Bahala Ka Sa Bahay Mo

Nail art/beauty editorial for Hella Pinay Magazine 03: The Culture Issue (Spring/Summer’22). An ode to old school nail salon posters and Filipino matriarchs, the editorial’s title is a riff on ‘bahala ka sa buhay mo,’ a favorite phrase of exasperated Filipino moms when they’re saying ‘whatever, it’s your life.’ Buhay – the Filipino word for life – is replaced by bahay, the word for house; I wanted to incorporate traditional Filipino patterns and objects found in daily life, but take them to a super maximalist, kitschy level.

The first set was inspired by the intricate woven patterns found in banig, the indispensable handwoven multi-use mats found in Filipino homes plus super culturally specific implements like the tabo, tsinelas etc. For the second set, I wanted to represent both our model’s Bontoc and Kankanaey Benguet Igorot as well as Xicana heritage; she wore her traditional divet outfit and the nail designs were inspired by colors and symbols commonly used in living Ibaloi, Kankanaey & Benguet textiles. The third set was inspired by the super ornate embellishment found on our moms’ and lolas’ formal terno dresses.

Creative Direction, Production, Styling & Casting: Stephanie Gancayco
Photography: Emil Siapno
Nail Design: Rozel Cruz
Styling Assistant: Roland Theo Capulong
Model/MUA: Michele Marsili