There are stars, and then there’s Vice Ganda—an entertainer so embedded in the pop cultural fabric of the Philippines that her name alone is synonymous with humor, style, and unapologetic authenticity. Preview's first cover of 2025 celebrates her larger-than-life persona by capturing the different roles she’s played both in and beyond show business.
The Making of Vice Ganda's January 2025 Preview Cover
"The [cover] concept revolves around Vice and the various roles she's become known for within and beyond show business. Each layout focuses on a different hat that she wears," Preview Creative Director Bacs Arcebal shares, pointing out the references in each layout.
The first layout with a miniature jeep was a nod to Vice Ganda as comedienne and how she made the "kabayo" symbol a part of her branding, the second layout portrayed her as the fashion icon and social advocate, the third was an homage to her talkshow Gandang Gabi Vice and her identity as a host, while the cover layout was a play on her being a breadwinner on screen and in real life. "Each layout is very curated per concept," Production Designer Miguel Alomajan of Rocketsets said about bringing the concept deck to life.
Punctuating each set was a carefully curated wardrobe. "In each layout, we tried to capture the different roles that Vice has taken on all throughout her career, and that also reflects in the choice of fashion," Editorial Assistant for Fashion Paulina Singh explains. The Unkabogable Phenomenal Box Office Superstar wore custom pieces by Sacasas, Neric Beltran, Cheetah Rivera, and Job Dacon, and accessories from Adam Pereyra and LVNA by Drake Dustin. She also donned a sculptural baguette headpiece crafted by Neric Beltran and Sandino Martin. "Everyone on set was in awe of that particular piece," Paulina observes.
Lensing the photos was BJ Pascual, who came straight from another shoot. "When I first got the deck, I was so excited to do it," he revealed, further noting how his schedule luckily fell into place—a sentiment shared by Shoot Co-Producer and Asst. Managing Editor Reg Rodriguez. "January covers are usually a challenge since production is done around the holidays, so we're really glad that our schedules aligned and we were able to shoot Meme even amidst [her daily] It's Showtime [filming], MMFF promotions, and the December festivities."
Rounding up the production was Vice's go-to glam squad: Emman Concepcion on makeup, Buern Rodriguez on hair, and Mimi Qiu's Mi&Me Luxury Nails for her digits. Emman and Buern even made cameos in our cover's fashion film! "The fashion film offers an intimate behind-the-scenes look," Associate Multimedia Director Jana Jodloman shares. "We wanted to make it look cinematic but also showing the creative process of the whole shoot."
Vice Ganda came to the shoot straight from It's Showtime. "During the shoot, Meme Vice was very somber. I'd say she was in battery-saving mode," Shoot Co-Producer and Cover Story Writer Em Enriquez recounts, noting how the comedienne was expressionless yet would crack a joke from time to time. "I think that just goes to show that Meme is a very versatile person when it comes to her craft."
The shoot would last well into the night, but the actor and host still brought her A-game in front of the camera, while McDonald's ensured the team behind the scenes were nourished and fueled up.
Produced and Styled by the Preview Team
Photographer: BJ Pascual
Creative Director: Bacs Arcebal
Editor-in-Chief: Marj Ramos-Clemente
Production: Em Enriquez and Reg Rodriguez
Fashion: Paulina Singh, assisted by Neri Neritzkova
Beauty Direction: Isha Fojas
Makeup: Emman Concepcion
Hairstyling: Buern Rodriguez
Nails: Mi & Me Luxury Nails
Set and Production Design: Rocketsets
Video Direction: Jana Jodloman
Videographer: Teddy Garcia Jr.
BTS Photographer: James Jarin of Studio Torio
Studio: Rocketsets
Story: Em Enriquez
Special thanks to McDonald’s and Jan Bariuad
Check out the January 2025 cover story here.
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