Michelle Dee’s jaw-dropping entrance had three levels: the word “Tibo” (lesbian, in English) scrawled across her sheer gown; the slow, regal walk that allowed everyone to take in her unapologetic presence; and the ‘60s-esque glam, complete with nearly neon-pink cheeks and spider lashes.
The ensemble, head to toe, was an ode to queer girlhood, with a touch of retro ‘60s sensibility woven into the show. While Yana Kalaw Studio’s creative direction established the bold vision, makeup artist Dave Quiambao helped translate that vision into beauty, creating the opening look for Michelle.
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Retro-Coded Glam
Yana Kalaw Studio explored queerness, femininity, and girlhood, and while the fashion was rooted in the emotional language of queer girlhood, the beauty direction was just as breathtaking. Beauty director Ida Siasoco took inspiration from the lesbian and bisexual flags, bringing their colors onto the models’ skin. The eyeshadow, the vibrant pop of color on the cheeks visible from the back row of the runway, the shimmering pouts, and the spider lashes—it was as if retro glamour came calling with a distinctly sapphic twist.
Bringing Siasoco’s vision to life was makeup artist Dave Quiambao, who followed the brief to paint Yana Kalaw Studio’s opening model, Michelle Dee.
Bringing the Queer Glam to Life
“The makeup look I made for Michelle was pure genius by Yana’s creative director,” Quiambao told MEGA. With its spider lashes and bold, bright blush, the look was distinctly ‘60s-inspired, he observed. But beyond the statement-making cheek color, it was the smaller beauty details that completed the retro fantasy—from the shimmering orange pout to the exaggerated lashes.
“For the lips, I mixed lip balm and metallic orange eyeshadow from one of Patrick Ta’s palettes,” he shared, achieving a shimmering yet hydrating pout, ready for the runway. The lashes, meanwhile, were a custom-made set by Yana’s creative director, adding another exaggerated touch to the look’s retro fantasy.
The Blush That Stole the Show
The star of the show was undoubtedly the blush, visible from across the room the moment Dee stepped onto the runway. Swept across her sharp cheekbones, the bright pink flush had both intensity and depth, giving the look its unmistakable ‘60s character. Quiambao first applied a bright pink liquid blush from Hourglass for long-lasting pigment, then topped it with a vibrant neon-pink powder blush from MAC Cosmetics, creating the vivid pop of color that defined the look.
Together, the beauty and fashion of Michelle Dee’s opening look became a celebration of queer girlhood in all its boldness. Every detail felt intentional, playful, and proudly queer. At Yana Kalaw Studio, it was about reclaiming the past and making space for queer women to see themselves in it, on the runway and beyond.
Photographed by KIERAN PUNAY of KLIQ INC.
Art by RAKI LUCAS
Frequently Asked Questions
Beauty director Ida Siasoco drew inspiration from the lesbian and bisexual pride flag colors, translating them into a ’60s-inspired makeup look with vibrant blush, shimmering pouts, and spider lashes for the show’s queer girlhood theme.
Makeup artist Dave Quiambao created Michelle Dee’s opening look, following creative direction from Yana Kalaw Studio and beauty director Ida Siasoco to achieve the retro, sapphic-inspired glam.
Dave Quiambao first applied a bright pink liquid blush from Hourglass for long-lasting pigment, then layered a vibrant neon-pink powder blush from MAC Cosmetics on top for the intense, high-visibility color.
Quiambao mixed lip balm with a metallic orange eyeshadow from one of Patrick Ta’s palettes, achieving a shimmering yet hydrating orange pout suited for the runway.
Michelle Dee’s sheer gown had the word “Tibo,” meaning lesbian, scrawled across it, serving as a bold, unapologetic statement that opened Yana Kalaw Studio’s queer girlhood-themed show.
