GQ Philippines Launches With Jordan Clarkson, Darren Criss, and Erwan Heussaff on First Covers
Last Updated on September 16, 2026 by Over Here Toronto
GQ Philippines has officially launched, with Jordan Clarkson, Darren Criss, and Erwan Heussaff on the covers of its first issue. The magazine marked its Philippine debut on September 12, 2026, at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.
The new local edition will cover Filipino fashion, culture, sports, food, entertainment, work, and lifestyle. It also joins GQ’s wider global network under a license from Condé Nast.
For its first issue, GQ Philippines chose three Filipino names from different fields. Clarkson comes from basketball. Criss works across acting, music, and theater. Meanwhile, Heussaff works in food media and cultural storytelling.
The launch gives GQ a local team that can tell Philippine stories for both local and global readers. It also adds another title to a Philippine publishing group that already handles Vogue Philippines and Allure Philippines.
Three Filipino names front the first issue
Editor-in-chief Danyl Geneciran introduced the three cover stars during the launch.
Clarkson could not attend because of his schedule ahead of the NBA season. Instead, he sent a video message. Criss and Heussaff attended the event in person.
Here are the main launch details:
- Launch date: September 12, 2026
- Venue: Manila Marriott Hotel, Pasay City
- Cover stars: Jordan Clarkson, Darren Criss, and Erwan Heussaff
- Editor-in-chief: Danyl Geneciran
- Publisher: MEGA Global Group, Inc., under license from Condé Nast
- First issue: September 2026
- Print price: ₱650
- Print seller: Sari Sari Shopping
GQ Philippines lists the September issue at ₱650 on its official cover pages.
First covers look at Filipino identity
The first three covers do more than place well-known names on the front of the magazine.
According to GQ Philippines, the cover set draws ideas from images linked to José Rizal. Through that theme, the magazine looks at Filipino identity from a modern point of view.
Clarkson’s cover focuses on strength. Criss’ story looks at thought and creative work. Heussaff’s feature, meanwhile, connects with food, culture, and the many sides of Filipino life.
However, GQ Philippines does not present the three men as modern versions of Rizal. Instead, the magazine uses the idea to ask how Filipino identity continues to change.
That approach also shows what the Philippine edition may add to GQ’s global coverage.
For example, its local team can report on Philippine history, food, fashion, music, sports, and art through a Filipino lens. It can also feature Filipinos who work abroad while keeping strong ties to the country.
GQ Philippines plans broader lifestyle coverage
Geneciran previously worked as editor of Vogue Man Philippines and editor-in-chief of L’Officiel Philippines. He now leads the GQ Philippines editorial team.
At the launch, he spoke about making the magazine open to more kinds of stories.
“GQ is authority, but it is also access,” Geneciran said.
In addition, he said the magazine plans to look at values such as integrity, creativity, discipline, emotional intelligence, and ambition.
As a result, GQ Philippines can cover more than clothing, grooming, and famous people. The publication can also look at work, personal growth, culture, sports, and changing ideas about Filipino men.
Its first issue already reflects that wider range.
Along with Clarkson, Criss, and Heussaff, the issue includes stories on people from sports, design, grooming, and other fields. GQ Philippines lists Filipino bowling champion Paeng Nepomuceno, architects Kendrick Cay and CP Garcia, grooming figure Gum Cruz, and athletes Mauro Lumba and Anton Medalla among its featured names.
GQ joins a growing group of Philippine editions
GQ Philippines follows the local launches of Vogue Philippines and Allure Philippines.
Vogue Philippines reports that the new edition makes the Philippines the 23rd market in GQ’s global network.
MEGA Global Group, Inc. publishes the local edition under license from Condé Nast. The setup allows the Philippine team to work under the GQ name while producing stories for local readers.
During the launch, Archie Carrasco, chairman and CEO of AGC Power Holdings, spoke about that goal.
“We aren’t bringing GQ to the Philippines. We are bringing the Philippines to GQ, and through GQ, the world,” Carrasco said.
His statement points to the role the local edition wants to take. Rather than only bringing an overseas magazine brand into the country, the team plans to place Filipino people and stories within GQ’s wider network.
Local stories take a bigger role
The first issue gives some clues about what readers can expect next.
Clarkson’s feature looks at his place in basketball and his Filipino roots. Criss’ story covers his work in music and acting. Heussaff’s feature focuses on food, culture, and his work in the Philippines.
At the same time, the magazine has started publishing more stories through its website.
That digital side could help GQ Philippines cover news and culture between print issues. It also gives the team room to report on topics that move faster than a monthly or seasonal magazine cycle.
Still, the local edition remains new. Its future direction will become clearer as the team publishes more stories and issues.
What readers can expect next
For now, the launch places another major international magazine brand in the Philippine media market.
More importantly, GQ Philippines now has its own editorial team and a local focus. That means Filipino fashion, food, sport, entertainment, work, and culture can take a larger place in the magazine’s coverage.
The September 2026 issue is now available in print, while GQ Philippines continues to publish stories online.
In the coming months, readers will get a clearer look at how the publication plans to cover Filipino life and how those local stories will connect with GQ’s global audience.o style, work, art, sport, food, and identity in the months ahead.
