The label "rebellious" often carries a sting of disapproval. But for Joel Andrade, whose artistic genius fuels the edgy Issy, playful Chu-Chu, and vibrant Lucky Beauty, to be a rebel is to be an artist.
“I come not from beauty but from fashion design,” Joel tells Style Weekend as he is busy heading Issy’s campaign shoot for May and June 2024 in a studio in Quezon City. This creative director maneuvers the team in a fun and exciting way. Cups of coffee and bread are on different tables, and everyone is free to get them.
A black dress, leather jacket, and striking earrings signal his creative command, yet Joel’s spirit brims with infectious energy. “I have been a fashion victim since 2010. I remember the very first real fashion I watched on Youtube was Chanel Haute Couture in 2009,” he recalls. “Seeing that creation built my appetite for aesthetic, fashion, beauty, and all of that.”
A palette of defiance
Born in the province of Bicol but raised in Baguio City, Joel told Style Weekend that his love for beauty began at home. He grew up in a family with three sisters and a loving mother, whom he watched transform from drab to Sunday’s best. He watched them apply makeup and wear their best clothes.
From then on, young Joel already knew and made up his mind that he would pursue a career in the world of fashion. The road wasn't smooth. Despite his passionate heart, Joel's mother, out of love and fear, tried to discourage him.
“Growing up, I always felt odd. When kids were buying K-Zone, I was obsessed with fashion magazines my aunt sent from abroad,” he shares while checking the test shots photographers are taking. “Growing up, hindi ine-encourage ang drawing clothes on women. My mom was being protective. Ayaw niya akong maging subject to ridicule. She was so afraid of how hard it would be for me.”
In efforts to suppress his love for fashion design, music became a temporary haven, but the fire wouldn't dim. “Pretty much after high school, I left home immediately,” he looks back. “In college, I really wanted to do fashion design but the biggest problem was, kailangan muna nasa Manila ako. Paano ako papayagang mag-Manila, then nag-conservatory ako. I took one year as an undergraduate in UST Conservatory of Music.”
Off to the runway and flipping the script
With newfound freedom and courage, the now Issy creative director self-enrolled in SoFA Design Institute, where he took a certificate course in fashion design. “When I told them the truth, they’re totally onboard naman na. It was like walang kayong magagawa nandito na ko,” he laughs. “As if naman magpapatalo ako. I was that kid. Ever since I was so stubborn, I always had something to prove. I just don’t say no or yes, always with why.”
From then, Joel started working in the fashion industry with various clothing brands until the opportunity to explore the beauty industry came. With that same fire and defiant spirit, Issy was born. This brand beloved by the younger market gives a rebellious, edgy vibe. As Joel describes it, Issy aims to provide a sensual meaning to simple makeup products, hence the name of shades like Undress, Slap, and Nudity.
“Makeup is very important especially when you need a little push,” he muses. “Honestly, the world takes too much out of you and makeup is giving like, ‘if not everything is going to be my way, at least yung mukha ko is in the way I want to be.’”
The man behind Chu-Chu, a beauty brand that gives a fun, youthful vibe, beams with pride over makeup's changing image and its status as self-care for all.
“What I really love is that beauty is now part of self-care, not as a vanity. For the longest time, makeup has been seen as a vain thing to do. In our culture, makeup has been associated with sex workers. Kapag nag-lipstick ka ng pula, it’s giving mukha kang pokpok,” Joel explains. “I love how we flipped the narrative, na no, it’s about self-expression. It’s about one feeling good about herself.”
Redefining the local makeup scene
Moving forward, Joel is excited to bring more innovative makeup to Filipino beauty lovers that also inspires and makes them dream. “A local makeup brand is a brand that thinks what it’s like here,” he says. “For Issy, Chu-Chu, and Lucky, even though they have different concepts or vibe, what remains the same is the reality that we’re living in a tropical, humid country.”
He explains that they ensure every shade range they choose caters to the Southeast Asian color palette and that the formulas are tested for humid weather.
“That’s the definition of a local brand—our recipe to success. I just don’t focus on how good the products are but also how the brand makes you feel. Do you feel represented by the brand?,” Joel says. “Ang daming bagay sa mundo na hindi mo kontrolado but how you present yourself is one thing that you can control. And that’s power!”
Issy turns five this year, Chu-Chu turns three, and Lucky sees its first birthday. These aren't just brand milestones, but turning points for Filipino beauty—proof that we champion our own. With Joel Andrade leading the change, artistry, and rebellion, there is no doubt that the future of the local beauty scene will be as sharp as a well-drawn cat eye.
Special thanks to the following individuals:
Photographers: Cenon & Mav
Makeup: Slo Lopez
Hair: Mycke Arcano
Styling: Flo Trinidad