Empower Hour With Shaina Magdayao

At Generation Love Clothing, our mission is to create clothing that empowers women to feel confident, motivated, and ready to achieve their goals, while cultivating a community where they feel uplifted and supported. As part of this mission, we’re introducing our "Empower Hour" Q&A series. Through these interviews, we’ll be highlighting women who inspire us with their achievements, whether they’re leading companies, excelling in high-level positions, or balancing the responsibilities of managing a household. This series is about celebrating self-confidence, positivity, and the many ways women define success. Welcome to Empower Hour!

What role does fashion play in defining our careers and inspiring others?

In our latest interview, the inspiring actress Shaina Magdayao shares how her lifelong connection to fashion and acting has shaped her career and empowered her to represent Filipino artistry on the global stage. Recently, Shaina was in New York for the New York Asian Film Festival 2024, serving as a jury member for the UNCAGED section. Through her work, she seamlessly blends storytelling, style, and cultural representation, making a lasting impact on both the industry and the global community.

What role does fashion play in defining our careers and inspiring others?

In our latest interview, the inspiring actress Shaina Magdayao shares how her lifelong connection to fashion and acting has shaped her career and empowered her to represent Filipino artistry on the global stage. Starting her career at just six years old, Shaina brings a wealth of experience, sharing her journey from the vibrant and dynamic sets of the Philippines to the international spotlight. Through her love of timeless style, commitment to showcasing local designers, and dedication to inspiring others to embrace their authenticity, her story is a powerful reminder of how fashion and purpose intersect to uplift and inspire.

R.H: Hi everyone. I am so thrilled to be sitting down with this exceptional actress. She is from the Philippines and started her acting career when she was just six years old. I just can't wait to hear about her career and how she intertwines her love of fashion with all her acting projects and how she decides what she wants to wear when she wears it to her premieres, and all sorts of fun things. So I'm with Shaina Magdayao. This is such an honor. I'm so thrilled for you to be here. I just want to delve into how you love fashion and how you see that affecting your career and what you wear on a daily basis, and being in the spotlight inspiring also, other women. Tell us a little about yourself. I’m sure our viewers would love to know a little bit more.

S.M: First of all, thank you for inviting me and Nikki. Thank you so much for having me here, and thank you for sending me these beautiful pieces that definitely suit my style, and they're very easy to wear, I must say. So, yeah, so thank you so much as well. Thank you so much. I'm Shaina García Magdayao. I’m from the Philippines. I act for a living. When I was younger, I would always say that I cry for a living. But as I'm leaning towards drama back home. So I started when I was six years old back home, back in the Philippines. You do film and TV, and you also get to do, get to dance or sing if you want to. So we have variety shows as well. So I definitely grew up in the industry because my sister is also an actress, and so at a very young age, I was on movie sets. Little did I know that would be my world growing up. So, yeah, now I'm 35 but still here, and it seems like I have more work to do. It hasn't been easy. There are times when I've already wanted to quit because I was so tired, but now that I'm in a better place and a good place, and I just really want to be grateful for the talent that I was blessed with, even with a world of fashion, with a world of beauty, with a world of art, that's actually my world. So thank you so much for having me over.

R.H: That’s so wonderful to hear. I’m just so curious. So when you grew up on in these sets and in the theater world or acting world, the costumes must have been so inspiring and interesting. I mean, I can't imagine what that was like as a little girl being exposed to all that. Did that affect or influence your fashion style now?

S.M: Absolutely! I mean, I grew up wearing different characters, different looks. I even got the chance to be a part of the variety show called ASAP. It's a three-hour variety show in the Philippines that's shown every Sunday for the past 20-plus years.

R.H: Wow! What kind of what kind of things were on that show?

S.M: Oh, singers, dancers, and actors promoting their recent projects.

R.H: Oh wow.

S.M: So I grew up in that kind of environment.

R.H: Lots going on.

S.M: So much going on! Yeah, it's like all in one in the Philippines, in a very chaotic, but also in a very creative and special way. So yeah. So I had to change my looks regularly with my hair color, yeah I dressed up for certain characters when they required me to. But I guess growing up, I discovered the power of image, right, and how you present yourself.

R.H: Absolutely.

S.M: I feel that fashion really is a tool for actors to be able to get into the character more. Like it helps us get into the character faster. I would say, as soon as I wear my costume, they fix my hair up or my makeup, I get into the character easily, more easily that way. So, yeah, it definitely inspires my job and how I portray my role.

R.H: I love that. That kind of makes me think about when I have to go to an important meeting, or, you know, business meeting where I need to feel very strong and powerful. I'm going to wear a suit, or a power suit, or a blazer or something strong in color. And when I put that on, it automatically transforms me. Like, okay, I'm the boss, or like, I'm I, you know, have I'm going to make decisions, or I'm going to be, you know, really focused. And it's kind of like very feels similar. I can definitely relate to that.

S.M: Yeah, because I feel that good clothes are going to help build your confidence, right?

R.H: Absolutely.

S.M: If you feel really good with what you're wearing, then it'll show.

R.H: 100%. Amazing. I love all of that.

R.H: So tell me, are there certain fashion styles you like to wear in certain situations when you feel confident, like, what is it that you pull to wear?

S.M: Always a blazer, a timeless classic blazer. For New York’s weather today, this one I felt was perfect because it’s actually very presentable, but also very fun and chic in a way, right? It’s also linen, which is a staple for summer.

R.H: Especially for the Philippines. I haven't been there, but for some reason, that's like what I imagine people are wearing there. Linen suits!

S.M: Yes, something very cotton, something very light and easy to wear. Basically, since I was the one who chose this one, like it's basically my style.

R.H: Well, you wear it very well. It looks beautiful on you!

S.M: And for evenings, I tend to go more into the classic and little black dress. A bit safer, but definitely elegant and sophisticated as well.

R.H: I would say my first impression of your style is definitely elegant and sophisticated. That is what I feel, what I see, for sure.

S.M: I’m drawn to clean, crisp, and chic outfits. So I dress up for a living too. So when I wear simpler stuff, I feel that I'm myself, and I'm not working.

"People are comparing or wanting to be someone else, but I always say that they have to embrace their authenticity because their uniqueness is their greatest asset at the end of the day." 

– Shaina Magdayao

R.H: That kind of makes sense. I feel like, I'm sure because you're wearing so many elaborate things and always dressing up, and it's like, maybe fussy, you probably want to pare back and, like, scale it back a little bit and wear something simple and just different than what you usually wear day to day.

S.M: Yeah, I think comfort at this point in my life.

R.H: You’re not old!

S.M: I feel old in the industry.

R.H: You know what? This industry is changing. Honestly, it really is. I don't know much about the acting world, but I feel like there's a lot more respect, especially with women. And this is, you know, also what we're doing with this dialogue. Because I feel like there's more of a place for women, older women—not older, and you're not older—but of different ages, more mature. Like, I feel like, yes, maybe in Hollywood or in acting, there was more of an emphasis on these young, new like 20-year-old starlets. Nothing against you guys. But I do think that there is a kind of a resurgence of having a respectable, experienced actor, or actress, in roles, and I think that they're gaining their own momentum. I think that also goes for like the modeling industry and anything. I kind of see that happening, that there's this kind of respect happening where, yes, maybe in the past you'd kind of be like, Oh, moving on to the next, the newest and the youngest. But now it's like, oh, well, there's credibility here, there's experience here. You can rely on them. You know, there's attributes to that.

Explore the full conversation with the remarkable Shaina Magdayao, where she delves deeper into her journey as an actress, her passion for fashion as a form of self-expression, and her commitment to celebrating Filipino artistry on the global stage. With profound reflections on purpose, gratitude, and timeless elegance, Shaina’s story is a powerful testament to the transformative beauty of authenticity and cultural pride.