Filipino Influencers are Leading the Way to Inclusive Beauty and Style

By Jemima Cruz January 18, 2023

Along with their huge following, these influencers are continuously using their platform in launching inclusive beauty and lifestyle brands

Inclusivity in fashion and beauty has been a growing topic of conversation in recent years. Both industries have traditionally been criticized for its lack of diversity and representation, but it’s evident that there has been a shift towards more inclusive practices through these influencer-led brands.

From Ayn Bernos’ inclusive makeup line, Pau De Rio’s comprehensive designs in jewelry, to Ira Denise Oyco’s lifestyle clothing—these three influencers aim to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people of all sizes, shapes, abilities, races, and ages through their platforms.

Ayn Bernos

As a beauty advocate, former Binibining Pilipinas candidate Ayn Bernos launched an inclusive makeup line for all skin colors called Kayu Beauty. The brand aims to cater to the kayumanggi or the brown-colored skin tone of Filipinos by providing a wide range of shades and undertones to match the diversity of its consumers.

Pau Del Rio

Over the years, makeup artist and TikTok influencer Pau De Rio has expanded her reach not only in beauty, but also in lifestyle. Following the success of her Paulash brand, she ventured into the lifestyle market and launched Burvon, a collection of comprehensive jewelry designs featuring higher quality gold-plated earrings, necklaces, and rings. In an exclusive conversation with Pau De Rio, she shared that building Burvon from the ground up was inspired by her learnings in the industry of business. As she has dedicated her time and resources to creating value behind her brands, it excites her to keep innovating her vision in the beauty sphere.

While she shared with MEGA the history behind the inclusive brand, Pau Del Rio mentioned that Burvon was just a made-up name, but for her, it screams luxury, class, and dominance. She is well aware that the brand’s statement is such a huge responsibility to uphold, and is up for the challenge as every milestone of the brand is worth the hard work. The process of bringing her lifestyle brand to life lasted for two years, which is why she felt it was surreal with the attention that the brand has been getting, and even shared that the company will be celebrating its first anniversary in a few months. According to Pau herself, “My intention behind Burvon is quite similar to what I had in mind back when I was still establishing Paulash—I wanted to advance something that’s been existing for quite a while in a way no one has before.”

She makes sure that the designs could cater to all genders as they were built by three strong-willed women, including Pau. Together with her business partners and co-founders, Pau wants Burvon to break the mold of society’s norms and encourage people to defy their own expectations. And to clearly deliver the brand’s message of inclusivity, Pau opts for her brand models to consist of people from different races.

Ira Denise Oyco

Pregnant women, mothers, and the younger generation are often not catered to by a single fashion line in the industry. However, more and more brands are recognizing the importance of inclusivity for these demographics. This vision is how social media influencer Ira Denise Oyco presents her brand, Rhipes Backyard, as it caters to all kinds of people regardless of gender or status. For mothers, finding clothing that is both stylish and practical can be a challenge, while for the younger generation, finding fashion-forward pieces that cater to different body types and sizes can be a challenge.