Letter from the Editor
I love this issue largely because it’s a great collection of fashion photographs. In “Freaks and Geeks” (p. 20), we profile six independently-ran fashion brands that are noteworthy particularly because of their youth-focused aesthetic and business savvy. The most difficult and time-consuming challenge of that series of shoots was the casting of models. Each brand had a very specific identity, and casting a vanilla model out of a modeling agency just wouldn’t do them justice. It took us a while to get the boys and girls that felt right. Siobhan and Amrit were shot a month apart, and Amrit’s photos came in just when we were about to close the issue.
“It Takes Two” (p. 34) was a pitch from photographer Koji Arboleda and stylist Vince Crisostomo. Koji e-mailed me a mood board with reference photos and these lines: “Mock Lookbook.nu.” “I really don’t care, but I actually do.” “Takes-a-lot-of-effort effortless.” “Me trying to wear my new Guccis.” “Me trying to wear my new Goshas.” I’m familiar with Koji and Vince’s work, so I was sure they’d do a good job. What I don’t often see, but I always find interesting, is the creative thought process, the backbone of ideas and how they’re articulated. For me, getting to witness that is definitely a perk of being an editor.
“Take Me Out” (p. 40) felt more like an adventure than an assignment. The story, photographed by Scout regular Paolo Crodua, was shot in Makati and Pampanga. The shoot started on a Thursday night, and finally ended the following midnight of that grueling Friday. The unflagging energy of our friend and muse Wanda Chen was remarkable. That you are in synch with the subject you’re photographing is an essential element to a good picture. Our cover subject Iñigo Pascual is a great example. He’s as much a charming face to photograph as he is a genuine and smart guy to get to know.
Apart from the fashion, we’re also featuring three other photographers with very different points of view. There is Rozette Rago who’s almost always deep in concert pits (p. 14), Mark Reay who’s navigating the glamorous labyrinths of New York fashion (p. 8), and Amanda Mustard (p. 12) whose photography gives a voice to marginalized people. Whatever they choose to photograph, they make you realize that there are so many things outside your own world to know and to be a part of—things to look forward to, except you don’t know what they are yet. Know that Timbuk 3 song? The future’s so bright / I gotta wear shades.