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| Out-of-this-world beautiful Ria Bolivar for Preview magazine |
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| (L-R) The favorite Rich Herrera, Rich Hardin, Rovilson Fernandez, Alvin Alfonso for Philippine Star YStyle Styled by Carlos Concepcion |
Miss Pia Campos asks me, "So who's your favorite model of ours? Girl first?"
Immediately I blurted out that it had to be Ria Bolivar: cheekbones, eyes that could rip your soul apart, tall and almost out-of-this-world beautiful, she's definitely the Kate Moss of the country.
"Boys?"
Just because I've seen a lot of him lately and of course, I mean, he plays football, he's daring handsome, he won Amazing Race Asia with his buddy, Rich Hardin (who is also another talent of ours) and he was on one of my favorite covers of Men's Health Philippines it had to be Rich Herrera.
There you go folks, two of W Talent Management's most recognizable beauts (and there are whole lots more you could stare at, admire and the whole deal) and two of W Talent Management's finest talents yet.
But you're probably like, okay, so what? So what if W has these amazing models and talents? What's that got to do with you?
Well...It's got a lot to do with me now, actually...
But you're probably like, okay, so what? So what if W has these amazing models and talents? What's that got to do with you?
Well...It's got a lot to do with me now, actually...
By now, you've deduced that I work for them (and if you think I'm a talent of W, you're wrong...Awfully wrong). Yes. Thank the heavens above that finally, after a four month bumming session, my non-existent ass will be working at a real office in Makati. And the office is stellar...It kinda reminds me of those really good modeling agencies up in New York with their 5th avenue view...Only here, the view's of Amorsolo st. and a construction site right next to us, but hey, I love it.
I've decided that while it's taking Summit a long, long, long, long time to process my application (and it's only how they do it), that maybe working for a magazine this early won't do me good. I still love writing, still love magazines but now, it doesn't love me back. hahaha...No I'm honest. My fashion partner, Gerick Ortiz who does fantastic PR for ARC here, once told me that when everything's smooth sailing from the start when it comes to matters such as these, it means it's perfect for you. This is exactly how my W story happened.
Second week of June, the week after my graduation, I was still jobless. I was at my most miserable, most hopeless and most disheartened, just waiting and waiting and waiting for the two magazines I've applied for. I know it takes them really long, and it's not my problem, but my problem was the fact that I was doing nothing and was literally, nothing. To keep my mind off the rut, I looked up some videos on YouTube. I think I was having a Joseph Altuzarra moment those days...There was something about his clothes, his Asian Darren Criss face and his magnificent French that got me hooked. So I kept watching his videos and later on stumbled upon the CFDA Nominee Video for this year, featured Freja, Garrett, Raquel, Alexander Wang, just all these big time fashion people and it hit me that I'd do incredibly well working for a modeling agency.
I've been obsessing about them anyway, could take out real distinct features off a face, (in my head) cast certain models for certain campaigns, I mean, I was really just all about the beauty and glamour of it. Like FP (Gerick) tells me, I know a face when I see one. It was all just an appreciation for things beautiful, you know?
So I went and sent in resumes to the famous, top agencies in the country. W was the last I sent an e-mail to. I've known W because of magazines. I'm the kind of person who goes really nitty-gritty on things, so I read the side credits on magazines and check who the writers are, interns are, editors are, make-up artists are, models are and the lot. W, to me, rung one of the most mysterious and classy names of an agency. And since it was the last one I sent an e-mail to, I thought to myself "Well, obviously no one's going to be reading this e-mail (cause it's a company e-mail) but since I'm at a low, low, low point, and I want this job, might as well write them an introduction and save the resume for more certain times."
Flash forward into the next week and my inbox went to life. It was from Chere Gioskos, W's managing partner, and she called me in for an interview. She told me that while she wasn't so sure of me and if I really wanted the job, that moment they needed somebody to do bookings and be part of their small, efficient team. Apparently, a booker resigned during the end of May, which was 3 weeks before my interview. And they needed someone immediately.
What made the deal all the more magical was that they rarely (almost never) check the company e-mail. Miss Chere goes "We almost never check the company e-mail...It's been months since we last logged in." And then she saw my e-mail, was curious because it was just an introduction and decided that I was worth the shot.
She gave me a two week time period to wait it all out, get my mind straight if I really wanted this job. But then she texted me the day after for another interview and the next day, sent in this amazing, amazing article about the Top four agencies of the country that came out that same day. During that time I was containing an excited heart. I smelled the charmed-factor in it, but had allowed my cynical mind to take over.
Hours ago, I got the job. I even got the new job that the agency had been trying to launch for a long, long time, which is having their, sort of creative department. The creative department would be dealing with---this is all that I remember and I may be wrong, but it goes something like this, creatives as their talents, so instead of handling the models and the ones booking the campaigns, what I'll be handling are the people behind those campaigns, so they'd be stylists, make-up artists, photographers and probably designers as well, cause Patrick Galang is part of the creatives.
"What we want is to give these new talents a chance." Miss Pia tells me and it seems that my job is just this. Giving new, talented photographers, stylists, make-up artists, musicians, writers (possibly) a chance to make it big and realize something they really could do.
They told me all the novelty and the glamour would die down sometime soon and maybe months in as the new kid, looking at Neil Etheridge or the Younghusbands (cause they're W talents too) or Ria or Rich Herrera would cause me a seizure, in the near future they'll be normal people, almost like office mates for me. And I'm not saying that with condescension, it's just how it is as they tell me.
This brings me back to what my close friend Gem Itao told me once, that God will come to you at your worst and most desperate. He will either lift you up or teach you how to fly...And to Gemmy my love, thank you for those encouraging words. Even when they're not ripped out of the Bible, they served as things to hold on to during these really trying times. As always, much of what I receive, I credit God for. Irreplacable is what He does for me, and for you...
So...
Well...
I guess I'm now part of the W Talent Management family...Starting Monday.
My problem now is...How will I get there?
Peace kids!
- Gerard
I've decided that while it's taking Summit a long, long, long, long time to process my application (and it's only how they do it), that maybe working for a magazine this early won't do me good. I still love writing, still love magazines but now, it doesn't love me back. hahaha...No I'm honest. My fashion partner, Gerick Ortiz who does fantastic PR for ARC here, once told me that when everything's smooth sailing from the start when it comes to matters such as these, it means it's perfect for you. This is exactly how my W story happened.
Second week of June, the week after my graduation, I was still jobless. I was at my most miserable, most hopeless and most disheartened, just waiting and waiting and waiting for the two magazines I've applied for. I know it takes them really long, and it's not my problem, but my problem was the fact that I was doing nothing and was literally, nothing. To keep my mind off the rut, I looked up some videos on YouTube. I think I was having a Joseph Altuzarra moment those days...There was something about his clothes, his Asian Darren Criss face and his magnificent French that got me hooked. So I kept watching his videos and later on stumbled upon the CFDA Nominee Video for this year, featured Freja, Garrett, Raquel, Alexander Wang, just all these big time fashion people and it hit me that I'd do incredibly well working for a modeling agency.
I've been obsessing about them anyway, could take out real distinct features off a face, (in my head) cast certain models for certain campaigns, I mean, I was really just all about the beauty and glamour of it. Like FP (Gerick) tells me, I know a face when I see one. It was all just an appreciation for things beautiful, you know?
So I went and sent in resumes to the famous, top agencies in the country. W was the last I sent an e-mail to. I've known W because of magazines. I'm the kind of person who goes really nitty-gritty on things, so I read the side credits on magazines and check who the writers are, interns are, editors are, make-up artists are, models are and the lot. W, to me, rung one of the most mysterious and classy names of an agency. And since it was the last one I sent an e-mail to, I thought to myself "Well, obviously no one's going to be reading this e-mail (cause it's a company e-mail) but since I'm at a low, low, low point, and I want this job, might as well write them an introduction and save the resume for more certain times."
Flash forward into the next week and my inbox went to life. It was from Chere Gioskos, W's managing partner, and she called me in for an interview. She told me that while she wasn't so sure of me and if I really wanted the job, that moment they needed somebody to do bookings and be part of their small, efficient team. Apparently, a booker resigned during the end of May, which was 3 weeks before my interview. And they needed someone immediately.
What made the deal all the more magical was that they rarely (almost never) check the company e-mail. Miss Chere goes "We almost never check the company e-mail...It's been months since we last logged in." And then she saw my e-mail, was curious because it was just an introduction and decided that I was worth the shot.
She gave me a two week time period to wait it all out, get my mind straight if I really wanted this job. But then she texted me the day after for another interview and the next day, sent in this amazing, amazing article about the Top four agencies of the country that came out that same day. During that time I was containing an excited heart. I smelled the charmed-factor in it, but had allowed my cynical mind to take over.
Hours ago, I got the job. I even got the new job that the agency had been trying to launch for a long, long time, which is having their, sort of creative department. The creative department would be dealing with---this is all that I remember and I may be wrong, but it goes something like this, creatives as their talents, so instead of handling the models and the ones booking the campaigns, what I'll be handling are the people behind those campaigns, so they'd be stylists, make-up artists, photographers and probably designers as well, cause Patrick Galang is part of the creatives.
"What we want is to give these new talents a chance." Miss Pia tells me and it seems that my job is just this. Giving new, talented photographers, stylists, make-up artists, musicians, writers (possibly) a chance to make it big and realize something they really could do.
They told me all the novelty and the glamour would die down sometime soon and maybe months in as the new kid, looking at Neil Etheridge or the Younghusbands (cause they're W talents too) or Ria or Rich Herrera would cause me a seizure, in the near future they'll be normal people, almost like office mates for me. And I'm not saying that with condescension, it's just how it is as they tell me.
This brings me back to what my close friend Gem Itao told me once, that God will come to you at your worst and most desperate. He will either lift you up or teach you how to fly...And to Gemmy my love, thank you for those encouraging words. Even when they're not ripped out of the Bible, they served as things to hold on to during these really trying times. As always, much of what I receive, I credit God for. Irreplacable is what He does for me, and for you...
So...
Well...
I guess I'm now part of the W Talent Management family...Starting Monday.
My problem now is...How will I get there?
Peace kids!
- Gerard
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