To celebrate creativity, craftmanship and Filipino stories, Vogue Philippines takes its readers on a journey of the three main islands of the Philippine archipelago — Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, in their maiden issue this September 2022.

Vogue Philippines Editor-in-Chief Bea Valdes chose her roots to showcase the beautiful islands of the Philippines.

“Our hope was guided by the Filipino values of Malasakit (deep empathy), Bayanihan (community), and optimism that define so much of our culture,” Valdes wrote on her social media account.

Vogue Philippines invited Sharif Hamza, a British-Filipino-Egyptian photographer, and Chol Magno, a Filipino-American model, to celebrate Filipino roots as islanders and explore how they are connected, and not separated by water, she added.

Valdes is a luxury accessories designer, classified in fashion editorials, locally and abroad. Born in Manila, her vision is to create modern heirlooms as she comes from a family with a long history in fine jewelry for almost three generations.

In December 2010, Bea Valdes was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Fashion Design and Entrepreneurship in recognition of her excellence in her profession and her significant contributions to country and and the people.

Photo credit: Bea Valdes/Instagram