Getting to Know Rising Model and Content Creator EJ Nacion

The first time I met EJ Nacion was when we arrived at a Saturday night event around the same time, both of us being fashionably late. She wore an asymmetrical peach dress, her hair tied in a neat bun. Our eyes met as we tried to make our way to the basement venue of Bea Alonzo's BASH launch; I said "hi" and she shyly said "hi" back. Of course, I knew who she was since she's been a staple in the local fashion and beauty scene, so it felt like I already knew her. I introduced myself and complimented her look; still shy, she thanked me.

My mind then flashed back to 2016 when I was in the same event as her. We were at a surprise birthday party for her good friend, actress Liza Soberano, and her childhood friend, Enrique Gil, was there, too. She acknowledges that that was a different era for her, and her journey from that point to what she calls her "selfish era" in 2023 is full of stories she couldn't wait to open up about. 

How she got to where she is now, EJ believes, was not by sheer luck. "I'm so blessed. Pero ayoko na sabihin na it's by luck because I worked hard," EJ boldly stated. 

Perhaps you know EJ as Liza and Enrique's friend, a part-time actor, or a MYX VJ Search finalist. But she's also been carving her own path as a content creator and model, and she's come a long way with her own skills, willpower, and hard work. 

The next time I saw her again was at BYS' Multiverse of Play event, which she also attended to support Liza as the brand's new ambassador. This time, she rocked a futuristic silver mini-dress, turning heads with her quiet confidence. With a common friend, her publicist Maureen Manuel, formally introducing us there, we set a schedule to chat over snacks.

I discovered she also enjoys K-dramas, and for a huge K-drama fan like I am, that's a topic worthy of hours-long chats. But no, that day came, and we didn't get a chance to talk about that; her life story is so layered that we joked about how we didn't have enough time to tackle everything that makes up who she is. 

Our casual coffee shop meet-up was an opportunity to see a different side of EJ: glammed down but still radiating fashion model energy, vulnerable but strong. She was immensely grateful for the chance to talk about her story beyond the glitz and glam.

Moon, butterfly, and heart

EJ went through a lot to make a name for herself as a model and content creator. It was a series of discovering herself, getting momentarily lost, and finding her way back to her core. She summed up her life experiences and learnings through her tattoos, explaining to me each of their stories.

The first tattoo she got was a tiny crescent moon on her left arm. Growing up, EJ loved the iconic Japanese manga series Sailor Moon; it was introduced to her by their house help at the time. It was what led to what EJ calls her "gay awakening." But appreciating this character came with a caveat; she couldn't freely show that she enjoyed anything Sailor Moon-related because her father didn't want her to turn out gay. "I wasn't really my dad's favorite because I was different," shared EJ, the second of four children in her family.

A core memory she had when she was only six years old was of her opening Christmas gifts. Her dad bought her Hot Wheels cars and a Slam Dunk figure. "I had to act like I like those," EJ recalled. But when her dad momentarily left, her mom called her and surprised her with things she knew her kid would love. 

"I went to my room, and my mom was like, 'Huwag na huwag mo ipapakita ito sa daddy mo ha.' She gave me cards of Sailor Moon… I will never forget that moment. I swear I didn't even look at the other stuff my dad gave me, only that," EJ recounted. 

Many years later, in 2022, after an argument with her dad, EJ felt like she needed to channel her frustrations into something she had always wanted to do and it was to get a tattoo. Aside from her love for Sailor Moon which has stayed with her through the years, she opted for a crescent moon tattoo because "every time I'm sad, I always see a crescent moon," like a symbol of her childhood. 

For the most of her life, EJ couldn't fully express herself. Although she's the type to know what she wants and is very straightforward, getting what she wants isn't always easy. Her second tattoo, a butterfly, symbolizes her embracing her feminine side, spreading her wings, and letting that side of her know that she's free. EJ, however, was quick to clarify one thing: "A lot of people would assume na I'm transitioning which I'm not. I'm at a point in my life where I'm very comfortable with both genders. Sometimes I feel like a girl, sometimes I feel like I'm a guy. So, basically, a non-binary, but that's something that not a lot of people know yet."   

Regardless of her gender identity, what she always reminds herself of is self-love. Cliché as it may be, EJ believes she cannot fully love others if she doesn't love herself first. This explains her last tattoo, a tiny heart. "Every time I look at myself in the mirror, I would always remind myself to give that love to yourself first before giving to others," she told Metro.Style.

A life-changing year

The start of a year brings so much promise. Many of us are no strangers to making New Year's Resolutions. For EJ, what she promised to do when she welcomed 2023 was that she was going to embrace who she truly is.

"In 2022, I never got to reciprocate kasi parang I felt like the world was against me," EJ confided. "So 2023, sabi ko, 'This is my selfish era so I'm going to do what's best for me.' So I did. I did that." She has become more mindful and intentional in everything she does, and she dug deep within herself to find her purpose. Only when she got a grasp of what she likes and wants to do that her life felt like it was heading in the right direction and that she had a clear career path ahead of her. 

Fresh off of college, EJ worked in the corporate setting while juggling content creation as a side gig. EJ started a YouTube channel six years ago, but she has since evolved so much as a digital content creator. Aside from using her social media platforms as a creative outlet, she realized she could maximize them to champion advocacies close to her heart, such as inspiring queer kids and helping raise HIV/AIDS awareness. 

With how active she is now in the local fashion and beauty scene, it might come as a surprise that EJ only really seriously pursued modeling last year. A self-confessed overthinker, she said she's always wanted to try modeling, but she was scared and worried she wasn't ready for it. A friend of hers knocked some sense into her and told her: "If you're not going to push yourself, if you're not going to try things, you won't be ready." "That hit me," EJ said. Since then, she's mustered the courage to just keep trying and doing her best in auditions and casting calls rather than regret not trying at all. 

Last year alone, EJ experienced rejection, milestones, and self-redemption. It was a roller coaster ride, in a nutshell, but the ups and downs were worth going through because they gave her memories that last a lifetime. 

"I remember last year, my first-ever casting was a Bench show. Pero I didn't get in," EJ opened up, acknowledging she was a newbie who still needed to learn the ropes of the modeling business. After all, she didn't have training or knowledge in modeling, except for watching Victoria's Secret fashion shows and Tyra Banks in America's Next Top Model or practicing a runway walk in front of her mirror at home.

EJ also once joined a modeling competition where she was the first queer semi-finalist. Of that experience, she recalled, "There were a lot of people who bashed me. I wasn't really that good-looking. At that time, when you say na model ka, you have to look a certain way, not like now na it's very diverse, it's very inclusive."

"In those experiences, you learn and you grow," she continued, ending her statement with a laugh. "That's why 'yung time na nangyari sa'kin 'yun, sabi ko, kailangan ko muna siguro magpa-fresh."

Though she wasn't that confident then, she pushed herself to join the competition in hopes of inspiring people. EJ told us, "I would always go back to my core na 'why do you want to do this?' 'I want to do this because I want to inspire queer kids.' When I was growing up, I never had that. I never had that someone I could look up to."

The blossoming of an extraordinary model

EJ's transformation and evolution were not just in physical looks but also mental and emotional maturity. From 2016 when she joined that modeling competition to 2023 when she made her runway debut in Avon's LGBTQIA+ underwear fashion show, EJ has made a bold statement about how knowing oneself is key to unlocking success, whatever one's definition of success may be. 

"Ever since you start to embrace who you are talaga, and once you start to know who you want to be, magre-radiate 'yung energy mo e," EJ observed. And, perhaps she did radiate that kind of positive energy and aura because she was picked for Avon's fashion show, a breakthrough in her modeling career despite not having an agency and relying on her own street-smart skills alone. 

"I was so happy that I got the job but at the same time, I was scared because underwear agad. First show, I got two outfits. It's also a big deal for a model kasi you get to change, you have two segments," EJ described. Getting this gig in an LGBTQIA+ underwear fashion show circles back to her core and purpose, fueling her dream to pursue professional modeling and use her platform for something meaningful. 

After that, she modeled for the fashion shows of future-oriented conceptwear .ARCHIVES and beauty brand BYS for its Fashion Week. For the latter, it was when EJ opened a show for the first time, and it was such a precious opportunity for her in more ways than one. She shared, "It was a very momentous occasion for me because I was opening up a show for a transgender woman designer, Ms. Cheetah Rivera. It felt very right. When she told me I was going to open the show, umiyak ako."

And since 2023 for EJ was all about reclaiming her narrative and redeeming herself, she put her mind and heart into every casting call and collaboration opportunity. In September 2023, she made her Bench Fashion Week debut, modeling for renowned fashion designer Lulu Tan-Gan.

In a full-circle moment, last August 31, she returned to the runway of Bench Fashion Week, this time modeling the brand ANTONINA by Antonina Abad Amoncio. 

An ambassador for tech brand OPPO, EJ has also collaborated with beauty brands like MAC and Issy and Co. She's also been tapped by global brand Marc Jacobs to help promote its fragrance line; for a fairly new model, one can just imagine how surreal it must have been for EJ to be given the chance to work with such a well-loved brand. 

"With what I'm doing right now, I really want to uplift the younger kids," EJ mused. "It feels good to help someone and not just gatekeep. Ang dami kasing nag-ge-gatekeep ngayon, 'yung opportunities, instead of sharing it. Kasi ako, when I get the casting, na-share lang din siya sa'kin e. So, I want to give back. I don't want to be selfish. I also want to give back to those who are kind of having the same struggle I had when I was starting." Through the content she produces, EJ also gives people a peek into what it's really like and what it really takes to be a model.

EJ has so many stories she'd like to share一enough to make for several vlogs or podcast episodes on things she's only once dreamt of and now ticking off of her bucket list one by one. But on top of it all, EJ never forgets to honor the person who's always been there to love and support her: her mother. "Something that my mom always instilled in me is if you have an extra, give back to the people in need," she said. 

In everything she does now, she considers her OFW (overseas Filipino worker) mom and thinks of ways to thank her. "My mom, kasi hindi siya lumaki sa yaman, so I want to spoil her," she shared, teary-eyed.  EJ also doesn't come from a well-off background, so she's eager to succeed and show her mom that she can rise above challenges, inspired by her mom's strength and resilience. 

Recently, EJ graced a mall show for OPPO, where she shared the stage with top actress/singer Nadine Lustre. It was an unforgettable experience because of the nature of the event and the significance of her participation in it. But more importantly, it was a heartwarming moment that her mom witnessed. 

EJ looked back on that amazing time, saying, "It was my first time walking in a huge crowd and I didn't expect people would know me. Kasi s'yempre, Nadine is Nadine, but may mga sumisigaw ng 'EJ, EJ!' Sabi ko, 'Oh, they know me.' It was so iconic for me, that moment, because my mom was there. It was her first time seeing me in that kind of event, and narinig niya 'yun. It was overwhelming. Very happy ako na nangyari 'yun."  

EJ has been through many seasons in her young life, but this current season sees her "in full bloom," as she described. As someone who was timid and unsure of how to navigate her life, EJ grew to be more independent, courageous, and confident.

"I'm not going to be scared anymore for taking opportunities," EJ reflected. "This is me creating my own path because I know for a fact that I can offer so much, and I can also inspire a lot of queer kids—not just queer kids but also a lot of people in terms of my life story… I'm now trying to carve my own path. That's something I'm very proud of." 

Photographer: Kerby Anaque

Make-up: RÜ ARTISTRY

Hair: Orianne Sy

Shot at Espacio Creativo Escolta

Special thanks to Belg Belgica of Espacio Creativo Escolta and Maureen Manuel