These women are global thinkers who manifest a greater level of empowerment. Here is our 2021 list.
In every generation, there are women who capture the imagination and catch the attention of a country because of their beauty, elegance and charm. As the editor-in-chief of this magazine for 20 years, I have been privileged to meet such women who, rightfully, are daubed “It” Girls. The tag line was first used in the early 20th century and were given to women belonging to upper British society who had appeal, allure and are especially engaging. Some of the “It” Girls of years past are Claudia Bermudez, Ina Ayala, Samantha Eduque, Kit Zobel, Bea Valdes, Mandy de la Rama-Santos, Celine Lopez and Wendy Puyat.
The next incarnation of that list pushed it further by achieving celebrity status and even having TV shows aptly named “It” Girls. The list included Georgina Wilson, Solenn Heussaff, Liz Uy, Belle Daza and Anne Curtis.
Today’s five ladies possess everything their predecessors were admired for. Because of the changing times, these women are global thinkers who manifest a greater level of empowerment. Here is our 2021 list:
1. Paloma Urquijo Zobel
Our January 2021 cover girl reappears, this time on my hot list. She is a woman with a truly carefree spirit, as shown by her passion for life and in her fashion sense. She is a modern-day bohemian, just like her mum, Bea Zobel Jr, and younger sister Monica. I remember when we were doing the shoot last December how she was very grateful and excited that she had a free hand in the look and feel of the shoot. Thus were achieved the stunning images by Shaira Luna that captured the beauty, colour, joie de vivre and brilliance of this lady.
As everyone probably knows, she is the creative director of Piopio the lifestyle collective that’s making a big mark in the fashion industry. Since her first exposure to the beautiful inabel weaves of our country, she has done her best to give other Filipino fabrics the exposure they so deserve. “This is an insanely intricate and amazing art form. I don’t understand why it’s not sold in every single corner of the street like they do in Mexico or Peru or Colombia,” she muses.
Read more: Paloma Urquijo Zobel Talks About Promoting Filipino Culture
She doesn’t stop at fashion either. Though Piopio’s roots had originally begun in fashion, it’s now also grown to include businesses within the family’s Lio Estate in Palawan. Now, her label is an umbrella name that includes Tambok’s, a beachside restaurant offering Filipino-inspired dishes; Kalye Artisano, an artist’s village and cultural hub; and Bahay Artisano, an up and coming lodging house in nearby Lio Beach.
Like everyone else her business was not spared from the struggles that came with the current pandemic. But fortunately, she has a strong support system composed of business-minded family members and creative friends alike. “I think what the pandemic did was it made a lot of people more honest and vulnerable,” she explains. “Many were openly saying ‘I’m struggling’. Everybody was in the same boat.” Through these difficult times, she has found comfort in the empathy of those around her. “[The pandemic] really helped people [empathise] and [understand each other]. [We’re all] going through the same thing and it might be on different levels, but at the end of the day, everybody—at least my friends and the creatives I talk to—[we all] put other people first.”
Read more: All About The Piopio Brand