Behind the playful fit checks and social media presence, Rocio Zobel reveals a more contemplative vision for her future. The twenty-two-year-old looks to Manila’s infinite possibilities, building her dreams where her family’s legacy took root.
Bishop sleeve shirt and custom hot pants by Vania Romoff, Cocktail rings by Joyce Makitalo
Some of the team is running late, caught in the early morning traffic leaving Manila. But Rocio Zobel is politely unbothered, seeming to exist in her own microclimate in the cozy plant room where we found ourselves, away from the city’s relentless pulse. Trailing ferns cascade from copper pots and create a canopy over a weathered wood table. She claims one of the rattan chairs, knees drawn to her chest with unguarded ease. “It’s fine,” she says about the delay, wearing an oversized black sweater, light denim jeans, and a casual, warm smile.
For our first cover story of the year, the timing feels like one of those perfect alignments that give structure to life’s narratives. It’s the literal day before she flies back to New York. Unlike her previous post-holiday returns, however, this one is about tying up loose ends. That’s because, at twenty-two, the youngest child of Iñigo and Maricris Zobel is coming home. When someone from our team later asks if she, as the baby of five, is the favorite, her wry grin blooms into an answer: “Of course.”
Silk blend floral jacquard jacket by Gucci, Tulle skirt by Sassa Jimenez, Earrings by Suki, Rings by Joyce Makitalo
Morning Light
While waiting for the rest of the team to arrive, we chat about the move back. For the past seven years, life has been elsewhere for her. London for boarding school, then New York for college at Parsons, where she studied photography and fashion design, all with a clear path in mind.
“From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in fashion,” she shares. “I spent countless hours playing in my mom’s closet immersed in her style.” One can imagine a little Rocio in that sartorial wonderland, surrounded by dresses and bags and shoes (oh my!). “My mom and I have always enjoyed experimenting with clothes together, constantly inspiring one another. When I was younger, she would choose all my outfits, and now, I do the same for her.”
It was with her mother that Rocio, still a fashion student at the time, attended her first show at Milan Fashion Week. Stalking her TikTok profile, her short videos and snappy clips make the world of high fashion feel as intimate and playful as playing in a closet as a child.
There’s one clip from their Milan trip that informs us that it’s her mother’s first TikTok. Several clips later, Maricris makes her sophomore appearance. The phone camera wobbles as Rocio adjusts it in the car, making sure her mother is in the frame. Rocio eyes the camera. “Okay, mom, so everyone’s asking for your fashion tips, do you have any?” Her mother, a former model and forever fabulous person, answers: “Fashion tips? No. Just be fabulous. Think fabulous. And have an open mind to new things.”
Fast forward through seasons of digital bloom, with this fashion dialogue between mother and daughter unfolding, some moments captured and shared on social media. Just the day before our shoot, Rocio’s most recent post was again with her mother. This time they are in that closet of Rocio’s childhood memories, filming a “fit check” for her, at the time, nearly 100,000 followers. When this goes to print, her follower count has passed that threshold. Meanwhile, her videos have amassed over two million likes. But who’s counting? Not Rocio.
“I post whenever I feel inspired, there’s no set schedule or specific reason behind it,” she explains with nonchalance as I try to dig for some soundbite on how this generation approaches social media (the conclusion is that I am overthinking it). “Sometimes I’ll post frequently, and other times, I’ll take a month-long break when I’m simply not feeling it.”
The word “authenticity” has become a commodity these days, but Rocio truly embodies it and does so with unconscious grace. Scrolling through her feed is like walking through a garden allowed to grow wild. It’s not carefully manicured, but filled with the organic flourishing of lived moments: New York City streets, Siargao sunny days, Sotogrande summers, fashion week catwalks, wherever life takes root. Her social media presence, the language of this generation, collapses the space between aspiration and accessibility. She shares her fashion and her life with genuine enthusiasm, fun, and joy that prove contagious even through the digital divide.
Gown by Joey Samson, Earrings and slim rings by Suki
Fashioning Identity
There’s a glass partition that divides our space from the next room, where a collection of outfit options for the shoot hangs like specimens in a fashion conservatory. Whites and creams intermingle with bursts of color underneath more potted plants. As we talk, Rocio’s gaze drifts naturally to the collection, an unconscious echo of that childhood curiosity in her mother’s closet. She gestures to a tulle gown with a ruched top and drop waist. “I remember that from the deck sent over,” she says, and we know what our first layout will be.
The conversation turns to style, that thing that blends intention and intuition to become an expression of a person beyond words.
“I find myself gravitating towards resort and summer wear, favoring light, breathable fabrics,” she says. “The vibrant use of color in the clothing I choose reflects the lively atmosphere of [the Philippines], and comfort remains a priority.”
Her social media shows an enviable collection of mini handbags that just barely fit a phone. She pairs them with flowy ensembles when in warmer climates. Or, when forced to piece an outfit together for a cold environment, they provide a pop of color needed to transform a winter night. Her accessories are clanking bangles, precious necklaces, and shining rings. She clearly has an eye for fashion, and, in particular, what works for her.
Unfortunately, she hasn’t been able to make the most out of her aesthetic philosophy these past few months. Her current wardrobe situation is decidedly more capsule than complete, and not by choice. Her clothes are all boxed up and in transit from New York (“they were supposed to have arrived already…”), suspended in this major moment of transition.
Dress by Martin Bautista, Cocktail ring and bracelets by Joyce Makitalo, Earrings by Suki (left); Dress by Jot Losa (right)
Creative Homecoming
Right, that’s what we’re talking about. The move back from New York. While she has, as mentioned, a strong digital footprint, her language on social media is predominantly visual. She rarey speaks in her clips. So what’s going on behind the scenes? A lot, actually.
Here’s where I admit that the previous line about her flying to New York to tie up loose ends was a bit of a red herring. The morning light starts to catch on the hanging plants, creating shifting patterns that dance above us as she unfolds the layers of her plan.
When she flies out tomorrow, alongside those last few goodbye touches to her life there, she’s also getting onboarded as a stylist for an international, digital platform. It’s the next step in her career as a stylist, having previously assisted with magazines and on shoots. The operational format of the styling platform allows her to work remotely from Manila. It’s an arrangement that would have been unthinkable a generation ago, but now geographic fluidity is simply a part of the creative landscape. While moving forward in her styling career she has too many ideas, too many opportunities, and too much youth to focus on a single pursuit.
And because digital existence renders geography optional, Rocio’s decision to return home carries particular weight.
Her social media presence might exist in a borderless realm of pixels, but there’s a gravitational pull that leads decisively back to Manila. It’s a curiosity of this generation, that the ability to be everywhere virtually has in some ways heightened the significance of choosing to be somewhere physically.
Dress by Vania Romoff, Earrings and slim gold rings by Suki
“I chose to move back to the Philippines to be closer to my family,” she confesses in a simple statement. “I cherish being part of a large, yet tightly-knit family, and I’m grateful to have older siblings who are also parents. Their children bring even more joy and warmth to our family dynamic.”
That appreciation of her family finds its most elegant expression in CALA, her upcoming fashion line. The name itself is a love letter to family and legacy.
“I named the brand CALA, short for Calatagan, where our family farm is located,” Rocio shares. “[It is] a place where I spent much of my childhood and now watch my nieces and nephews enjoy as well.”
Calatagan exists as a physical space where the family farm stretches under floating clouds scattered across the deep cool blue, as well as a family lexicon where generations have learned to read the language of legacy. The next generation adds to that legacy, each in their own way, and now it’s Rocio’s turn to tend this particular garden.
Starting a business is not completely new for her. She remembers working with and learning from her older sister Natalia, the closest sibling to her in age, although there’s still a decade between them. Several years ago, they opened a luxury boutique hotel in Siargao called Inara, which comes from an Arabic word that means “ray of everlasting light.” On an island that has gained international recognition and attention for its exciting surf culture and burgeoning party scene, Inara offers a quiet splendor. This dedication to creating a secluded sanctuary proved prescient, resonating with travelers seeking genuine respite.
“The credit truly goes to [my sister],” says Rocio. “She had a clear vision and did everything to bring it to life, while I simply followed her lead. It was incredible to witness the behind-the-scenes process and understand what it truly takes.”
Now that Rocio is settling back home, she takes those family lessons to carve a space uniquely hers. That intuitive understanding of staying true to one’s vision guides Rocio’s approach to CALA, which translates her essence of island living into something wearable, aligned with her lifestyle of tropical life and family heritage. It’s an organic extension of who she is and her passions. In fact, she envisions CALA as evolving into a multi-faceted lifestyle brand that possibly extends beyond clothing, much like her character: “Looking ahead, I see myself continuing to pursue multiple passions and juggling different projects.”
Although she admits there’s still a lot to do and there are still a few things she has to iron out, it’s nothing she isn’t prepared to work on. “Once that’s [all] in place, it’s all about bringing the vision to life.” Her excitement is palpable, and she adds, “Expect it to be coming soon!”
Dress by Zimmermann
In Full Bloom
The rest of the team arrives and begins setting up. Rocio stands, moving with the unhurried pace of someone who knows exactly where she’s going. Perhaps not in excrutiating detail, but at least with the confidence that every step she takes is a step forward.
The world stretches out before her, infinite in possibility, each venture a new petal unfurling in its own time. From hospitality to fashion, and even a family tequila brand we didn’t get to go into detail on: “We’re still in the early stages, but it’s been exciting to be involved in the full creative journey alongside my dad.” Rocio, like so many of her generation, is in the space between inheritance and imagination. For the shoot proper, we’re standing in a lush garden. This whole extended metaphor could just be a cliché if it wasn’t a beautiful vision and an absolute truth: that in every season, something waits to bloom.
This article was originally published in our April 2025 issue.
Photography by Shaira Luna assisted by Emil Lansangan and Jhay AR. Creative Direction Paolo Torio. Stylist MJ Benitez assisted by Teresita Gabat. Makeup Mayesa de los Santos. Hair Cats del Rosario. Shoot Coordination Mae Talaid. Shot on location Mrs. Saldo’s Private Dining.
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