Reclaiming Style At Any Age: Tips From Asian Fashion Label Yoya
Midlife dressing need not be boring, according to Filipino designer Yoya Gueco-Verdier.
YOYA
There comes a time in many women's lives when they feel they fade into the background—what's often referred to as midlife. Typically starting in the late 30s and stretching into the next decade, this phase can be overwhelming. It's not the case for all women, but for many, it's a time weighed down by responsibilities—careers, family, daily tasks—that leave little room for self-expression. Filipino designer Yoya Gueco-Verdier, founder of the eponymous brand Yoya, believes this doesn't have to be the case. 'It's all about making dressing up fun again with as little effort as possible,' she said during the launch of her latest collection, Slice of Life.
Gueco-Verdier's work has always been about easy dressing for women with every piece in each of her collections having the ability to match with the others, even those from the previous ones. 'For Slice of Life, it's about pops of color and clothes that you can take with you as you travel during the summer. I designed this with myself in mind, even, as we're spending time with my husband's family in Europe this season.' Think zesty hues and pieces that make you feel sexy without showing too much skin. 'I wanted to create clothes that make you feel alive, no matter what part of your day it is,' she says. 'It's about wearing things that make you excited to step out the door—no matter what that day brings.'
For Gueco-Verdier, dressing well doesn't mean putting on something complicated or restrictive. It's about feeling good in what you wear—clothes that fit your lifestyle and allow you to move through your day with ease and confidence. 'Women in this phase of life don't need to feel invisible or like they've lost the joy of dressing up,' she adds. 'It's about finding that balance—comfort, ease, and style without the unnecessary fuss.' And with her collections, she's made it clear that women don't have to sacrifice one for the other.
For Slice of Life, Yoya also has pieces that can be taken from the courts to everyday life.
YOYA
One of the first things Gueco-Verdier emphasizes is the importance of a wardrobe that's both versatile and intentional. When you're busy, the last thing you want is to waste time figuring out what to wear. So, her approach is simple—build a capsule wardrobe that can take you from day to night with minimal effort.
Here are some of her key tips for women looking to reclaim their sense of style with ease:
A functional wardrobe starts with versatility. Pick pieces that can be easily paired with one another. Gueco-Verdier's collections are designed with this in mind. For instance, a colorful jacket from Slice of Life can be paired with a simple pair of jeans for an everyday look, or dressed up with a sleek black skirt for an evening out. The idea is to pick items that can be mixed and matched across collections, meaning you won't have to buy new clothes every season to stay on trend.
Look for pieces that transition easily from work to evening wear. A good example: a versatile dress that can be styled with a blazer or cardigan for the office, then swapped out with some statement jewelry or heels for a dinner date. 'You don't need to spend hours changing outfits. The goal is to look good and feel comfortable no matter where your day takes you,' she explains. This way, you get more out of your clothing and don't have to think too much about it.
Gueco-Verdier emphasizes that clothes should reflect who you are and how you want to feel, not just how others might perceive you. 'You don't have to show skin to feel sexy,' she says. Instead, go for pieces that make you feel comfortable and confident without over-exposing yourself. Think of it as dressing for your own joy and empowerment, not for someone else's approval. A standout piece from her current collection is the Barron top—an asymmetrical, shorter version of a tunic with a larger opening on one side. It's playful, a bit cheeky, and versatile enough to style in different ways.
Pieces like the Barron top can be taken from the airport to a night out, depending on how you style it.
YOYA
At the heart of the brand's design philosophy is comfort—without sacrificing style. 'As much as you want to look good, you also want to feel good,' she shares. 'Women in this stage of life need clothes that won't restrict them but still look polished.' Look for fabrics that breathe, cuts that move with your body, and silhouettes that flatter without clinging too tightly. Plus points if the fabric doesn't need much ironing. Who has the time, right? Comfort doesn't have to mean frumpy, and it certainly doesn't have to mean you can't look put-together.
The secret to curating a wardrobe that works for you is investing in a few key pieces that will last. Gueco-Verdier suggests sticking to high-quality basics that you can wear over and over again. 'Think of their cost-per-wear,' she advises. 'It's better to have a small selection of versatile, high-quality pieces that you truly love than a closet full of fast fashion that never quite fits right.' When you have a smaller, more curated wardrobe, getting dressed every day becomes a breeze.
A set in a classic shade like brown enjoys a few pops of color, with the use of pastels and even neon.
YOYA
For Gueco-Verdier and her team at Yoya, fashion is about giving women the chance to express themselves while navigating the demands of everyday life. 'I want Yoya to be present in every facet of a woman's life,' she shares. 'From the mundane days to the special moments, the idea is to create pieces that can seamlessly transition through all of life's ups and downs.' By focusing on pieces that are timeless, flattering, and easy to style, she's making it simple for women to feel confident and stylish—no matter where they are in life. Even with bold pops of color. Because who says you can't wear a shirt with neon stripe on a weekday and still look polished? Spoiler alert: You absolutely can.
With Slice of Life, she's captured that feeling quite well. Dressing up doesn't have to be complicated. It's just about feeling good, looking effortless, and embracing the moments that matter.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eater
3 days ago
- Eater
Abacá Puts a California Spin On Traditional Filipino Cuisine
Just a block away from Fisherman's Wharf, chef Francis Ang is creating modern Filipino food in San Francisco's Kimpton Alton Hotel. He hopes to pay homage to traditional recipes while using California ingredients — plus plenty of pork. 'Pork in the Philippines is a very big protein, there's a lot of different variations of pork,' Ang explains. 'We have our lumpia, we have our sisig.' A day of prep starts with Ang grilling and breaking down softly cooked pig's heads, braising the bones for broth. He uses every part of the head, even putting aside the brain for the sisig fried rice. He preps the fried rice for service by stir-frying pork, chicken livers, distilled vinegar from the Philippines, calamansi juice, and soy sauce, which is cooked with rice right before being served. Ang looks for specific marbling in pork shoulder that is chopped up and ground into filling for lumpia. Handmade, round wrappers are filled with piped filling, inspired by Ang's background as a pastry chef. The frozen prepped lumpia is double-fried and served in a lettuce wrap for each order. Fertilized duck eggs are prepped for a balut dish from Abacá's secret menu, with fried duck fetus served with a duck bone broth and crispy duck central mission of the Bay Area restaurant is making Filipino food more approachable and introducing diners to the food Ang grew up with. 'A lot of times people say 'I love coming here, now I'm going to visit the Philippines,'' he says. 'I think that makes us proud.' Watch the latest episode of Experts to see Ang expertly breaking down different cuts of pork to assemble modern Filipino dishes. See More: California The Experts Video
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
French Laundry alums debut one of the Bay Area's most exciting new restaurants
When Jade Cunningham left her native Philippines for Napa Valley in 2018, she had never heard of Michelin Guide or the French Laundry. She thought her future husband, Mathew Cunningham, was 'working at a laundromat.' But just a few years later, Jade Cunningham scored a job in the kitchen at the famous three-Michelin-starred restaurant, and now, the couple is opening their own spot: Carabao, Napa's first Filipino restaurant. Carabao (145 Gasser Dr., Suite C), named after the Philippines' national animal, a water buffalo, opens June 20. The intimate and tropical space will serve classic Filipino dishes with a modern twist. The traditional peanut stew known as kare kare will be paired with a braised oxtail croquette; tacos are filled with crispy pork sisig and topped with a quail egg; and the sweet spaghetti sauce will be a Bolognese made from Wagyu hot dogs. It's surprising Napa Valley didn't have a Filipino restaurant until now. According to government data, the Philippines ranks as the second most common birthplace for foreign-born residents in Napa County, behind Mexico. Moreover, Napa County's fastest-growing immigrant population is Filipinos in American Canyon, the city south of Napa. But Carabao's significance goes beyond Wine Country. It's also one of the only modern Filipino restaurants in the Bay Area from a chef with a fine dining background, joining San Francisco's Abaca. And it comes at a time when Filipino food is gaining more recognition across the country, with Chicago's Kasama becoming the first Filipino restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin star in 2022. Cunningham's first gig in the U.S., however, was far from the world of fine dining. At 16, while earning a degree in hotel and restaurant management, she spent a summer in Ohio, cooking burgers and hot dogs at Cincinnati's ballpark. 'I got culture shock. I had never used a microwave before,' she recalled, noting that much of the food at the grocery store required one. She would try to cook meals that reminded her of home, but struggled to find the right ingredients. After graduating from university, Cunningham dreamed of working on cruise ships. She needed experience, so she returned to the U.S. in 2018, this time landing in Napa to work at the Meritage Resort. California immediately challenged her first impression of American cuisine. 'I learned that there are different colors of cauliflower, broccoli and bell peppers,' she said. 'I was so amazed at that.' After she met Mathew and learned that he did not, in fact, work at a laundromat, she was offered a stage at the French Laundry, a sort of unpaid internship that lasted a few days. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cunningham volunteered in the French Laundry garden. Once the restaurant started hiring again, she joined the team as a commis, a junior chef, and spent most of her time peeling tomatoes. She quickly moved up the ranks, eventually working at every station in the kitchen, including canapé, where the oysters and pearls dish is constructed. At the end of 2022, Cunningham and Mathew launched Carabao as a Filipino popup when a French Laundry alum lent them his food truck, Butter's Burgers (now set up at Armistice Brewing), for the night. She and Mathew 'texted everyone we knew,' she said, and set up in a church parking lot in downtown Napa. They sold out in one hour. About a year later, the pair started hosting regular Carabao popups on the weekends at Napa's Winston's Cafe. For a few months, Cunningham worked seven days a week, until she eventually left the French Laundry to pursue a brick-and-mortar. She and Mathew found a partner, Eric Gonzales, a follower of their popups whose grandmother opened Vallejo's first Filipino restaurant in 1980. Carabao's menu will feature dishes like pork and vegetable lumpia ($7-$11); bistek ($72), a sirloin steak served with onions prepared five different ways; and the Santa Fe salad-inspired Summer Ensalada ($17), drizzled with Cunningham's homemade 7,641 Thousand Island dressing, named after the number of islands in the Philippines. Some dishes are a play on popular items from Filipino fast food chain Jollibee, like the Aloha smashburger ($24), which comes slathered with pineapple marmalade in place of tomato, and the sweet spaghetti ($23) that Jollibee crowns with sliced hot dogs. 'Back home, we used tender, juicy hot dogs,' Cunngingham said. 'We're trying to get the best quality we can get, so (at Carabao) we're using Snake River Farm Wagyu hot dogs.' Dessert includes puto kutsina ($8), steamed rice cakes served with fresh grated coconut and topped with dulce de leche, and halo-halo ($15), the classic shaved ice offered here with inventive toppings, like candied hibiscus and caramelized plantain. Soon, Carabao will launch a more casual lunch menu featuring chicken adobo ($21) and lugaw ($10), a Filipino comfort favorite of gingery rice porridge with toppings, like boiled egg, tofu and tripe. 'It was the first dish I learned how to cook,' said Cunningham. 'When you're sick, you're craving lugaw.' Cunningham also plans to eventually transition a small bar in front of the open kitchen into a counter that exclusively serves a tasting menu. The restaurant, located outside of downtown Napa and near the city's Cinemark movie theater, feels like a tiny, tropical paradise. The walls are painted green and pink — Cunningham's favorite colors — and traditional Filipino farmer hats called salakot hang from the ceiling. There are several hand-painted murals, including ones depicting the Philippines' carabao and tiny Maya birds. The space seats roughly 50 people, with one large table reserved for group celebrations. 'Most Filipinos go out and bring their whole family,' Cunningham said, noting that hers is especially large. Her mother has 10 siblings, and her father has 11. 'Food is always at the center of our traditions.' Carabao. Opens June 20. 145 Gasser Dr., Suite C., Napa.
Eater
4 days ago
- Eater
Here Are the Bay Area's Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings for Summer 2025
We're halfway through 2025, and the San Francisco Bay Area has seen a parade of exciting restaurant and bar openings spice up the food and beverage scene. But now that summer is here, a new roster of restaurants is readying to join the fray, perfect for sun-filled outings with your besties. Explore Filipino cuisine from a French Laundry alum, or grab some pastries from a new bakery by the Michelin-starred team at Sorrel. Meanwhile, a modern Chinese pop-up is perfecting its new Hayes Valley restaurant space, and a Marina bar flips into a restaurant inspired by New York- and New Jersey-style Jewish delis. There's a lot to explore this summer, and here's your guide to the hottest places opening in the next few months. Chef Jade Cunningham is a pop-up veteran bringing Filipino food to a new permanent spot in Napa with the opening of Carabao. Cunningham grew up in the Philippines, helping with her aunt's eatery in Bulacan, but when she set out for her culinary internship in the United States, she settled in Napa, landing at the Meritage Resort before later joining three-Michelin-starred The French Laundry. At Carabao, Cunningham promises familiar Filipino flavors, but done up with local produce and techniques from her culinary background. The menu will feature items such as Filipino favorite sisig, as well as squid adobo, lumpia, and more. 145 C Gasser Drive, Napa. . Opening: Parachute opens in July, Arquet opens in August The minds behind Michelin-starred Sorrel have doubled down on the Ferry Building, opening not one, but two projects on San Francisco's waterfront. Set to open first is Parachute, a new bakery led by executive pastry chef Nasir Zainulabadinand, highlighting laminated treats. That bakery will be connected to the larger Arquet, a new restaurant from chef Alex Hong that's taken over the former Slanted Door space at the Ferry Building. There, Hong will serve a 'seasonal ingredient menu rooted in the bounty of the California coastline,' per a press release, utilizing wood-fire cooking techniques. 1 Ferry Building, Suite 5, San Francisco. and . Chef James Yeun Leong Parry has been touring the Happy Crane concept as a pop-up since 2023, showing off his personal style of contemporary Chinese cuisine at Rich Table, Nisei, Pacific Cocktail Haven, and more. But now the chef has finally put down roots in Hayes Valley, taking over the former Monsieur Benjamin space and renovating it for the Happy Crane's summer debut. Diners can expect a menu that is a culmination of Parry's extensive cooking background of working at restaurants in Hong Kong and Tokyo, as well as Benu and Palette Tea House. Think roasted meats such as char siu, noodles made in-house, plus a 'playful selection' of dim sum and small plates, per a press release. 451 Gough Street, San Francisco. . The Causwells team is close to opening their take on classic New York and New Jersey Jewish delis, plopped into the heart of the Marina. Chef Adam Rosenblum and beverage director Elmer Mejicanos have closed down their low-proof bar Lilah and are set to install Super Mensch in its place, highlighting comfort food deli classics such as house-cured and smoked pastrami, as well as latkes, Reubens on rye, and more. Not to be left out of the equation, Mejicanos is readying a deli-worthy cocktail menu thanks to a new, full liquor license, with flavors such as egg cream and celery soda at the heart of its drinks. 2336 Chestnut Street, San Francisco. . The new permanent spot for Chicano Nuevo has been in the works for the last two years, but its time to shine is nearly here; chef Abraham Nuñez is close to opening the doors to his Bernal Heights restaurant in late August to early September. It's a happy ending that's been a long time coming, from the restaurant's residency days at Broken Record to Nuñez's stints at Cockscomb and State Bird Provisions. Nuñez's partner, Courtney Fujita, is also an industry pro who is working toward the restaurant's opening at the end of the summer. No menu details yet, but diners can expect the same big flavors the pop-up has touted all these years, such as a tamale negro stunner that landed as a Best Dish in 2024. 3355 Mission Street, San Francisco. . Chisme is the brainchild of chef Manuel Bonilla, where he's taken dive bar food and amped it up with Filipino and Salvadoran flavors. Chisme took up residency at Oakland's Low Bar last year, but it recently decamped to start over as Bar Chisme, taking on the former Kon-Tiki space at 347 14th Street in Oakland. It's a full-circle moment for Bonilla, who pioneered the popular burger at that beloved tiki bar, but he's reimagining the space as his own with a (likely) playful menu to boot. Expect some of the favorite dishes that built the Chisme name at Low Bar, but with the added bonus of a smash burger, Crunchwrap Tuesdays, and a tight list of cocktails to wash it all down. 347 14th Street, Oakland. . See More: San Francisco Restaurant Openings
