*Photograph by Archie Geotina, Vogue Philippines*

For Vogue Philippines' September 2025 cover, an image of a Filipina athlete surfing while wearing traditional garments seems to rise and fall on the page with the resonance of a quiet, yet mighty wave.

In surfing, the term “groundswell” refers to a swell that traveled thousands of miles through the ocean, reaching the other side with its force intact. When this image reached me across the Pacific, it arrived like a groundswell, stirring a tide of emotions within me.

As a Filipina in the diaspora swimming with and against the currents of life with my ankle tethered to a love for the country that made me, seeing this cover created a similar sensation that I imagine every surfer feels when they catch a wave: a euphoric sense of freedom; potent and unmistakable, even if it only lasts a few seconds.

The image is part of artist and photographer Archie Geotina’s Pearls Project, a photo series featuring women surfing in traditional garments. The Pearls Project has gone beyond the coasts of the Philippines to create ripple effects in other countries like Thailand, Mexico, India, and more.

No doubt it has arrived like a groundswell on other shores too.

For context, the Vogue September cover is a thing of legends: historically, it’s the year’s biggest “reset” moment in fashion, a creative powerhouse issue that sets the tone for cultural influence. September is fashion’s January: a start to a new style year and a peak season to launch new trends.

That said, choosing this image for this issue feels intentional.

If the September issue sets the tone for a cultural narrative, then the story centers a love letter to Filipinos, through the eyes of Filipinos. From my perspective, it feels like a deliberate deflection of the Western gaze, and I am here for it.

Like many former colonies, the Philippines has often relied on the validation from the West to legitimize its magnificence: beauty norms remain adjacent to whiteness, local goods are not seen as precious as imported items, and traditional craftsmanship is not seen with the same prestige or value as savoir-faire. “Made in the Philippines” was always inferior to “Made in the USA,” or “Made in France.” As Cambio notes, “things are only fashionable once Europe says so,” even if the item in question has been a staple in Filipino culture all along.

But this cover? It feels like a tide turning.

The heroine of this story is not a model with Eurocentric features, but a local surfer born and raised in Siargao, the setting where the photo was shot. With caramel skin sweetened by the sun, she represents the natural beauty of Filipinos. To me, this image feels like us looking at each other and recognizing ourselves; an active choice to declare that we are more than enough, just as we are. (And truly believing it, without needing a white man to tell us.)

The fact that this image is set in Siargao also feels timely and critical. At a time when its sacred waters are being contaminated by IDF soldiers who are threatening to launch a Zionist takeover of the island, we must keep our eyes on Siargao and protect it.

I saw a phrase on Instagram the other day that said something like, “there are ugly things happening in the world, and there are beautiful things happening too.”

In the midst of the groundswell of courageous protests against corruption happening in the Philippines, this September cover reminds us that despite it all, we are actively choosing to see the beauty in each other, and it is worth fighting for, no matter how hard we have to paddle our arms against the current.

“Enlightenment is when the wave realizes it is the ocean.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

*Me, a (VERY) amateur surfer. Pacifica, CA | Photo by Khattab McIntosh*

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