Still in awe that a photo I took last month is now the cover of Vogue Philippines. Forever grateful for the opportunity, Kuya
@chichimonsta — thank you for trusting me to shoot in the water. Your concept and creative direction continue to inspire me and push me to grow as an artist. I'm sure the Pearls project is touching and inspiring people all over the world.
To Ate
@ikit_agudo — you're incredible. Thank you for being the most amazing surfer to work with in the water.
Feeling so lucky to be surrounded by such talent. Grateful beyond words. 🫀
The #PearlsProject (
@thepearlsproject.online ), conceived by Filipino artist and surfer Archie Geotina (
@chichimonsta ) began as a quietly powerful photo series set in the waters of Siargao. Featuring Filipina surfers riding waves in baro't saya, terno, and other garments suffused in cultural meaning, stories are carried on the tides of ancestry, resilience, and belonging.
But Geotina couldn't have foreseen how the ripple it created in the Philippines would travel across oceans, becoming a wave that connects communities worldwide. Four years after it first launched, it has reached beyond Philippine shores to Thailand, Mexico, India, China, Korea, and Indonesia, celebrating fashion from across different cultures as a reflection of national pride and identity.
For the women in the project, surfing is more than sport, passion, or escape; it's a reclamation. Each paddle-out during their respective shoots was an act of remembering, a return to self; each wave ridden was a way to honor the histories woven into their bloodlines.
Beauty Editor
@joyce.orena , styling by
@mrdavidmilan and
@mrneilanthonie , written by
@travelkage , Vogue Philippines, September 2025.
