The BYS Fashion Week Beauty Director reveals his vision for the 3-day event
At BYS Fashion Week, the face card never declined. The recently concluded 3-day fashion and beauty extravaganza not only spotlighted homegrown designers to watch out for but up-and-coming makeup artists and hairstylists we’re keeping on our radar.
In a Wonder exclusive, we deconstructed the vision and inspiration behind the show’s beauty component with celebrity makeup artist and BYS Fashion Week Beauty Director Gery Penaso. With regular clientele including the likes of Pia Wurtzbach, Bianca Gonzalez-Intal and Elisse Joson, he is a revered name in the industry, joining forces with BYS Cosmetics to celebrate 10 successful years in the Philippines.
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We saw it all on the runway—from soft glam displayed at Cheetah Rivera’s show to bold, celestial visuals at Thian Rodriguez’s presentation—and we’re inspired to recreate these show-stopping looks, even using some as references as we go all-out this Halloween season.
For Gery, he is overwhelmed with gratitude as BYS Cosmetics continues to give Filipino creatives a platform to showcase their world-class talent. With his vision for the first-ever BYS Fashion Week, he reveals, “I knew that it was going to be big and [it would provide] a great platform for our local creatives—from designers to makeup and hair artists—to make a statement and show our skills.”
BYS Directors John Lozano and Donnie Manaloto also “went all-out” for the three-day event. Gery adds, “As a local creative, I am grateful for brands like BYS who recognize how world-class Filipino creatives are. This is the vision that was imparted to me by BYS for the three-day event—all-out creativity and explosion of Filipino talent.”
A team of 22 made up the roster of up-and-coming and seasoned makeup artists and hairstylists for BYS Fashion Week. Key artists Gery Penaso (JUSTBONITA, ISSA and Kaye Morales), Japeth Mike Purog (Thian Rodriguez, Randolf and Russell Villafuerte), Jay Salcedo (Jaz Cerezo), Lei Ponce (Cheetah Rivera), Rochelle Lacuna and Mauri Estrada (CRUZ) led the shows.
Makeup artists and hairstylists to watch out for completed the roster, namely Vince Leendon, Janica Cleto, Marlyn Ocampo, Violet Ocampo, Angeline Dela Cruz, Bryan Cuizon, Kim Roy Opog, Mong Amado, Dalewin Mallari, JA Feliciano, Valerie Corpuz, Vannie Claveria and Mycke Arcano.
Gery shares, “The dynamic is so collaborative between the [creatives]. I let the more seasoned artists have their spotlight and be the key artists, meaning they are tasked to lead a particular show. I think that this is very important because I see a lot of potential in them, not only as makeup artists but also as leads.” He explains further, “While the younger generation of artists is so good, I really make sure that their talent is being recognized because I call them the future of Filipino creatives.”
Off the runway, chaos ensued as 190 models were present during the three-day duration, but “with all of the chaos backstage, we were able to come through stronger as a team…that is what I am most proud of,” notes Gery.
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Relevant beauty trends were showcased in every show, all while balancing it out with luminous and healthy-looking skin. TikTok and Instagram-approved “snatched” beauty looks were present in the collections of Jaz Cerezo, JUSTBONITA, ISSA and CRUZ. Meanwhile, Kaye Morales highlighted anti-beauty makeup looks, which are hugely embraced on international campaigns and runways.
Creative freedom—in the form of an abundance of colors and textures—were displayed on the collections of Randolf, Russell Villafuerte and Thian Rodriguez, reminiscent of HBO’s Euphoria, the show that amplified Gen Z’s obsession with maximalist, fantastical makeup.
From all the looks they created during BYS Fashion Week, Gery Penaso and his team have some pretty memorable moments. He reveals, “We all had fun doing [the shows], and that is what BYS is all about. But if I could pick a couple of looks that are my favorite or stood out to us (the makeup and hair team), it would be Randolf’s and Thian’s because we were able to just play with it. There is not one look or pattern that is the same, and we like to be challenged.”
The very first BYS Fashion Week provided much-needed inspiration—from beauty to fashion—and an exploration of world-class Filipino talent. See you in 2023 for the next one!
Photos BYS Philippines
Art Matthew Ian Fetalver
