FOUR YOUNG CREATIVES REDEFINING THE RULES OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY

Truth be told, in the creative industry, connections have long been considered the pillar of success and the unwritten rule for entry.

- By L.A. BENDANA

But the story is now changing, and these young creatives are proof. What drives them is a strong sense of purpose, a deep commitment to their community, and the brave choice to use their voices to challenge the old ways.Their stories of triumph and tough beginnings offer a powerful path for every young Filipino who feels like an outsider looking in.

RON ROXAS, FASHION DESIGNER

Fashion designer Ron Roxas shows that big ideas always begin in one’s imagination. “I was a child draping blankets and curtains around my body, pretending they were pageant long gowns,” he recalled, adding that this became a way to express his femininity. Through his sketches, he finds solace and a safe space for expression; he pursued design because fashion is an internal dialogue with himself. “It’s an art form you live with. It’s both a witness and an agent of transformation.”

Despite this calling, Ron admits the industry is very exclusive. For someone “who's self-made with limited resources,” it’s difficult to compete with those who are richer. He initially felt defeated but found strength by leaning on his community.

His creative process starts with asking: “How can I approach (this in a way that) will mirror my own experiences or even my community’s?” The best ideas, he believes, are not in archives, but in the honesty of daily life, like “plastic bags in Divisoria or the micromatic umbrellas of fishball vendors.”

He continued, “We create because we exist among the community that fuels our understanding of the world and how we can perceive and change it.”

What keeps him anchored is his love for self-expression. “What I’m doing will always be a love letter to that dreamy-eyed kid, catwalking in his draped blanket gown. I continue to create because I want to relive the childhood filled with uninhibited pure queer joy I experienced as I played with my dolls and dressed up in household items.”