How These Filipino Creatives Own The Extraordinary Through The Platinum Series

Going beyond the expected is a route that’s less traveled. It’s easier to settle for good than chase for great—after all, the pursuit of the extraordinary is no walk in the park. In order to stand out, you have to put in the time, effort, and heart in your craft. If you’ve been looking for some inspiration to get things done on a whole other level, look no further than these Filipino trailblazers making a mark in their respective fields.

In the virtual launch held on November 11, Globe Platinum introduced their newest ambassadors: visual artist and designer Leeroy New, showrunner and executive producer of the Netflix series Trese Jay Oliva, and president and founding partner of fashion-slash-design house and social enterprise Rags2Riches, Reese Ruiz. These Filipino creatives have also crafted exclusive pieces made just for Globe Platinum subscribers under The Platinum Series. This one-of-a-kind collection can be availed of through the new Platinum GPlan, in which customers get access to high GCash credits that they can use for essentials and Platinum-exclusive experiences like this one.

During the event, Oliva and Ruiz talked about their respective careers and their collectibles exclusive to Globe Platinum subscribers. New, who was en route to Berlin for a project at the time of the launch, also shared his thoughts and the details behind his collectible via a pre-recorded interview.

Anything But Ordinary

We asked each Globe Platinum ambassador about their first “Aha!” moment—that realization when it dawned on them that they had to pursue the path they are on now. Each Globe Platinum ambassador has quite an interesting origin story to tell. In the case of Ruiz, it was when she first met the Rags2Riches (R2R) artisans and found out that their situation was not ideal. “I realized that we could either decide to just leave it like that because it’s been going on for decades anyway, or do something about it because we can,” Ruiz says. Fourteen years later, R2R remains top of mind when it comes to championing sustainability while empowering community artisans to create.

As for Oliva, he could recall three definitive “Aha!” moments in his career. First was when he won a drawing contest when he was around 10. The second time was when he went to med school to become a doctor, but bagged the opportunity to work for Marvel films. The third and most recent instance was when Netflix called him up for Trese. When he got the offer for the Filipino animated series, Oliva recalls thinking, “Am I getting this job because I’m Filipino? But I’ve never gotten a job because of that.” Aside from being an artist, Oliva is now an entrepreneur with his own studio, “hiring and making a difference and changing the animation industry here in Hollywood from within.”

New, whose work transcends the fields of visual arts, theater, film, and fashion, describes himself as “one of those kids who chose drawing as their form of play.” The visual artist who originally trained as a sculptor, adds, “I just never stopped. So I guess you could say I’m still playing until now.” In order to continue what you enjoy, New acknowledges the need to keep challenging yourself to move forward and to evolve in terms of what you know and love to do. In the past few years, his thought-provoking installations have been displayed in public spaces both locally and abroad.

Take It From These Extraordinary Creatives

Aspiring creatives and entrepreneurs can learn a thing or two from these talented individuals’ respective career journeys. Unknown to many, Ruiz does not come from a fashion design background. She confesses that she was more familiar with designing “systems more than actual products” as a business major, but she eventually found herself dabbling into the design process, equipped with the knowledge that “design could create so much social good.” Ruiz’s tip for those who want to get started in anything? “Don’t make knowledge a prerequisite to start learning.”

It’s similar to how New approached his career. “From my own experience, I just went ahead and did it, even though there weren’t too many existing models for this thing that I wanted to do. So I had to learn how to figure it out. I had to learn how to make it work.”

When asked about the advice he would give to 10-year-old Jay, Oliva doesn’t sugarcoat it. “Life is hard. And that if you want to accomplish your dreams, they’re gonna have ups and downs.” He admits to still encountering creative blocks, and recognizes that it’s part of the process. “You have to just keep going and keep practicing and keep getting better.”

How You Can Own the Extraordinary

Globe Platinum subscribers can own the extraordinary, so to speak, with The Platinum Series collectibles—an exclusive, limited-edition collection created by the Globe Platinum ambassadors.

New’s Star Cluster is a colorful, upcycled sculpture that takes inspiration from the artist’s ongoing large-scale installations. “I’m currently doing one in Ateneo which resembles a kind of Mars colony. It looks like these spheres connected by bridgeways [and] we will be growing plants and food inside these spheres,” New explains. The other one is located in La Union and is based on his installation for the annual art festival Burning Man. Together, the cluster of spheres resembles a spaceship. A Star Cluster is priced at P10,499.

Oliva has The Art Behind Netflix’s Trese, a 76-page hardbound compilation of never-before-seen artworks from the Netflix hit series based on Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo’s award-winning graphic novels. “There’s no other book that has all my artwork all together,” Oliva says. The art book is priced at P10,499 and deliveries will begin by December 2021.

Finally, there is Ruiz’s Mundo Collection, which shines the spotlight on items made from upcycled woven textiles, indigenous fabrics, and locally sourced leather. There are four handmade pieces to choose from: a backpack that can be transformed into a shoulder bag (P7,999), a carry-on carry-all ideal for weekend trips (P8,999), a crossbody bag that can fit documents and tablet (P5,999), and a special addition in time for the holidays, the travel parka (P4,999). All bags come in two color options: blue and tan or blue monochrome, while you can get the parka in either navy blue or beige. Ruiz shares, “The artisans also had a lot of fun making the products. So it's fun, it's challenging, but it's worth it.”

Subscribers can purchase one or all of the masterpieces using up to P58,000 GCash credits that come with the Platinum GPlan. Every purchase of a collectible comes with a donation to World Vision through the Globe Platinum's #ForFutureHeroes program.

For pre-orders and more information, visit Globe Platinum’s website.