Beatrice has always had an affinity for fashion, born to a mother who loved to dress up. At 10 years old, she was introduced to Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, shows her cousin would binge-watch whenever they spent summer days at their grandmother’s. But beyond those external influences, Beatrice knew deep inside that her connection to fashion stemmed from an insecurity she carried.

 

Born in the Philippines in the darkest spectrum of morena, Beatrice had always faced colorism—jokes, unnecessary remarks, backhanded compliments, and the ingrained norms of a whitewashed society. Fashion became her way of elevating how others perceived her. During her university days, she started a blog called The Fashion Commoner. Still, she gradually stopped posting after becoming the laughingstock of her batch and, truthfully, feeling that nothing was coming out of it.

 

She was working for a luxury lifestyle magazine, assisting in fashion editorials, when she finally decided to pursue her dream of studying fashion overseas. She quit in March 2019 and, four years later, found herself in Milan, studying at one of the world’s most prestigious fashion institutions.

 

But even in Milan, Beatrice felt caught at a crossroads. She had long grappled with the question of how fashion could make an impact beyond the usual cloaks of women’s empowerment, curated Instagram aesthetics, or symbols of “rich” status. Her answer came through a documentary, The True Cost, which opened her eyes to the exploitative and polluting nature of the fashion industry. From then on, she knew she wanted to make a change: to create clothes for the love of art, but with respect for both nature and the people who make them. Step by step, she’s working toward making thoughtful, sustainable choices.