Liz Uy began her career roughly 14 years ago, after graduating from a hotel and restaurant course from the College of Saint Benilde. “At the time, my dream was to be a housewife,” she nostalgically laughs at her old ambitions, which quickly changed. “I loved dressing up. It was the peak of Sex and the City. When you’re younger, you don’t really know your style yet. So some days I would dress like Carrie, on other days I was Charlotte, and everyone took notice and started saying that I should be working in fashion.” She took the dive and applied to three magazines, sending in her CV, designed by her brother Vince, which had a personalized illustration of her instead of a photograph. “It was not your typical résumé!” she reminisces. Eventually, she got a call back from Preview’s Editor-in-Chief Pauline Juan, who liked Liz’s work. She was quickly hired as the magazine’s Editorial Assistant.
“From there on, I forgot the word ‘rest’. It was emitted from my vocabulary,” she shared about her hectic early days in publishing. Liz recalled some of her favorite moments with Preview, like shooting memorable shoots with her friend Anne Curtis, and going to Cebu for her very first beauty editorial for Abby Benzon. “I would cry like there’s no tomorrow when something goes wrong, or someone didn’t show up, or something didn’t fit right,” she admitted with a smirk.
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Eventually, the world of showbiz started taking notice of Liz’s talents and eye for beauty. She jokingly shares that many of the celebrities she met while working at Preview became “clingy”. This led to them always getting her as their personal stylist. By 2015, she became the magazine’s Fashion Director at Large, while balancing work for a roster or high-profile clients such as Anne Curtis, Maine Mendoza, Sara Geronimo, sisters Alex and Toni Gonzaga, and her close friends Isabelle Daza and Georgina Wilson.
After her tenure at Preview, Liz worked with Style Singapore, a media company fueled by the latest fashion trends and news. She was one of their content creators and freelance stylists, jet setting from her home in Manila to the offices in Singapore, and New York Fashion Week as well. Liz’s career has even reached international attention. She is the first Filipina ever to be featured by Vogue. Her thoughtful eye and passion for the industry has made her one of the country’s most sought-after fashion stylists and personalities. When asked whether she considers her job glamorous, Liz said, “It could be. But most of the time, it’s not. They see what we post, but they don’t see the racks and the number of people glamming you up. We don’t run around in heels and everyone is dressed so simply, usually in a black.”
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Recently, Liz has added another full-time job to her resume, as the mother of little Xavi. Though a lot of things in her life changed after giving birth, the mother continues to trooper on, building a relevant career in her industry. “At the beginning it was hard. My fashion choices had to change because I was breast feeding,” she laughs. “But after a year, everything just went back to normal. He’s such a chill baby. He’s so clingy but that’s what I love about him!”
Compared to her life as a magazine editor, Liz admits that it’s all about work-life balance now. “When I was younger, I would work 24/7. I never got people who would “rest”. Rest when you’re dead!” Today, she makes a conscious effort to never miss any milestone events of her loved ones, sharing that she regretfully missed too much when she was younger. Scrolling through her IG feed, you can see how Liz’s personal life and career are now in perfect harmony. She shares photos of her travels with the baby and hanging out with little sister Laureen, but still continues to post her most stylish #OOTDs at the world’s most exclusive fashion events.
Read the full cover story of Liz Uy in Lifestyle Asia’s November 2018 Edition, titled the Luxury Gift Guide Issue. Run to the nearest bookstore for your print copy or download the FLIP100 app for a digital version.
SHOOT CREDITS:
Photography by Charisma Lico using Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Styling by Liz Uy, Pat Perez, Joy Bernardo, Aia Tabuzo
Assistant styling by Marvi Barillo
Makeup by Mac Igarta
Hair by Mycke Arcano
Nails by Posh Nails
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