Woman, 106, graces the cover of Vogue Philippines

Woman, 106, graces the cover of Vogue Philippines

This is what it means to merge heritage, beauty, and culture on a fashion magazine...

Elderly woman on the Vogue magazine cover
Elderly woman on the Vogue magazine cover/Instagram Screenshot/@voguephilippines

Fashion and style are definitely closely connected to confidence.

This can be firmly said about the April cover model for Vogue Philippines. 

Apo Maria “Whang-Od” Oggay is the 106-year-old woman who you will see on the Vogue Philippines cover this April. 

And not only is her skin imprinted with the symbols of the Kalinga tribe — which signifies strength, bravery, and beauty, she is also a symbol of beauty that goes against the conventional ideology of the term. 

It is for this reason that it is extremely gratifying to see their approach to connecting with Apo Maria. 

And what her beauty brings to the Filipino culture and the culture of beauty as set forth by Vogue. 

"By tattooing people outside of her community, Apo Whang-Od sparked renewed interest in the ancient practice of stick and thorn tattooing, which had started to fade away. Now, the 106-year-old mambabatok is leading a new generation of tattoo artists who are eager to carry on the tradition." (Instagram)

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We definitely love how Vogue is using its position to integrate historical culture and mainstream culture in this day and age. 

It certainly gives us hope that the fashion industry is evolving. 

Video and image courtesy of Instagram

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