STYLEPHILE

Conquering life’s ups and downs armored with grit, hard work, and resilience, Winnie Wong proves she is a young woman who matters

Winnie Wong elevates the basics into her own minimalist chic style

Art has always been that space where everything can (and will) be going on at once. A cluster happening here, and another going on there, it might be rambunctious at first glance, but then you realize that there’s a real rhythm and logic behind it. Winnie Wong perfectly encapsulates what it means to be an artist authentic to your craft. She’s an illustrator, a vlogger, a businesswoman, and a teacher. So, how do we unravel her

layers underneath?

To begin with, she cannot recall any type of situation where things have gone her way, and this is not something everyone knows. “Passion is so overrated in my opinion. It’s used and abused, because people are like, ‘Passion is something that I enjoy,’ she reveals. “The most rewarding aspect to learning and growing is going through those hard parts, and not the things that you enjoy. If you don’t put yourself in those uncomfortable situations, I feel like you’ll never grow.” Aside from mentoring her students, a chunk of her time is devoted to her business—The Everyday Planner. “I wouldn’t say I’m into business because I don’t wanna add excess into the Earth. I wanted to inject something useful that helps someone go through their daily routine.” Undoubtedly, her heart is with the youth, which is why she cofounded Future Faces Manila, a nonprofit organization dedicated to support students from low-income families who are studying the arts.

At 27, it may seem like a whirlwind of responsibilities to think about, but Winnie makes everything look gracefully effortless, never fully losing composure. But she does not desire the spotlight only to herself— she’s grateful to the people with her from the very beginning. “No one is self-made because there’s always gonna be someone to help you, someone that discovers you. You work together to put yourself out there.” As she continues to paint her canvas, God only knows what else she can come to arms with and what she’s capable of once she reaches the big Three-O. Rest assured that we are all here for it.