From the City of Smiles to the creative capital of New York, a Bacolodnon creative has carved her place in the international branding and digital creative scene.
Adelaide Uy, 25, who calls herself a “branding and digital creative,” works with companies in shaping how people see, experience, and remember their brands.
Her role combines marketing, social media, brand strategy, copywriting, and photography which helps businesses tell their stories online.
Uy’s portfolio includes Gohar World, one of the most distinctive names in international tableware, and Happy Cooking Hospitality, a New York restaurant group behind Sailor, Fairfax, Jeffrey’s Grocery, and Joseph Leonard.
She has also worked with global fashion houses like L’Oréal and Gabriela Hearst, and collaborated in the Philippines with Filipino-Australian artist James Reid for his entertainment label Careless Music and hospitality arm Notorious Concepts.
But for Uy, the heart of her creative vision is still rooted in Bacolod, saying that she is “endlessly inspired by my childhood” while growing up on a farm in the South of Bacolod.
“I always try to go back to the source. In Bacolod, people are always welcome at your table — visitors, friends, strangers. I use this image of sharing a meal together as a principle of generosity when I create materials that I want to be just as universal and relatable”, she said.
Working abroad, she admits, was not easy, saying there are absolutely no shortcuts when you claw your way from the third world to an extremely competitive city like New York.
You have to be the best student, the best intern, and eventually the hardest-working professional,” Uy shared, adding “Hard work was what helped me stand out, and that was ingrained in me by my grandparents and my mother, who still work the hardest among the people I know.”
Among her many projects, Uy is most proud of her work as lead research associate for CADA, a non-profit protecting indigenous artisan communities.
“Advocating for fair trade and traditional craftsmanship reminded me of working with my grandfather in Bacolod,” she said, adding “Marketing, when it is an educational resource instead of just a commercial thing, means a lot more to me. It can help foster a greater dialog.”
Now armed with a Master’s in Fashion Management from Parsons School of Design and a Legal Management degree from Ateneo de Manila University, Uy sees her Negrense identity as a strength on the world stage.
“My Filipino identity is a core part of me and my work. Being from Bacolod helps me appreciate regional storytelling. Being culturally rich makes you a better professional. Your perspective is desired on the global stage,” she said.
For young Bacolod creatives dreaming of working internationally, Uy offers simple but firm advice: there are no shortcuts.
If a goal is important to you, you should already treat it as your reality. That will close the gap”, she added.*
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