Daily Tribune

SOCIAL SET

More than an archetype

GQ Philippines debuts, toasting the diverse spirit of the contemporary Filipino man

Luis Espiritu · Oct 4, 2026, 5:36 AM

(FROM left) Condé Nast vice president for Strategic Content Initiatives Amy Mangino, chairman and CEO Archie Carrasco and chief of content Bea Valdes.

The local media landscape shifted decisively at the Manila Marriott Hotel as GQ Philippines officially marked its grand launch, establishing a sophisticated new paradigm for the contemporary Filipino man.

Orchestrated with the sharp, discerning eye of a true style vanguard, the evening gathered the architects of local culture — from creative disruptors to corporate heavyweights — all stepping out to toast a narrative that effortlessly merges global aspirations with deep local pride.

Hosted by Matteo Guidicelli, the affair culminated in the landmark reveal of its three inaugural covers starring Jordan Clarkson, Darren Criss and Erwan Heussaff. Criss and Heussaff were in attendance alongside icons like Anne Curtis-Smith and Nadine Lustre, signaling that the GQ man has evolved past rigid archetypes to proudly embrace both power and vulnerability.

COVER stars Erwan Heussaff and Darren Criss at the cover reveal. — Photographs courtesy of GQ philippinnes

Under the stewardship of AGC Power Holdings Corp. chairman and CEO Archie G. Carrasco and Condé Nast’s Amy Mangino, this definitive debut proves that GQ Philippines isn’t just looking at how the modern Filipino dresses, but intimately capturing how he thinks, creates, leads and lives.

ANNE Curtis-Smith
NADINE Lustre
MISS Universe Philippines 2026 Bea Millan-Windorski.
MISS Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey.
RHIAN Ramos
MATTEO Guidicelli
GQ Philippines editor-in-chief Danyl Generican.
BARBIE Imperial alongside Richard Gutierrez.