One Holiday Gone

"Bask in the glory of the cold weather, for the inexistence of the wintertide....will make you appreciate it."

On the morning of the eighteenth of December, as heavy rain came pouring in, uncertainty started to devour me. I was on the brink of hopelessness, weeks of careful planning started to crumble right before my very eyes. Excitement went from a hundred to zero as the rain kept stronger and it went on for hours. I had to resort to my phone's weather forecast for a slight glimmer of hope, yet still it ended up disappointing me.

The day before was the yearly party with the friends- Christmas party. And I had to make sure everything was sorted out before I went out and enjoyed myself. The initial plan was to meet at 4:00 am and to shoot at 5:00 am. That was how I planned it to be, so by 3:00 am we were out in the rain waiting for a cab to pick us up, yes the dedication was heavier than the rain pouring. To make the long story short, the shoot got delayed, the initial timetable set was not followed. So I had to make do with what was being presented to me. Rain showers, busy roads, it was supposed to be the exact opposite. The beautiful subtleness of colors at dawn, the emptiness of the roads, I wanted that deserted feel in my photos where there is vulnerability pouring out. I wanted it to be a holiday not like any other, a holiday not meant for all but for one. But, I have no regrets, definitely. I can never blame the weather for its' incompetence, for showing up when I had major things to do, instead I am thankful for the circumstances for it allowed me to think beyond what was imagined. I had to be clever, I had to make sure the vision was followed only with a different route.  

 Yes! Bask in the glory of the cold weather, for the inexistence of the wintertide in this tropics will make you appreciate it. To denote the coldness of this weather, the feast of the yuletide is just around the corner, and by that I mean two more days to go. It is (indeed) the most beautiful time of the year. Ready your presents and start the race of unwrapping. Hope you enjoyed this editorial I have created for you this Christmas season. Merry Christmas to one and all.

model  
Ashley Gantuangco 

hair and makeup  
 Alyssa Gantuangco 

styling and photography  
Pierre Lindsey

Look 1: corset Alyssa Gantuangco, pants and blazer Jeremeeya Reda

Look 2: sweater Jeremeeya Reda, corset Alyssa Gantuangco

Look 3: fur vest Myco Vendero, corset Alyssa Gantuangco

Look 4: gown Jeanom Ursua

Look 5: fur jacket Myco Vendero, turtleneck top and skirt Jeremeeya Reda

Look 6: gown Myco Vendero, flared pants Pierre Lindsey

Look 7: sweater Jeremeeya Reda, gown Jeanom Ursua 

 ** Since this is the first of the many to come for Holiday Editorials, I'd like to make it more special by sending my gratitude to the people who have made this happen. To the model and the hair and makeup artist (who by the way are sisters), thank you for keeping up with my ambition to do this shoot and for actually making it happen. To the designers (who are all listed above) for lending me their beautiful masterpieces, thank you from the bottom of my heart and Merry Christmas!