Fashion and technology may seem like worlds apart, but they both play a pivotal role in the evolution of self-expression and self-actualization for the ever-stunning Liza Soberano
How far will you take your styling game? Apart from the usual tops, bottoms, kicks, and even outerwear or jewelry on occasion, how else do you express your personality? Over the turn of the past decade, people have been integrating technology into their daily fits. Tokyo street fashion has been a pioneer in this space, with teens rocking retro-tech like Tamagotchis and Game Boys as accessories, in working condition or not. For a more contemporary style, you see this reality in people who proudly tout their headphones, earbuds, and smartwatches—tech turned into statement pieces. However, people are now turning to a seemingly mundane item they already carry with them daily as their newest fashion accessory—smartphones.
This power in our pockets is now becoming more integrated into our fashion. No matter how varied your personal style can get, whether you like the expressive color clashes and pattern plays, or the classy elegance of formal wear, your smartphone is always by your side. Actually, one of today’s beloved online fashion mavens, Liza Soberano, admits to this as she finds herself right in the middle of an extensive style search. I got to sit down with the trailblazer herself and discuss the evolution of her style, the impact of fashion influence in today’s youth, and how our phones are becoming more personal than ever before.
Fashion is More Than Just Material
After having gone through multiple outfit changes throughout the production of this story, Liza comfortably takes a breather in a baby blue robe and reminisces on how far her journey in the industry of spotlights has taken her fashion game. “I think the industry that I’m in allows me to play around a bit, and that’s great because when I have a certain role [in film] and [pose] in magazine shoots, I get to try different looks, and that’s where I get to discover what I really like and what really fits me.” Even the worldwide industry has influenced her tastes, such as, “I’m super attracted to the K-Pop industry, like I’m obsessed with it. They’re always experimenting, and in every [group] comeback, they always have a different look and a different style approach. Sometimes, I wish I had the opportunity to do [that].”
However, more than the outer appearances that shift with every project, Liza opens up about how self-acceptance has become such a beautiful outcome of this exploration. “Back in the day, I would try to avoid anything too girly or feminine because I don’t like it when people notice me because of my body, or how much of a womanly figure I have. Now that I’m getting older, I’m trying to embrace that femininity in myself and I’m becoming more comfortable with my body. I guess that’s because I learn to love even my flaws, which I didn’t appreciate before.”
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Liza focuses on a great point that needs to be mentioned time and time again: it’s how you feel about yourself and your outfit that will shine through, more than the glamour or how “put together” everything may seem. It’s a great perspective in answering the age-old question: Does the person make the outfit, or the outfit make the person? Initially torn, Liza gathered her bearings to settle in the middle, “If I’m trying a different look than I would normally wear on a daily basis… I think it [shows] a different side of me. But if I were to style myself in everyday fashion, it’s about me working my outfit more because it’s something that’s more personal. I’m not copying a certain trend or look, so it’s really my personality that has to come out and bring that outfit to life.”
The Trendsetter’s BFF
If you really want to get a good read of who someone is, pay attention to their wardrobe. They say first impressions last, and there’s no bigger first impression you can make than through your clothes. Unconsciously, however, we tend to look past the fashion and shift your judgemental eyes to the phone. Admit it: in this hyper-digital world, your phone says a lot about who you are. In fact, try to remember the evolution of your phone over the years, such as its features and looks. “People nowadays are so into cases and lanyards, or putting stickers and photos on your cases, and it’s telling of their fashion sense and their personality,” Liza Soberano shares.
Lots of people have been obsessing over their phones just as much as how they would obsess over a good designer jacket or the latest sneaker collab. It is today’s biggest essential, containing our most personal information, digital payments, and online access on-the-go.
“You don’t go anywhere without your phone, so might as well make it an accessory to your outfit.”
Liza Soberano on the next fashion statement
Of course, talking to someone who’s always on the pulse of fashion, beauty, and entertainment, I had to know what smartphone the Liza Soberano was packing in her purse and how it compliments her style and daily necessities. Fitting right on the palm of her hand is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, the latest in Samsung’s family of foldable devices and a stunning piece of tech. For Liza, when someone holds this phone, it’s an easy read of their personality: “With the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, you can tell that person is adventurous and a trendsetter because they want to be in the now… They want to constantly try out new things.”
And new is right, with its 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display that impressively folds to square off the phone into a mere 4.2 inches—an exciting feature that puts you on the bleeding edge of technology. Liza finds this as both practical and suited to her interests, as she reveals, “I don’t like [big and heavy] phones because I like playing games, and I don’t want to get trigger finger or my wrists to hurt after playing. It also needs to fit into my pocket and small purses.”
The ingenious build is accompanied by every online leader’s essentials: a 120Hz refresh rate on the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display for smooth-scrolling through your feeds, an IPX8 rating that makes this the world’s first water-resistant foldable smartphone for outdoor adventures, a three-camera system for a variety of shots, and the unique Cover Screen on the face of the phone when folded closed for productivity without even opening the phone. Or, let’s face it, you would mostly use the Cover Screen as a display for high-quality, wide selfies using the rear cameras.
Yes, Your Phone Can Be a Personality Trait
It recently dawned on me how over the years, as smartphones constantly refine their functionalities to suit our needs, they are now being transformed into visual extensions of ourselves. Liza and I reminisced on this cultural shift we’ve grown with over the years: “Before, you would only have two [phone] colors to choose from: black and white. Although black and white are timeless, people nowadays want to show their personality through their gadgets and clothing. Today, people are all about diversity.”
The Galaxy Z Flip3 5G itself, accessories aside, already presents itself in a selection of expressive colors: Cream, Phantom Black, Lavender, and Green. In a playground of pop, Liza emanates personalities based on these colors, from the nostalgic, Y2K teenage dream that can play with Lavender and Green, to the timeless glamour of a woman all grown up with the equally timeless Cream and Phantom Black colors. It’s the visualization of a multi-faceted Liza, a woman who effortlessly comes off as both the nation’s sweetheart through her youthful aura, but also a queen of classical eras as she is often described as having an “old soul” fit for the 50s.
Running through the palette, Liza and I had fun trying to characterize the colors with their distinct auras. “Because the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G comes in different colors, you can tell automatically what kind of person that is. If they go for the Lavender, that person is probably more feminine and playful. If somebody goes for Phantom Black, you can tell they’re more serious. People who like Cream are more of the simple kind… and they know that phone will fit into each and every outfit they wear. Lastly, maybe the people that like Green are more of the masculine type, but maybe that’s just me.”
The Flip Side of Fashion
If this is where we are headed with the marriage of fashion and technology, then I’m here for it, and so is Liza Soberano. “I know a lot of people will try to match their phones with their outfits. I feel like a lot of people will be more conscious about that in the coming years, especially when people like taking mirror selfies nowadays and, [for example], candid photos where they’re just scrolling on their phones and their friend takes a picture of them, of course they want their phone to be at par with their outfits.”
This consciousness in one’s own appeal is stronger today than ever before. The urge for constant discovery and productivity keeps the online world abuzz, like sharing a great style mix in a soon-to-be viral TikTok, or finding new ways to multitask with your Galaxy Z Flip3 5G on Flex Mode while your hands can do more. However, as Liza and I got a bit excited about the future of fashion and technology, Liza opened up about a concern that hits close to home, and one we must all keep in mind: “I’m very conscious with what I post on social media because I don’t want to get hated on for things I truly love and [for me] being authentic… Honestly, I don’t like fashion police. I’m okay if you talk about me by myself, but I don’t like it when you compare me [and my outfit] to other people’s.”
So, as you begin to make your mark in society, why not do so by taking the lead in both fashion and technology? As Liza interestingly shared in our conversation, “Only 13% of the population are the people that try out things for the first time, and 50% of the population are the people that copy the people that try for the first time.” Be that top 13% who not only want to try new things, but also innovate with these new possibilities—new ways to snap a photo, to be entertained, to stay in touch with your friends and fans, and to be more productive.
If it isn’t obvious already, phones are indeed fashionable. So, as you take a look at your entire fit from head to toe just before you head out of home, and as you make some last-minute hair brushes or tugs on your shirt, take an extra minute to look at your phone and check if it fits your look—not just stylistically with the right color, but also literally as you flip it shut and slip it neatly into your pocket.
Creative Direction and Cover story KRISTOFF SISON
Art, Fashion, and Beauty Direction EL PEREIRA
Styling PERRY TABORA
Makeup MICKEY SEE
Hair RENZ PANGILINAN
Production Design ADSET
Videography KIERAN PUNAY
Shoot Coordination by LOUIS ESGUERRA andMJ ALMERO
