00:00 Well, it's been a year since Vogue Philippines landed in the Philippines.
00:02 The iconic fashion magazine, sprinkled with Filipino flair, has been telling stories about
00:07 the country's rich culture, diversity, and seen stealing talent in the fashion and beauty
00:12 industry and marking this milestone with us.
00:15 We speak with the editor-in-chief of Vogue Philippines, Bea Valdez.
00:18 Good morning to you, Bea.
00:19 Always a pleasure.
00:20 So nice to see you this morning, Kris.
00:24 Have you recovered?
00:25 I am in the state of recovery right now.
00:28 Have you recovered from the year and from the gala?
00:31 Trying, trying.
00:33 Really, really happy to be here.
00:35 I think it was, it's been a monumental year and we just launched the September issue,
00:40 which is the most important issue for us of this year.
00:44 And then of course the gala that we had a few nights ago, which we were so happy to
00:48 share with people.
00:49 I know.
00:50 Well, let's break it down a little bit.
00:51 I know we had you here on set during your maiden issue.
00:57 And you know, maybe now looking back, were there any apprehensions on your part?
01:01 Of course you couldn't say that, you know, but it's like, am I really going to do this?
01:06 And then, you know, now a year later.
01:08 Yeah, I think obviously when we came here the first time and I've said this before,
01:12 it was full of promise, right?
01:14 Things that we had hoped to do, things that we had dreamt that we would do with designers
01:19 and other creatives.
01:21 And I think throughout the year, slowly working with people, we have been able to accomplish
01:28 a lot of the things we set out to do.
01:30 But again, it is because we have filled the pages of the magazine with Filipino stories.
01:35 And I think that way it has been such a real joy to do all of that.
01:41 I mean, you've definitely, thank you Vogue Philippines for putting us on the map globally
01:45 once again.
01:46 And with all of your issues, we became the talk of the world, you know, with who you
01:53 put on the issues.
01:54 Are you allowed to have a favorite one?
01:56 Looking back and all the covers or issues that you have, I always...
01:59 Is it a child?
02:00 Are you allowed?
02:01 I always say my favorite one is the next one.
02:04 And I think that's a really good mindset also for the team to be able to understand that
02:08 every story is important for us.
02:10 And like you said, I think we have been able to discover that you can tell one person's
02:16 story and that this can provoke a global conversation like with Wang Od.
02:21 And I think at the time there were 43 million global impressions with over 80 international
02:30 pickups from news outlets.
02:31 So it was so wonderful to know that people were curious and that these ideas resonate
02:39 globally as well.
02:40 Well, of course, it takes your talented and creative eye to put these things together.
02:47 I mean, you know, I would not have thought, you know, but you have this amazing forward
02:55 thinking enough to do this.
02:58 The Gala event, few nights ago, was it a few nights ago?
03:04 Let's relive that night.
03:07 Well, I think one of the things like when you were saying about having a creative eye,
03:12 actually it's many, many creative eyes.
03:14 So it's like a whole team, the management team as well is very supportive and visionary.
03:19 So in terms of the Gala and the exhibit that followed, it was actually so many people's
03:25 collective ideas coming together.
03:28 And what we wanted to do was begin with a dinner that really was a Thanksgiving dinner
03:34 to be able to spend it with friends, colleagues from the industry, and people who have just
03:38 been so supportive the whole year.
03:41 And this was taking them through a journey again through Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,
03:45 through the creative geniuses of Margarita Forrest, our chefs from Shangri-La, Carlos
03:50 Huerta, and Chef Joris Riken.
03:53 And we had, I think, a sinigang to begin with.
03:57 I remember.
03:58 I can still taste it.
03:59 I mean, it was absolutely delicious.
04:00 And as you said, people actually wanted to go back and have more of the dessert, right?
04:05 I was like, "Let's go back to the dessert."
04:07 But you also had, okay, after that wonderful dinner and of course the beautiful setup that
04:12 happened in the ballroom, you also had the cocktails.
04:16 And then that's where you had your common threads.
04:19 So after that, actually, we led all of the guests into a big exhibition space that we
04:23 did at the Shangri-La Grand Ballroom.
04:25 And what it was called was Common Threads, and it was about recreating fashion.
04:29 So these ideas of upcycling, of honoring homespun craft to couture, and marrying all of these
04:40 ideas that are not unfamiliar to the Filipino and just presenting them in a new and exciting
04:44 way to the public.
04:45 And speaking of exciting, okay, so 365 days is out.
04:49 You made an issue.
04:50 You were talking about wanting to discover our identity, the Filipino identity, the fashion,
04:57 and trying to connect it with nature and our environment.
05:00 Where are we now in our second year?
05:03 Well, I made an issue as well.
05:06 What we always want to do is to be able to, I think, reframe fashion's relationship with
05:10 nature.
05:11 And in that way, we also refashion our connections with each other.
05:15 And ultimately, what we want to do is celebrate the way that Filipinos see themselves.
05:20 So I think we try and do that through fashion, through food, through music, and all the stories
05:25 that we have on our pages.
05:27 Okay, so our September issue is out.
05:30 Yes, it is out.
05:32 So once that, okay, once we get over that hurdle, what's next?
05:35 I mean, I have to cram everything in in like five minutes, but what's next for Vogue for
05:41 this year?
05:42 Well, we continue to tell important Filipino stories, and I think we will always do that.
05:46 I think what's exciting for us is this capacity now to build bridges from the Filipinos to
05:52 the rest of the world.
05:53 And what's great is that information and influence then flows both ways.
05:59 How excited are you?
06:00 Absolutely.
06:01 Absolutely.
06:02 We have much to look forward to.
06:06 Well, we are lucky to have you at the helm guiding us, and we can also look forward to
06:11 the issues and the stories that you have to put out each month.
06:16 You have the hard job.
06:17 We have the wonderful job of just reaping it.
06:19 Thank you so much, Kaya, for joining us this morning here on Uday.
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