Liza Soberano fronts Vogue Philippines with H.E.R.
The pair headline a double-cover issue that takes readers inside DreamWorks' 'Forgotten Island' and celebrates island stories.
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The pair headline a double-cover issue that takes readers inside DreamWorks' 'Forgotten Island' and celebrates island stories.
H.E.R. and Liza Soberano
H.E.R. and Liza Soberano
Lea Salonga
ARTU NEPOMUCENO/VOGUE PH
Dolly de Leon
ARTU NEPOMUCENO/VOGUE PH
Vogue Philippines goes big on island magic this month with a double cover lineup. First up: a limited-edition shot by Sharif Hamza featuring H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, the stars lending their voices to DreamWorks’ upcoming animated flick Forgotten Island. Cover number two serves serious island vibes with a Bali-set fashion feature, captured by Paris-based photographer Kenza Le Bas and featuring Yogyakarta-born model Mirelle Aurellia.
Calling Forgotten Island "anticipated" is an understatement. Packed with a predominantly Filipino cast and crew, the film—helmed by directors Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford—draws heavily on Philippine myths, themes, and culture. Mercado credits a community-wide Bayanihan effort for pushing it across the finish line: “One of the cool things was that so many of the Filipino American artists at DreamWorks, and our friends, in their own free time, were saying, can we help you guys with this? We want this project to exist.”
The Vogue PH crew got front-row access after flying out to the DreamWorks studio in Los Angeles.
Soberano, who recently relocated to California, admitted she jumped at the chance: “I was like, oh my gosh, I really would love to be part of this... I was yearning because I missed home. I missed being around family and the people that I love, and just being around the culture.” Grammy winner Gabi Wilson (aka H.E.R.) was just as hyped: “When [Januel and Joel] started to talk about the film, number one, it being Filipino, I was so excited. I was like, no way my favorite animation studio is doing a film about my culture.”
Vogue’s deep dive into the movie doesn't stop there—expect photos and interviews with Lea Salonga, Dolly De Leon, BINI, Nathan David, and the crew behind the scenes.
The magazine also heads to Bali for an editorial by Le Bas and Aurellia exploring nostalgia and belonging. Le Bas spent much of her youth on the island—where she first picked up a camera as a teen—and calls her return a way “to celebrate a culture that has given me so much creatively and personally.” While in Bali, Vogue spotlights Filipino-American midwife Ibu Robin Lim, who credits her Ilocano grandmother for her foundational knowledge: “My first education was with my Lola. I think your first education is your most profound. It’s what you will trust and what you’ll always go back to. So, no matter how much medical training you have, I was blessed to have such a special Lola.”
Next stop: Bohol, the country’s first UNESCO Global Geopark. Program manager Joanne M. Pinat highlights their push for geoeducation: “Because if you do not educate people, you do not raise awareness. They will never protect or conserve something that they do not understand. And if you do not understand it, you will not love it. You will not take care of it. You will not protect it.” Shot by Borgy Angeles, the accompanying spread stars Boholano models Melsi Sarigumba and Clover Morris alongside designs from Rhett Eala, Rajo Laurel, Jor-el Espina, Neric Beltran, Golden Monstera, and more.
Plus, look out for features on Bohol’s Asin Tibuok, the women of Ku’n, a quick getaway to Lagen Island, a spot at the Kaos Table in Kawhagan Island, and an essay/editorial tackling work-life balance.
Rounding out the issue is a major milestone: it's the debut of new Editor-in-Chief Trickie Lopa. Reflecting on her vision in her editor's note, Lopa writes: “As I begin my own journey at Vogue Philippines, I think about what I’ve been entrusted with. I have inherited a magazine that has beautifully trumpeted the best of the Philippines to the world. Like Forgotten Island, the team has achieved groundbreaking success by believing that stories need not become less Filipino to resonate more widely. What will I carry forward? The same openness and curiosity and confidence that have shaped Vogue Philippines from the beginning, an abiding belief that our readers are thinkers, and eager for stories that challenge them.”
