EXCLUSIVE: Fashion Stylist Adrianne Concepcion And Her Celebrity Muses In An All-Out Glamour Shoot
Fashion stylist Adrianne Concepcion's celebrity muses: (From left) Kylie Verzosa in Patricia Santos, Coleen Garcia in Andrea Tetangco, Kim Chiu in Julianne Syjuco, Megan Young in Andrea Tetangco, Maja Salvador in Andrea Tetangco, and Lovi Poe in Steph Tan
“At the end of the day, you have to think about the fit,” celebrity fashion stylist Adrianne Concepcion quips when asked one cardinal rule about fashion and style she would like to impart to everyone. “You could have the prettiest, most expensive Balmain dress, but if it looks too big or too small on you, there’s no point. Even if you have just a black shirt and jeans on, if it fits you well, it would translate.”
The concept of a good fit does not end in Adrianne’s sartorial choices. Her career has significantly evolved and thrived by subscribing to these beliefs: finding a path that fits you, and people you would want to work with.
She remembers the trajectory of her career as a stylist, from her beginnings to where she is now, and sees that she has come full circle in her career—interestingly with Metro.Style editor-in-chief Geolette Esguerra bookending both points of her life.
“I remember it was during summer going into senior year, in 2009, I became an intern for a magazine at the time where Geolette was at the helm. She was my first-ever boss. It was at that internship when I felt and realized how much I love fashion. And people started seeing my potential as a fashion stylist. And now, a solid, storied 10 years later, here we are,” she recalls with a smile.
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The ‘Vogue’ awakening
From a fashion magazine-obsessed Communications student at the Ateneo de Manila University, collecting all the American Vogue, Marie Claire, and Elle she could lay her hands on, to her introduction to Roberto Cavalli, Tom Ford, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana through hours of being glued to FashionTV, Adrianne then slowly became entrenched in the world of fashion, collaborating and working fashion wonders with various publications. Not long after, doors have continued to open for her as she became part of one of a men’s fashion magazine.
“I remember it so vividly, at 13 years old, when my aunt told me, ‘You’ll be working for Vogue’. It was like an eye-opener for me. That’s when the drive and the hunger to work in a fashion magazine came. But working for publications has really given me a new perspective on fashion, going beyond notions of it being a ‘glamorous’ profession,” she shares. “You have to have the grit and the stomach to do all the work. And in here, hard work gives you the edge—from conceptualizing, to doing the legwork in pulling out items, down to pre-styling. You have to go through all those preparations before you reach a studio for your shoot. You know, as they say, you are only as good as what you have in your styling luggage.”
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Rite of passage
This kind of training transcended from wearing multiple hats as she built her portfolio from different titles to now handling and maintaining her celebrity clientele. “It is hard to get into styling for celebrities. I was really blessed that even prior to working, I have been good friends with people who happen to work in show business. Eventually, they became my first clients. I’ve known Andi Eigenmann way back. And my best friend, Megan Young, I’ve known her from school up until now. The challenge for me, transitioning from their friend to their stylist is to prove to them, and even to people, that I can get the job done. More importantly, that I did not just get the job because I am their friend.”
Now, Adrianne has established her stamp as a stylist and continues to stay rooted to her core of consistency and hard work. Ten years into working in fashion, we asked her what she considers to be her philosophy as a stylist. She noted: sharp, risqué, premium, classy, and streamlined.
“When you work with Adrianne, you have to have the confidence to pull off the look. But to me, even if I have a particular aesthetic, my client is my star. I have to find the middle ground and meet where my client wants to go with a particular look. It is a collaboration. It is not just ‘#StyledbyAdrianne.' It is ‘Styled by Adrianne WITH my client.’”
Asked what about her celebrity muses keeps her gravitated towards them, she says, “When it comes to Megan Young, she’s really fit for editorial. She’s sharper and she wants to break away from the beauty queen mold. Even prior to joining Miss World, she’s already had her own look. She’s already a risk-taker and it’s all about just developing it. Maja Salvador is my very own concert queen. I like curating looks for her that are likened to a pop star. What I like with her is that there’s a huge contrast from a Maja Salvador the concert performer to a Maja Salvador in real life. Kim Chiu has her own look. I say that her style now is more established and evolved—clean lines with a twist. Coleen Garcia, I like how her style and Billy’s (Crawford) complement each other. Her style varies—one day she could be street, but the next she could be sharp but sexy. She has a distinct sense of style and she knows it. Lovi Poe is a bit on the sultry side. She’s such a fashion darling and that gives her so much arsenal in her fashion selections—she could play it up and still look tasteful. She’s very self-aware. Lastly, Kylie Verzosa is very sexy. She loves her bikinis and her crop tops, and I think she has this innocence that contrasts her sexiness which keeps people constantly surprised.”
With a solid decade in the industry, Adrianne is showing no signs of slowing down. She continues to sharpen her craft and build meaningful relationships in and out of her profession. Through all these, one thing remains, she will never get tired of doing what she knows best.
“There still remains to be a lot of stress and anxiety that come with the job. And somehow, they have kept me to push myself further and further. You can never be too complacent or certain—may it be a magazine cover, a campaign, or an event. It applies not just to my friends who became my clients, but all of them. Even after you’ve undergone all the logistics of pulling out and pre-styling, you still have to ask: ‘Do I have enough?’ ‘Will it fit?’ ‘Are they going to look for more?’ For me, the minute you stop asking that, you have failed.”
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Adrianne and Her Muses
Maja Salvador, Coleen Garcia, Kim Chiu, Kylie Verzosa, Megan Young, and Lovi Poe celebrate their stylist's 10th year in the industry with an all-out glamour shoot, dressed in one of spring/summer 2019's major trends: sparkle. This high-octane fashion (which we've seen on the runways of Badgley Mischka, Tory Burch, Proenza Schouler, and Prabal Gurung) not only defines Adrianne's signature style, it also represents the power and confidence her muses are armed with whenever they're #StyledByAdrianne.
Maja Salvador
Late-night bookings are unavoidable in the showbiz industry. If you’re one to stay longer in the game, you must understand this unspoken rule, and it's one thing Adrianne appears to have mastered. It was for this reason that she and Maja have connected some seven years ago. The latter needed a stylist for an event and she badly needed it for the next day. Despite time constraints, Adrianne took on the challenge, styled Maja, and delivered a stunning look the young celebrity clearly loved. “Kahit late mo ‘yan i-text, kunwari today mo s’ya i-text at bukas na 'yung event, she will make sure na ma-style ka niya at hindi ka mangarag,” Maja says of Adrianne. “Thankful ako kay Adrianne kasi nata-transform niya 'yung simpleng Maja sa isang glamorosa at fashionista na Maja.”
What was your fashion style before Adrianne became your stylist?
"Sobrang simple ko lang talaga. I’m more of T-shirt, jeans, sneakers, flats. Very 'tamad days' ang style ko."
What was the most memorable outfit Adrianne made you wear?
"'Yung outfit na pinasuot n'ya sa akin noong Wildflower trade launch, kailangan green. Biglaan ‘yun [kaya rin memorable] at happy ako kasi hindi naubusan ng sobrang daming options si Adrianne."
Maja at the ABS-CBN Trade Launch in 2016
Coleen Garcia
Adrianne and Coleen have been friends for eight years before they transitioned to a more professional stylist-and-client relationship. It all started when Adrianne approached Coleen and asked if she could try her out as a stylist. “She was just getting started and I was in Showtime at that time,” Coleen recalls. “She said that I try her [styling services] for a month and if I am unhappy then we can discontinue.” Although Coleen wasn’t initially a fan of them being colleagues so as not to compromise their friendship, she eventually agreed and they've been inseparable since. “I was hesitant at first because I was always told that you shouldn’t mix friendship and work,” she says. “What if it gets complicated or what if I’m not able to speak up if there is a problem. But it hasn’t been like that at all. Fast forward to years and years after, Adrianne is still styling me.”
What was your fashion style before Adrianne became your stylist?
"Non-existent. I pretty much would go for comfort before anything else. There was one time when Adrianne came to my closet and just started picking out everything that she didn’t want me to keep and got rid of it. I became less sloppy and less boyish and I was able to find balance in between with Adrianne’s help."
What was the most memorable outfit Adrianne made you wear?
"One of my favorites was for Star Magic Ball two years ago. I wore this gunmetal corseted gown with a simple silhouette. It was really simple but it stood out for me because, although it was very basic, the fact that it was made out of bits and pieces of metal was just really unique and fitting for my personality as well."
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Billy Crawford and Coleen (in Popo Go) at the Star Magic Ball 2017
Kim Chiu
Instagram has been among this era’s most convenient avenues to showcase everything that we can offer the world. It has become the online portfolio of creative individuals as well. It is because of the same platform that Kim took notice of Adrianne. Kim sought this stylist's expertise to help her improve her overall image. “I’ve been seeing her work with other artists and I saw how she styles them in chic and sexy outfits,” Kim says. “Towards the end of last year, gusto kong ibahin 'yung style ko." And she believes that Adrianne can give her the fashion makeover she wants exactly.
What was your fashion style before Adrianne became your stylist?
"Before her, my style was more on the young side. May mga damit na ipinapasuot si Adrianne sa'kin which sometimes I'm really shy to wear. You need to have the confidence to pull off the outfits she picks."
What is the most memorable outfit Adrianne made you wear?
"She made me wear this dress that was so short, but she assured me na go lang at ilaban ko lang daw ang legs ko. When you see Adrianne’s style, it’s sexy and classy. She lets me wear outfits that I'm scared of wearing pero she knows I can pull them off."
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Kim in Julianne Syjuco for the Pure Magic 2019 event
Kylie Verzosa
There are two things that connect strangers together: something they either both hate or love. For Kylie and Adrianne, it was the former’s advocacy on mental health that made them click. Although they have previously met when Kylie was still active as a model, their bond was made stronger and more personal when Adrianne approached and told her how she admired her advocacy. Adrianne even shared some of her personal experiences to Kylie, who had then lost her first foray into pageantry through Binibining Pilipinas. “Immediately we connected and sabi niya bakit hindi na lang daw siya mag-style for me? So I said bakit hindi? I tried her out and I really liked her from then on,” shares Kylie. “What I like most about Adrianne is that she always delivers. Never failed. She makes you feel good about yourself and she makes you look good.”
What was your fashion style before Adrianne became your stylist?
"My style is comfort about anything unless it’s [for] an event, then I’m willing to sacrifice my comfort for a little bit of glam. On casual days, I wear a shirt, a pair of shorts or pants, sneakers, and I have my hair up with no makeup on. Laid-back and with neutral palettes because I don’t like too much attention on me."
What is the most memorable outfit Adrianne made you wear?
"My favorite one was when she styled me for a ball, where the theme was futuristic, so she put me in this silver bike shorts and this [prism-like] plastic [top] that made me look like a futuristic Barbie. It was a mix of what I want and what Adrianne, as my stylist, wants."
Kylie in Francis Libiran at the ABS-CBN Ball 2018
Megan Young
Apart from being the stylist to the stars that she is now, Adrianne has worn many hats in the span of her fashion career and that included being part of the editorial staff for a magazine. It was with this hat on that she met Megan, one of her first muses and the longest among these six muses to have known her. “I did a feature shoot for a magazine, and Adrianne was the editorial assistant at that time,” recalls Megan. “Then I was asked to host an event with the same magazine and Adrianne was [assigned] to style me. She brings out the woman in you. She’s taught me how to be more open and how to be more comfortable in my own skin through the styling that she does. Adrianne has been my stylist ever since.”
What was your fashion style before Adrianne became your stylist?
"[My style] has always been pretty simple with the rocker vibe before. It would revolve around dresses and distressed denim [even until now]. I was also definitely a boots kind of girl."
What was the most memorable outfit Adrianne made you wear?
"It was for a ball last year. I had short hair, wore red lips, and was wearing a Boom Sason dress. I was so comfortable the whole night because she [took into consideration] my style and comfort. I will also be forever grateful for Adrianne for styling my whole wardrobe down to the core when I competed for Miss World."
Megan in Rosenthal Tee
Lovi Poe
Adrianne and Lovi have been working with each other for just about two years, and yet it feels like it has already been longer than that, what with the sheer number of outfits they've collaborated on so far. Lovi especially likes how, despite having multiple celebrity clients, Adrianne can come up with a distinct look for each of them while retaining the sexy and classy approach the stylist has become known for. "Yes, we're showing skin but in a classy way. Even if she styles all of us, we all look different. There’s a distinct thing that separates us from each other," Lovi says. Adrianne brought out that sensuality in Lovi through clothes that speak volumes with an alluring appeal.
What was your fashion style before you worked with Adrianne?
"My style became sexier. Adrianne and I, we’ve been taking a lot of risks together. We collaborate on certain things, like when we have an event coming up, we really talk about it. She is a risk-taker as well—something as simple as wearing sheer dresses, wearing dresses wherein you show a little bit of underwear."
What was the most memorable outfit Adrianne made you wear?
"I really loved my outfits for my Venice trip back in October 2017. The thing with Adrianne, she actually checks where the event is going to be, so she knows how to make me stand out there. She wanted me to wear a white dress. Since it's Venice, she wanted me to wear a gold dress, too."
Lovi in Patricia Santos
See more photos of these girls that are #StyledByAdrianne in the gallery below:
[photos]
Photos from @adrianneconcept @coleen @iammajasalvador @meganbata @kylieverzosa @lovipoe @chinitaprincess
Fashion stylist Adrianne Concepcion with her celebrity muses (from left) Lovi Poe in Rob Ortega, Kylie Verzosa in Cary Santiago, Kim Chiu in Hannah Kong, Maja Salvador in Jamie Go, Coleen Garcia in Rica Rico, and Megan Young in Andrea Tetangco
Produced by Geolette Esguerra, Kate Paras, Grace Libero-Cruz
Photographs by Seven Barretto
Styling by Adrianne Concepcion
Makeup by Anthea Bueno (Megan and Kylie), Pong Niu (Coleen), Jake Galvez (Kim), Carmi David (Maja), and Denise Go-Ochoa (Lovi)
Hairstyling by Kiel Otilla (Megan and Kylie), Brix Batalla (Coleen), Julia Fresh (Kim), Jay Wee (Maja), and Renz Pangilinan (Lovi)
Video producer: Joan Ko
Videography by Gian Escamillas
Shoot assistant: Cara Tirona
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