style in one design,” she adds.

While she’s seen styling the VIVAIA’s Addison slingback heels, Dr. Robredo-Vitas also notes that discovering the brand actually started at work. “A lot of my residents wear VIVAIA shoes. It’s grown in popularity because at conferences, they want to look good, but they’re also walking the whole day. So a lot of them, actually all of them, are in VIVAIA Mary Janes,” she explains.

Between educating her viewers and students on medical principles and creating lasting relationships with her clients, Dr. Robredo-Vitas shares how being a dermatologist has shown her that the most life-changing lessons don’t have to be the most life-threatening. “Skin is a visible condition that can affect how someone feels about themselves, how they interact with other people, and whether they feel comfortable with being seen. We’re not treating organs, but we are treating something closely connected to identity, confidence, and how a person faces the world,” she says.

Antoinette Jadaone

Before Jadaone sat in the director’s chair, she initially wanted to be a courtside reporter. However, her exposure to the camera made her realize just how much more she could do behind it, leading her to shift courses and pursue the industry head-on. “I had the same mindset from before until now, as an Aries,” she shares. “I was really a go-getter, and if I had a goal, I’d make sure I get there no matter what.”

Over time, she reflects that building her confidence to become a film director was as much a collaboration with her friends and family as it was with her co-writers and film crew today. “I didn’t have so much confidence in myself, but the people around me saw my potential to the point where it felt like they had more belief in my stories than I did,” Jadaone details. “Years later, when I would make more films and had more collaborators working with me, those moments made me realize the confidence I had in myself as well.”

As she would go on to bring stories such as Alone/Together, That Thing Called Tadhana, and Sunshine to the cinema, her career later allowed her to explore her personal passions for travel, while also finding new footwear that could last her a shoot day. “I went to Tokyo, and I saw this long line inside the mall. I was at first wondering if it had something to do with BTS or something, but it turns out it was a pop-up store for VIVAIA,” she recalls.

Jadaone also describes how the designs she tried on reflected what she needed for her profession, not only in moving through sets and coordinating with her team, but also in extending her personality as a director. “When I travel, I usually go for open-toed shoes, but even then, I found pairs in VIVAIA that make my preferences look just as stylish as they are comfortable. You can match it with whatever playfulness that I have with my top or my jeans or my skirt,” Jadaone adds.

In a time when films can now be shot, edited, and published on smartphones, Jadaone hopes that young creators can feel just as empowered to tell their stories and to create lasting connections through collaboration. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop being a filmmaker. As long as I can still write and think of a story, I’ll keep making them. I do hope that the next generation finds their genuine love for Filipino cinema the way I have. Before being a filmmaker, it really helps if you are a Filipino film lover first,” she adds.

Chynna Beverly Lim

As far back as she can remember, Lim believes that she was born into fashion. “My love for fashion is really just intrinsic and second nature, but it was well nurtured by my mom having so much literature around and just being exposed to that world,” she says.

Exploring her style was done alongside her continued exposure to the industry as well, having interned for retail in her teens and developing her creative eye as a personal stylist after university. Becoming a full-time fashion creator, however, was said to be a decision that she didn’t enter into frivolously, saying, “I remember telling myself repeatedly when I was starting that if I have the good fortune of turning content creation into my full-time career, that I will treat it like a nine-to-five.”

For Lim, creating an internal structure was also her way of ensuring her creative process can adapt to the ever-changing demands of social media. “When I started on Instagram, I was just posting photo carousels of my outfits for people to take inspiration from. Of course, it’s changed now, because the algorithm demanded Reels and more creative content, but that was really the point of what I wanted to do: to be of service,” Lim explains.

Discovering brands that she would later recommend to her audience was based on personal criteria that placed comfort and versatility at the top of her list, recalling how this led her to VIVAIA’s first store opening in the Philippines. “When I first tried their footwear, I was surprised by how comfortable they are because you normally don’t associate comfort with ballet flats,” she remarks. “So I was really, really impressed with their products that they became something I happily recommended to my friends, family, and followers.”

As Lim continues to express her evolving sense of style on social media, she remains rooted in keeping herself disciplined and open to fashion’s equally volatile landscape. “Trust in your gut, trust in your creative instinct, but also have the discipline to pull through. I know it may sound silly, but the algorithm will always reward frequency. 
So there really needs to be a foundation of discipline and structure to your creativity,” she says.

Discovering one’s individuality remains a throughline for how Dr. Robredo-Vitas, Jadaone, and Lim paved their professional narratives, a detail that VIVAIA’s creative directorCreative DirectorThe person who sets the overall visual vision of a fashion house, publication, or campaign and guides designers, photographers, and stylists toward it. A creative director's influence shapes collections, imagery,Go to Creative Director Glossary Alan Buanne says has served as a guiding principle for his own. “Over the years, I’ve learned that everyone’s story is multifaceted. There is the professional identity we present to the world, but beneath that is something much more instinctive and personal. Ultimately, our experiences are human ones, and I think good design has to recognize that complexity,” he explains.

Expressed throughout VIVAIA’s RE:WORK campaign, Buanne also details how self-expression should not be left outside environments that limit it. “Growing up in such a creative environment taught me that expression is everything. Because of that, when someone sees one of my designs, I hope there is something distinctive about it, something unique but still tasteful. For me, that sense of individuality is what makes an object feel special,” says Buanne.

Visit VIVAIA Philippines’ official stores in Trinoma, Glorietta 4, Power Plant Mall, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, Festival Mall, and Ayala Center Cebu (opening on October 13) to view the RE:WORK collection. Visit VIVAIA on Facebook and Instagram to learn more.