Meet photographer & art director from the Philippines, Garovs Garrovillo Vergara of Everywhere We Shoot!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

I live in Makati City in Metro Manila. Makati is our fast-paced, concrete CBD. Although I live and work in the not-so-center CBD, we get to live at a fast or slow pace depending on need. It never gets boring here since Makati is where a lot of new places/events/products are launched and what’s even better, a lot of local specialty stores, galleries, cafes, restos are opening here, making the neighborhood even more exciting.

It never gets boring here since Makati is where a lot of new places /events/products are launched and what’s even better, a lot of local specialty stores, galleries, cafes, restos are opening here, making the neighborhood even more exciting.

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

How did you start your career in art?

I worked on my fashion portfolio with my then-boyfriend, now-husband Ryan in college. We were obsessed with avant-garde fashion magazines, so we took avant-garde to heart, and took pictures of our friends. We emailed everyone we knew, and all the magazines and people that inspired us. Then a young fashion section called, YSTYLE in The Philippine Star newspaper, hired us for our first gig. We did graphic design on a fashion editorial. We worked a lot with YSTYLE too in the next years.

We were obsessed with avant-garde fashion magazines, so we took avant-garde to heart, and took pictures of our friends.

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

Yes. I studied fashion design, but I think now, being able to work in all fields of design is more exciting!

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

Our goal is to be able to make our local creatives be recognized the way they should be recognized, we want to boost creatives the way we were pushed to create by the people around us.

Our goal is to be able to make our local creatives be recognized the way they should be recognized, we want to boost creatives the way we were pushed to create by the people around us.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

How would you describe the women around you?

It’s more challenging to have gender equality in the Philippines because of our religion-based patriarchal society with mostly housewife mothers and working fathers.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

Cecile Licad.

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

Yes. It really depends, what I see as a challenge is that we shouldn’t forget that everything should be regardless of gender, or race. Like when you look at art, you see the art, not the artist. I wish to be treated as a creative like any other creative would be treated, not just because I am female. Everyone deserves the same chances regardless of gender or race.

I wish to be treated as a creative like any other creative would be treated, not just because I am female.

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Work hard. Be fair. Don’t hate based on gender. Just don’t hate on anyone! Work for yourself, not for money or fame.

Photos courtesy of Garovs Garrovillo Vergara.