LITTLE MANILA
Spotted in New York’s ‘Little Manila’, fashion's new favourites Hannah Locsin and Jasmyn Palombo celebrate a moment of elation and excitement with their Filipino comrades. Embracing Filipino culture, it’s a journey of discovery and passion away from home.
Photographer: DANILO HESS
Creative Director: AUDIE UMALI
Stylist: STACEY CUNNINGHAM
Interviewer: JANE ZHENG
With increasing recognition of the AAPI community following recent heartbreaking incidents, every industry, including fashion, has taken a step towards change. The Filipino models who walked on set knew that this was unlike any other shoot they had ever done. This was a rare case in which everyone from the models to the creative director, bonded over one shared feature, their Filipino ethnicity. Thrilled by the opportunity, some drove from miles away to attend, while others arranged risky flight schedules. Thousands of miles away from their homeland, a touching scene of community spirit emerged under New York’s skyline.
From Left:
Jasmyn wears dress COMMES DES GARÇONS, boots REIKE NEN, gloves MARK GONG,
Hannah wears full look DIOR
“We all had one thing in common, but we all looked so different and unique.” Jasmyn Palombo’s words illustrate an undeniable charm of her Filipino family: diversity. Unified by cultural roots, each creative had their own inimitable start to fashion.
From top row, left to right:
Erin wears bodysuit and shorts CHENG, Monika wears jacket DIYAR, Monica wears jacket DIYAR, Joshua wears top HARDCORE FASHION, Nicholas wears all LANDEROS
From middle row, left to right:
Gayeanne wears top LANDEROS, skirt A.POTTS COLLECTION, Angelica wears top LORY SUN, trousers LANDEROS, Jasmyn wears dress MELITTA BAUMEISTER, Hannah wears dress COMME DES GARÇONS, Sandra wears blouse QUOD NEWYORK, corset LORY SUN, trousers STEVEN DAVIS NEW YORK
From bottom row, left to right:
Alexander wears all LANDEROS, Zeus wears jacket GEOFFREY MAC, shorts STEVEN DAVIS, Siobhan wears all LANDEROS, Andrew wears all STEVEN DAVIS NEW YORK
From Top:
Zeus wears suit GEOFFREY MAC,
Centre-front:
Gayeanne wears top LANDEROS, Monica wears jacket DIYAR,
Bottom-left:
Andrew wears top STEVEN DAVIS NEW YORK,
Bottom-right:
Erin wears top CHENG
From Left:
Angelica wears top LORY SUN, trousers LANDEROS, boots ANGEL CHEN,
Sandra wears top QUOD NEW YORK, corset LORY SUN, trousers STEVEN DAVIS, boots ROSSI
Monica wears suit BAJA EAST, top CALVIN KLEIN
From Left:
Siobhan wears jacket DIYAR, dress KENTINA,
Joshua wears jacket KENTINA, shirt ALEXANDRO FRATELLI
From Left:
Alexander wears jacket and trousers MERCY X MANKIND,
Angelica wears top MARK GONG, skirt KENTINA, boots ANGEL CHEN,
Sandra wears cloak and skirt HYKE, gloves MARK GONG, heels TIBI,
Nicholas wears overcoat KENTINA, trousers GOODFIGHT, boots MODEL'S OWN
From left:
Nicholas wears coat ANGEL CHEN, top IVY KIRK, trousers HYKE,
Alexander wears coat and top KENZO
From left:
Zeus wears coat and trousers A. POTTS COLLECTION, shoes DR MARTEN’S,
Gayeanne wears top and skirt TIBI, boots REIKE NEN
Hannah wears dress COMME DES GARÇONS, gloves MARK GONG
Jasmyn wears dress MELITTA BAUMEISTER, sandals DR MARTEN’S
Like some other members of the group, model Hannah Locsin, grew up in the Philippines. With a rather shy personality in her teenage years, she never thought her hidden love for fashion would lead to an appearance in Gucci’s Spring Summer 2020 campaign. “Modelling isn’t a conventional job – there’s a lot of uncertainties in it and also the constant scrutiny that my parents wanted to protect me from,” she explains. For a certain period of her university life, Locsin kept it as a secret from her parents, using school projects as an excuse. But true passion can’t hide forever, and her seriousness led to an encouraging triumph: “my parents are now so supportive in what I do.”
Jasmyn wears dress MELITTA BAUMEISTER gloves LADY FINCH, loafers ANGEL CHEN
Half Filipino, Italian, and Irish, the twenty-one-year-old model, Jasmyn Palombo, experienced a relatively contrasting upbringing in Oahu Surrounded and inspired by nature, she spent days on the beach, and often painted for hours in her imaginative world. After being scouted at age of eighteen in Hawaii, she discovered that modelling was simply another artistic outlet. “From when I was a little girl, my whole family believed that I could be good for [modelling], except my dad,” she laments about her father’s worries. Although located on the other side of the globe, Palombo faced similar issues in the early stages of her career, but again, “when he saw me accomplishing things he never thought could happen, he became really proud of my journey so far.”
Hannah wears coat MARGOT 92, top and shorts TIBI, glasses AKOBI
Gathered from various backgrounds, they’ve come to a consensus that the pandemic has collectively (and unsurprisingly) become one of the more unforgettable chapters in their lives. “I came off such a great high finishing fashion week with Miu Miu only for everything to stop in a few weeks,” Locsin remarks, remembering the time she was trapped during quarantine and forced to halt her blooming career. But never one to back down, she packed and boarded a one-way flight to New York in the midst of a global crisis with courage and ambition. Re-fueling life and energy to her temporarily paused career, she recalls this experience with no regret.
From top:
Andrew wears sweater TIBI, trousers GOODFIGHT, shoes DR MARTEN’S,
Joshua wears cardigan HYKE, top FRISSON KNITS, shorts DIYAR
Reflecting on the pandemic, the determined community offers only words of inspiration and gratitude. “It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and whirlwind… I think the pandemic has allowed all of us to pause for a minute and reflect on the state of our lives.”, says Audie Umali, the creative director behind the scenes of this sensational project. Palombo shares Umali’s point of view, “the pandemic influenced me to appreciate my career more.” Despite facing undeniable adversities in the fashion industry, Palombo declares a reassuring statement with bravery and love: “I would much rather be taking pictures in the craziest locations than be sitting at an office desk for hours.”
From left:
Monika and Siobhan wear full look BAJA EAST
When asked about Filipino representation in the fashion industry, promising answers were heard. “Pursuing a career in the fashion industry is just hard in general, Filipino or not, because it is highly competitive, and known to be an exclusive one at that,” Umali reveals the truth. If you have the talent, anything should be possible. But when Locsin first entered the industry, it was common to see a limited number of Asians in the lineups. “I remember seeing this one brand only having five Asians”, she recalls. With fashion’s constant Western domination, it wasn’t until the damages of recent events that these talents were given the spotlight equally.
From left:
Sandra wears dress WIEDERHOEFT, top IVY KIRK, skirt CHENG,
Gayeanne wears dress QUOD NEW YORK,
Monika wears corset LORY SUN,
Angelica wears dress WIEDERHOEFT
The conversation ended on a positive note with Palombo sharing that “more and more every day, I see the Filipino community being represented and it makes me happy because I’ve always felt like we’ve been unnoticed”. Wholeheartedly agreeing, Umali declared, “Everyday, we are seeing more and more Filipinos accomplishing great things… the future of Filipinos in fashion looks very promising!”
Sharing the same emotions, Locsin presents her hopes to the fashion industry. “I know there are so many talented Filipinos in the industry that are just waiting to be seen.” Hand in hand, smiling, this Filipino collective exemplifies heartwarming perseverance in a time we most need it. Acknowledging the boundless potential of this irreplaceable community, it’s now their turn to shine.
This story was published in The WOW N° 5.
Issue5 available now.
Photographer: DANILO HESS @ RAY BROWN
Creative Director: AUDIE UMALI
Stylist: STACEY CUNNINGHAM @ SEE MGMT
Hair: TAKUYA YAMAGUCHI using R+CO
Make-up: CHICHI SAITO using GLOSSIER @ ART DEPT
Casting Director: ERIC CANO
Photography Assistants: MIKE STEWART & JAMES YARSUSINSKY
Production Assistant: MARK PETER TIONGCO
Stylist Assistant: DEIRDRE GLUSSICH
Hair Assistant: MIO NISHINO
Make-up Assistant: CRYSTAL CARRERO
Models: JASMYN PALOMBO @ DNA, HANNAH LOCSIN @ SUPREME, MONIKA STA MARIA @ ONE, SANDRA DIOLA @ INDUSTRY, GAYEANNE HAZLEWOOD @ INDUSTRY, SIOBHAN MOYLAN @ NOMAD, ERIN D @ BICOASTAL, ANGELICA DE JESUS, ALEXANDER MACULAM, NICHOLAS MACULAM @ KEV MGMT, ZEUS ROCANCOURT @ NEXT, ANDREW TROY @ HEROES & JOSHUA SMOOT @ MAJOR