One Mega Group President Suki Salvador on the importance of the MEGA Fashion Awards
Related: The MEGA Fashion Awards 2008 focused on a new generation of fashion lovers
Earlier today, seven hours before the premier of MEGA Fashion Awards 2021 (MFA), I sent out a message to all the employees of One Mega Group, asking them to share the promotional materials for the event. My message read, “Good morning, OMG. Today is a big day! Today is the MEGA Fashion Awards! Please join us on the MEGA Facebook account at 5PM. I ask that you please share these three videos on your social media accounts, so that the work of so many people, an entire industry to be honest, can be seen by the most number of people possible. Let’s keep our industry alive. Thank you and I’m looking forward to seeing your posts. Happy Friday!”
Immediately after sending that message, I asked myself “What is the importance of MEGA Fashion Awards?” More importantly, why do we still give awards in this day and age when superior talent is rewarded by admiration of fans on social media? Is it still necessary?
The answer is, “Yes!”
Twenty years ago, our late Founder, Sari Yap, launched the very first MEGA Fashion Awards with the same intent as other award giving bodies. She and MEGA wanted to honor remarkable talent and proclaim it to the country. Like most of the things Sari created, it came at the perfect time because it was the start of the Golden Era of Philippine fashion. From the first edition in 2001 emerged now industry icons and masters, Inno Sotto, Cesar Gaupo, Cecile Zamora, Jun De Leon, Henri Calayag, Patrick Rosas, Borgy Manotoc, Joan Bitagcol, and Diether Ocampo. Whether they needed a MEGA Fashion Award to solidify their strong presence in the industry is debatable. Still, it was an affirmation that a team of experts believed in their body of work.
Seven years later, 2008, the second installment of the MEGA Fashion Awards was launched in an elaborate event. MFA 2008 was my very first event as a MEGA employee and I was creative director then. I recall walking into the halls of Intercontinental Hotel in Makati and being amazed at the energy that filled the room. Everyone was excited to find out who the new winners would be because it had become so prestigious. Names such as Mich Dulce, Ivarluski Aseron, Joey Samson, Jojie Lloren, Dennis Lustico, Sara Black, Lala Flores, Ria Bolivar, Kelly Misa, Tim Yap and Anne Curtis emerged winners. Today, these names are still the biggest in the industry, a true testament to their talents and strong point of view. Seeing the awardees reminisce and claim that MEGA Fashion Awards 2008 was their biggest achievement that year on social media over the last week reaffirms the importance of the awards then. Coincidentally, today, May 28, 2021 is my first event at the helm of this media giant. So, the question remains, “Is it still important?”
As I was looking at 2021’s list of awardees, I saw strong names in the “Best In” category. Like previous editions of MFA, we will be awarding Best Photographer, Best Designer, Best Makeup Artist, Model of the Year and even a Fashion Icon of the Year. I’m happy with the list because these talents are truly deserving of the recognition. What I’m most excited about, however, is the “To Watch” category. It has been in MEGA’s DNA to recognize emerging talents and brands, names that may not be as popular or loud on social media, but these people, their talents are big. Huge in fact. They are so good and we are putting our name, MEGA, behind them. To me, this is the importance of MEGA Fashion Awards 2021, legitimizing people and brands and introducing them to you.
Full disclosure, it is quite simple to choose 20 winners and award them in a highly produced virtual event, but the impact of the MEGA Fashion Awards is so much greater and so much more important in order to keep this industry alive and thriving. The awardees in the “Best In” and “To Watch” will hopefully wake up tomorrow with a revitalized sense of purpose. It is my hope that they become inspired to do even better, to shoot a better photograph, to paint an even more beautiful face, and to improve their service because when they do, their clients will be happy. When clients are happy, repeat business will happen and ultimately sales will increase. Creativity will only get better and better. That is the MEGA Fashion Awards effect. This beautiful cycle will propel our industry forward and to me, that is why it is important.
Congratulations to all the winners of MEGA Fashion Awards 2021. Continue to inspire us at MEGA and everyone who sees the magic of your wand. Yes, today is indeed a big day!
