Apo Whang-Od has been unveiled as Vogue Philippines' cover star, and what an incredible cover it is.
At 106 years old, Apo is both the oldest living mamababatok, and the oldest person ever to be featured on the cover of any Vogue. What a brilliant and powerful choice for their Beauty Issue.
Apo is one of the last people who practice batok, the centuries-old practice of indigenous tattooing. And inside the magazine, the editorial on Apo - photographed by @artunepo and written by @audreycarpio - details of the artful practise of batok, and how Apo has been tattooing skin since she was a teenager, inking the stories of her tribe, the Kalinga, onto skin.
A refreshingly beautiful, elegant and tasteful way to both celebrate the beauty of age and Indigenous stories.
