These four women who rock the new Elie Saab x H&amp;M collection on our cover radiate conviction, determination, and quiet strength.

PHOTOGRAPHY Alexis Dave Co
CREATIVE DIRECTION Loris Peña
STYLING Frances Laman
It’s not every day that a magazine editorial staff get to announce: “Make way for the car!” 
But that was precisely the scene for this cover shoot when the vintage Mustang was about to gingerly, and expertly, be driven into a giant warehouse that was actually a photo studio for the day. A 50’s convertible may call to mind pastel-hued diners and fun beach shenanigans. That’s not the mood for this cover. The winged convertible is the backdrop to four women who are all glammed up and ready to conquer the world. It’s ironic that the Mustang became popular in the era that glorified the original version of the traditional wife. This scene of literally glittering women taking full control of their lives in this iconic car is a defiant subversion of pop imagery, a manifesto for female power.
After all, Elie Saab is a master of intricate, feminine looks. It’s not short on glitter and sheen. It’s high-octane and full drama. However, this collab with H&amp;M reveals a younger, sleeker, and curated capsule collection that will exhibit a previously unexplored side of Elie Saab. Some standouts: The ombré sequinned pantsuit, the sheer cape with a pleated back and a satin bow, the long-sleeved full length dress with a mock turtleneck. But all the pieces are wearable components that were designed and reimagined to be distinctive, desirable and still very easy to integrate into an existing wardrobe. It’s a point of view that makes getting ready to go out as instinctive as slipping on your t-shirt and jeans. 
And speaking of female power, these four women who rock this new collection on our cover radiate conviction, determination, and quiet strength. They own their femininity with unabashed pride and joy.
On modern glamour, they each have their own insightful take on the power of dressing up.

On Anna: Blazer, Skirt and Earrings; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M. On Catriona: Top, Pants and Earrings; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Catriona Gray, former Miss Universe and the fourth winner from the Philippines and now a multi-hyphenate in media, as well as an advocate with Angat Buhay, sees glamour as part of her personal narrative, as well as a universal human need. “Everyone is looking for beauty in their lives. I , for one, love picking up eye catching accessories on my travels, and then , it becomes part of my story, a conversation starter when I meet people. For me, I am a beauty girl, and there doesn’t have to be an occasion for you to have some glamour in your life. I translate it to being creative, intentional and elevated. I love a glam moment. I know that even in architecture, it’s all about minimalism now, and I do understand it’s all about functionality. When there’s beauty in something that’s intricate , and detailed, I love moments that allow for the expression of that.”
Anna Jobling, a British-Malaysian model and actress, who works in shows both in Malaysia and Indonesia, getting glammed up is a way of exploring her limits, finding a way out of her comfort zone and boosting her own confidence. “I’m a less is more kind of girl, so when I do glamour, it’s not so crazy. So , I don’t think that modern glamour is about being decked out head to toe in diamonds, it can be as simple as wearing your favorite earrings to the grocery. For me, I’ll do one bold piece, or with my makeup, just emphasize one part of my face. I am so blessed that I get to do it ; and that my job allows me to really grow my style.”

On Jenny: Top and Skirt; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M. On Aimee: Top, Shorts and Belt; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Thao Nhi Le, a Miss Universe Vietnam runner-up, fashion entrepreneur, social advocate and all -around creative, sees glamour as a very deep and personal part of her evolution as a woman. “When I was younger, and I couldn’t afford glamorous clothes, it was so hard for me to see it as something for myself. As I got older, I feel that embracing glamour and then adding your own personal confidence, knowledge and your own inner sparkle is part of becoming a woman. It is something that comes when you mature as a woman. And women who forget their sparkle, who don’t make time for themselves, who don’t make their glam a priority, maybe they are also forgetting who they are. It’s part of your relationship with yourself and you have to take care of it, just like all the other relationships in your life.”
Aimee Cheng Bradshaw, a popular contestant on Asia’s Next Top Model, a Psychology degree holder from King’s College London, and now one of Singapore’s most in-demand models, feels that modern glamour reflects the diversity of contemporary life. “Glamour these days is so much more subjective. It’s a lot more intentional. For me, I am most often in jeans and tank tops. So when I do get a chance to get glammed up, it’s a way for me to use my creativity. It makes me feel like a different person. For example, I had to attend a red carpet event, and I asked H&amp;M for one of the Innovation Circular Design Story collection looks. It was green and looked like a giant circle. Honestly, it was so not me, but when I wore it, I felt, "Wow, I can do this," and even won Best Dressed for the night.”

Catriona Gray: Universal Donor

Top, Pants and Earrings; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Long after her reign as Miss Universe, there are still elements of her look that are seared onto the public consciousness. Her giant sun ear clip. Her bright red sequinned gown. Her lava walk. “It was all about representation so there had to be parts of my mom’s Albay heritage,so Mt Mayon and the lava walk. I don’t wear the earring anymore but people still remember it, and I do still have it.”
As a Miss Universe candidate, she highlighted the school in Tondo where she volunteered and presently , she is a spokesperson and advocate for Angat Buhay, and their disaster preparedness and relief program. “I really believe in their programs and their policy of transparency.” When asked about donor fatigue and empathy burnout, she reveals, “Of course, I feel that, as most Filipino taxpayers do! But I just think that if what I do may be just a bucket or a drop in the ocean, it’s still giving, it’s still part of what makes that ocean. So , I just hold onto that emotion.”

Anna Jobling: Stillness and Fearlessness

Blazer, Skirt and Earrings; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Blazer and Earrings; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Anna was all of fifteen years old when she decided that she wanted to be an actress. She had gone to an American high school, so she was more fluent in English than Malay, and had to buy Malay textbooks and study every night with her mom to master the language. “Soon after I started, I also got offers to do Indonesian movies and (Bahasa) it’s a very different language, more formal.....! I also studied Spanish for nine years but had no one to practise with. Maybe, if I were to take on another language, it would be one that I could use a lot, so maybe Mandarin? My mom loves k-pop and k-drama so she is now learning Korean. Maybe I will learn with her. What I love about languages is that there are things and emotions that can only be expressed in that language. For example, there are feelings that don’t exist or can’t be expressed in English.”
Anna has delicate doll-like features, and she possesses an otherworldly stillness, so it comes as a surprise that her dream role is to star in American Horror Story. “My family and I all love horror movies and tv shows so it’s actually comforting for me to watch them. But now that I know more about them, and that there are 200 people behind the scary scenes, they’re not that scary anymore.”

Thao Nhi Le: She’s Every Woman

Top and Skirt; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Blazer and Pants; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

“Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a gatekeeper, if I see a girl who needs help, I will go to her and ask her how I can help her. I work with the breast cancer community and among my companies, I am like that. My parents were first generation immigrants in Germany so as the first daughter , I took care of my two younger siblings and did everything for them. Everything! The cooking, their laundry, the homework! So I am still like that.” She founded two companies , focusing on active wear , lingerie and swim wear so that she could build body positivity in Vietnam. She sees building brands as also building her legacy. “I may be relevant today but not tomorrow. But my brand can continue to be relevant, so it can be relevant for a longer time.”

Aimee Cheng Bradshaw: On Her Best Behavior

Top, Shorts and Belt; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Dress and Earrings; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Aimee majored in Psychology and it’s a degree that serves her well in her career. “You have to meet and adjust to so many people, from clients to stylists to other models, and you really have to be able to understand how to communicate with them and able to work with them.” She graduated at the top of her class, and her professor assured her that anytime she wished to return to academe, she would be happy to help her. “It was really important for me to go back to school. I took a full time break from modelling to do that.”
When asked what stereotypes in fashion that she wanted to debunk, she naturally replies, “That models are stupid. Or petty and competitive. Envy and bad vibes are just gross. And I have to say that I haven’t really encountered that kind of negativity in my work.”

United by Beauty, One With the Night

When it was time to do the duo and group shots, there was an instant chemistry and sisterly bond among the girls. Catriona even said of Anna, “She’s really my sister!” as they had so much in common, from being only children to the age gap of their parents. Anna confesses, “I watched when CATRIONA won, and I was so inspired by her.” Thao Nhi and Aimee rushed to the shoes and accessories display and tried on most of them, declaring that the heels were quite comfortable.

Dress and Jacket; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Dress and Cape; ALL ELLIE SAAB H&M

Asked to describe the collection, they had common replies.
Catriona: “They are really showpieces! I was so intrigued when I first heard about the collaboration, and now that I see them, they’re an easy way to incorporate a little sparkle into real life.”
Anna: “Glam. Elegant. Timeless. He’s one of the designers that I really search for on the Internet.”
Thao Le: “I always had this dream of wearing Elie Saab when I get married. Even with all the intricate embroidery and the embellishment, it’s never over the top. I love how he creates his silhouettes.”
Aimee: “Fabulous. So sparkly! Giving elevated night life vibe.” 
As I looked at the images of the cover stars posing in the Mustang, I tried to think of other memorable pop culture images of women on road trips, or in vintage cars. It was like a scene from the glory days of disco or the 80s MTV dance videos. It was carefree and celebratory and full of energy, just as a fun night out with friends should be. Cyndi Lauper famously sang that “Girls just wanna have fun” and she should have added that they also want their clothes to be dazzling, effortlessly dramatic and drop dead chic.

MAKE UP Jelly Eugenio (On Catriona), Zidjian Paul (On Anna and Jenny), Jazthine Manalotho (On Aimee)
HAIR Paul Nebres (On Catriona), Patty Cristobal (On Anna and Jenny), Carlo Roblico (On Aimee)&nbsp;
VIDEO DIRECTION Heidi Bayani
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Justine Arcega Bumanlag
SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Maura Rodriguez
MAKE UP ASSISTANT Jannine Bance (On Catriona)&nbsp;
HAIR STYLING ASSISTANT Mariel Munsod (On Catriona)
STYLING ASSISTANTS&nbsp;Jeron Ellana and Bea Marice
GAFFER&nbsp;Mark Reyes&nbsp;
PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANTS&nbsp;Omar Barroga, Keenx Benebente, Derrick Gelomio &amp; Benjie Barruga
VIDEO ASSISTANTS&nbsp;Nina Denise, John Hero and Marco Babiera
SET MEN&nbsp;John Edward Amon, Olderico Bondoc, Rodel Bondoc, Mark Anthony Bondoc, Jeber Cunanan and Mario Taipen
INTERNS&nbsp;Samaya Ty and Akira Watanabe

Girls on the Move: Catriona Gray, Anna Jobling, Thao Nhi Le, Aimee Cheng Bradshaw

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