Laufey ushers in a new era of jazz-pop

Ahead of her Manila concert, Laufey graces the cover of Vogue Philippines’ culture-packed May issue.

Stephanie Mayo·26 May 2026, 6:29 pm·1 min read

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Laufey ushers in a new era of jazz-pop — Laufey graces the cover of Vogue Philippines’ culture-packed May issue.
VOGUE PH/DANIEL JACK LYONS

Music as comfort and escape

The songstress is clear about her mission when the lights go up.

“People are going through so much. And my audience members are there, they’re quite a lot of teenagers, young people going through so much continuous change. And I know everyone has something going on in their lives. So to be able to come in and forget that for a moment is all I want to do. I want to create that feeling,” Laufey shared in a statement regarding her upcoming shows.

Women redefining identity and art

For her cover shoot, she was captured through the lens of Daniel Jack Lyons and styled by Leith Clark, dressed in an eclectic mix of Jude Macasinag, Prada, and Gucci.

Laufey is not the only force of nature in this edition, as the issue is packed with pioneering and resilient women.

Director and advocate Geena Rocero reflects on a storied journey that led her from the pageant stage to the heights of fashion and trans rights activism. Photographed by Sam Spence in New York and styled by Dominick Barcelona, the 43-year-old remains a defiant self-starter.

“I learn by doing. Call it self-belief, call it holding on to that unapologetic vision and letting it speak for itself. I’ve always been a self starter,” Rocero says.

Motherhood as creative transformation

The theme of evolution continues with Julia Saubier, who credits her family for a new depth in her creative life. “Being a mother has deepened my craft and my appreciation for life and humanity,” Saubier noted in a statement, adding that the experience has strengthened both her work as an actor and her character as a person.

This sentiment is echoed by Filipino-Canadian artist Marigold Santos, whose work in painting, sculpture, and tattoo now explores the myth of the manananggal through a maternal lens.

“I became a mother four years ago,” Santos explained. “So that added another layer to the work where I’m thinking about not just ancestry, but I’m thinking about descendants, really focusing on descendants.”

Art, memory, and Filipino heritage

Beyond these profiles, the issue offers a rich tapestry of culture and history. Readers will find an artful look at Roy Gonzales, the trailblazing first Filipino chief designer at a French couture house, alongside Jude Macasinag’s exploration of punk historicism and "deliberate decay."

Artists Jon Cuyson and Mara Gladstone dive into the sea as a living archive of Filipino migration and love, while the magazine rounds out its coverage with a global survey of exhibitions spanning Venice, Phuket, Riyadh, and Manila.

Finding beauty in rebuilding

In her editor’s letter, Bea Valdes captures the poignant spirit of the times. “Our world, at this moment, seems turned upside down, to state it mildly,” Valdes writes. “But, perhaps, we move forward only when the past stands clearly in front of us.

If we look closely, we can find that the clock that runs backward, may tell time more accurately and equitably. If we listen, we will hear that minor keys can turn into major harmonies. Perhaps the fires we light remind us of the freedoms we fight for, and the things we dismantle and destroy can be reborn even more beautifully because it has survived.”