The Big 5

From the '80s to the present, these Filipina superwomen remind us about the influential power of a great model

- BAM ABELLON

The Originals

There's a certain kind of unbeatable power that only exists when you're the top of mind, the first among many who tried, and the set, unmatched standard that only few dare to surpass.

This September 2022, we bring the originals-the Philippines' original top models: Apples Aberin, Marina Benipayo, Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez, Myrza Sison, and Rissa Mananquil Trillo.

In celebration of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines' (PMAP) 35th anniversary, we dive into the thriving world of modeling and fashion then and now behind and beyond the glamor, the struggle, and the undying relevance of it all.

Walking the biggest fashion shows, working with the best creatives, wearing the most fabulous gowns even before they hit the runways, traveling the world, and meeting people who live and breathe the sartorial glamor in its most brazen state the models of the '80s and '90s were so fantastical they sounded like myths.

In those pre-social media days, a young person's dreams were seen on pages of magazines or newspapers, or on catwalk shows, which were barely televised. For a mere observer, that modeling world was ethereal. And the faces that carried those magnificent clothes and represented ideas were deemed majestic and almost unreachable.