For 24 years, Rosalyn Ferrer (50) and Rommel Basco (55) built their life around survival in Pampanga, Philippines. Living in a small shack on a patch of wasteland, the couple raised six children by collecting discarded plastic bottles each day and selling them for recycling. Their daily earnings were often just enough to put food on the table. A wedding was once Rosalyn’s dream, but over time she accepted that it might never happen. One day, a local salon owner named Richard Strandz noticed them gathering scraps near his shop and learned about their story. It stayed with him. Wanting to help, he contacted makeup artists, photographers, and friends in the wedding industry to organize a surprise. Around Valentine’s Day 2021, Rosalyn wore a beautiful white gown while Rommel dressed in a traditional Barong Tagalog. The couple received full makeovers and a special charity wedding photoshoot. After decades of struggle, their love finally received the celebration it had always deserved.

In Artigas, Uruguay—famous for its amethyst—miners at the Santa Rosa mine made an incredible discovery. A 176-pound rock that looked ordinary from the outside revealed two perfectly matching heart-shaped crystal cavities when split open. The rare amethyst geode, nicknamed “The New Treasure,” is valued between $100,000 and $120,000, and its owners refuse to separate the halves. Formed over millions of years inside volcanic rock, the perfectly aligned hearts are something miners say they’ve never seen before.

A bag that I took a photo of in Hirosaki, Japan (at a regular department store, btw, Ito Yokado)

A vida cor-de-rosa, a vida bela, o amor, estou apai -xonado

The city hasn’t fully woken up, but the set is already alive with energy. Music hums low as the first strokes of makeup are applied and stylists lay out looks from H&M’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection. From this high vantage point—a set perched on the 60th floor of a luxury hotel—the view of Manila at sunrise seems to stretch endlessly, a reminder that what unfolds in this room carries weight beyond today’s shoot. Four Southeast Asian talents, each with their own story, have come together: #MikaSalamanca, #EykaFarhana, #TrầnTiểuVy, and #WillabelleOng. Read our digital cover story featuring these four rising talents from Southeast Asia on lofficielph.com MIKA, EYKA, TIỂU VY, and WILLABELLE wear H&M Photographed by Charisma Lico Creative Direction and Styling by Yanna Lopez Produced by Loris Peña, Maura Rodriguez, and Knelle Rosario Art Direction by Eugene David Hair by Dale Mallari (for Mika Salamanca), Carlo Roblico (for Eyka Farhana), Jyue Huey Low (for Willabelle Ong) Makeup by Thazzia Falek (for Mika Salamanca), Janica Cleto (for Eyka Farhana), Jyue Huey Low (for Willabelle Ong) Cover story by Andrei Santos Video by MV Isip Set Design by Justine Arcega-Bumanlag Fashion Associate Frances Laman Shoot Assistant Teresita Gabat Interns Jeron Ellana and Paulo Joshua Pangan Shot on location at Grand Hyatt Manila