Philippine-American documentary creator Gabbi Pascua is a powerhouse award winning make-up artist with two prestigious EMMY wins and five nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. As a documentary creator and producer, Gabbi, along with business partner Alan Dennis, have a new docuseries under the umbrella of their media company ASOB Media.
We chatted with Gabbi to discover more about the new series, which focuses on beauty and wellness from around the world.
Before we dig deep, can you tell our readers a little about your background?
I could write a book on the intricacies of my humble beginnings… but to put it simply, I grew up with a huge Filipino American family on both sides. Everyone was in California, only distant relatives lived in the Philippines. (and I never went) There were multiple generations of family members around the bay area having events at all times of the year, and because of all of the family gatherings, obviously we would put on “performances” or shows and I fell into dance as my sport and main hobby growing up. It eventually became my main focus, and I competed and performed almost every weekend. I had to learn how to do stage makeup, and then my aunties would let me practice on them. Whenever there was a family party, I started to get asked to do hair and makeup, and when I graduated high school, I decided to go to beauty school instead of traditional 4-year college because I thought doing hair and makeup would be a fun side job to get me through college. It was slightly controversial to pick a trade over a traditional career, but my parents encouraged me to follow my dreams and really saw how much drive I had to pursue makeup. I grew up going to theater shows and movies with my dad and so it was inevitable. I wanted to figure out a way to get near to my biggest inspirations, so I decided to go to a makeup school in LA and that’s really where my career story began.
Who are your influences growing up that helped to mold you into who you are today?
Hands down my parents – my dad always said, “It would do me, you and God a disservice if I didn’t encourage your dreams – or let you live them,” and my mom was always reminding me that life wasn’t happening just for us to “exist” she always encouraged me to do something, not just for myself but for others too.
But as for beauty itself, my mom, grandma and aunties were my first introduction into selfcare, beauty rituals and wellness. Reading through magazines, getting ready for parties, playing dress up for dance recitals or competitions all contributed to my initial draw and interests into beauty and the industry.
Congratulations on such a successful career to date. Can you tell us more about the documentary you have been working on of late?
Through our production company ASOB Media, we are currently in multiple phases of production with our new docuseries A Study On Beauty, where we are bringing compelling stories from around the world on cultural beauty trends and wellness. The first in the series is Through Smoke which we filmed in Grasse, a historic town in Provence in France famous for its perfume industry and its old town. A Study On Beauty: Through Smoke isn’t a standard documentary as it has always been our vision to not just highlight the facts of our subject matter, but the local communities and all the wonderous cultures within it.
In today’s Hollywood, there is a significant push for greater inclusivity and representation. How do you see your work contributing to this movement, and what changes do you still hope to see in the industry?
I see our work contributing to this movement by naturally building teams and narratives that are organically inclusive. We have an opportunity to not craft inclusivity, but to celebrate it and bring forth uniting stories that are sometimes overlooked and not told to a greater audience. Inclusivity and representation is not contrived with the work we are doing, it just is.
The hope I have for the industry is specific to storytelling, and that a sense of originality and contemporary creativity is able to shine bright like the past generations. I feel right now the storylines are not as whimsical as ones made in the past. There was a lightness and an invitation to explore different “worlds”, if you will. The horror, reality and drama of it all is loud and clear at this moment on and off the big screens, but I hope it changes, and the beauty and magic of life become even louder.
We need good belly laughs or the ability to “travel” through stories that feel otherworldly. I hope there is more fearless originality, and that art is both celebrated and lined with lighthearted escapism as we move forward…. Bottomline, I hope whimsical stories are made again, restoring a pure childlike fantasy and JOY for any age.
What is one thing you would like people to know about you?
I truly feel like I’m doing my life’s work with ASOB Media, and it’s exciting yet it feels vulnerable at the same time. This isn’t a “dream” come true, it’s more life-fulfilled for me. I’ve never felt more authentic and certain with my purpose or body of work. This chapter is the most honest to the core of who I am and again, it makes me kind of nervous to share my heart in this way, but I’m here for it.
For those wanting to follow your journey, how can people stay in touch?
Thank you. I can be found on Instagram Gabbi Pascua, Instagram ASOB Media, Instagram A Student of Beauty and our Website.
