Archie Carrasco, the Chairman and CEO of AGC Power Holdings Corp. (AGC PHC), the publisher of several Philippine editions of international magazines, including Rolling Stone Philippines, is one of the honorees of this year’s The Business of Fashion (BoF) 500 list.
The annual professional index, launched in 2013, recognizes key figures shaping fashion globally, as curated by BoF editors, based on nominations and “on-the-ground intelligence from around the world” from its community of executives, creatives, and other media figures.
“The process for selecting our new members is both an art and a science, conducted over the course of several months based on nominations received from existing BoF 500 members and the BoF team,” the publication said. “This year, we sifted through 445 names across 8 distinct categories: Designers, Executives, Models & Muses, Entrepreneurs, Catalysts, Media, Retailers and the Creative Class. For each nominee, we do deep research and follow-up phone calls to inform hours of debate and discussion, category by category, to identify 100 people shaping the fashion industry of today and tomorrow.”
Carrasco is only the fifth Filipino personality — and the first Filipino media CEO — to be a part of the BoF 500 list, following the induction of industry leaders like the Editor-in-Chief of V Magazine and VMan Stephen Gan in its inaugural edition and the founder and managing director of luxury fashion purveyor H&F Retail Concepts Jappy Gonzalez in 2017.
The BoF 500 Gala, a dinner dedicated to this year’s honorees, will take place in Paris on October 3, coinciding with Paris Fashion Week. Carrasco will be in attendance along with the rest of the BoF 500 Class of 2026.
A Filipino Visionary
Carrasco has proven himself as a visionary leader, reflecting his philosophy of “purpose over profit” and using media as a platform to elevate Filipino stories, creativity, and culture through publications both homegrown and adapted by the AGC PHC.
In just a span of six years, the Carrasco-led publishing company has transformed the Philippine media landscape post-pandemic with the introduction of international titles like Rolling Stone Philippines, Vogue Philippines, and the recently launched GQ Philippines, among its diverse roster of magazines. Carrasco serves as the latter two’s publisher through the MEGA Global Group Inc. (MGGI), the exclusive partner of Condé Nast in the Philippines.
“I wanted Filipinos to have access to the world’s most influential media institutions while giving those institutions access to the extraordinary stories and talent coming from the Philippines,” he tells Rolling Stone Philippines.
This October, AGC PHC has just announced an upcoming addition to its portfolio: the arrival of Harper’s BAZAAR Philippines in November 2027, which is expected to spotlight the highest expression of Filipino creativity within its hallowed pages.
Throughout his career, Carrasco has remained an unwavering advocate of platforming Filipino creativity on the global stage. To him, the strength of Filipino creativity lies in its ability to absorb influences from everywhere, while being able to interpret them through our lens and rooted in our identity. “There is an emotional quality to Filipino creativity. We absorb influences from everywhere, but we reinterpret them through our history, humor, resilience, and humanity,” he says.
On taking it further globally, Carrasco says he aims to build more bridges, international collaborations, regional platforms, global distribution, and opportunities for Filipino creatives. He adds that he will utilize the access his new recognition provides to create more platforms for the local creatives.
Founded in 2007 by Imran Amed, the Business of Fashion is internationally recognized for its authoritative, analytical point of view on the global fashion and beauty industries. BoF consists of more than 100 journalists, analysts, engineers, designers, and commercial professionals with offices in London and New York.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Archie Carrasco is the Chairman and CEO of AGC Power Holdings Corp. (AGC PHC), publisher of Philippine editions of international magazines including Rolling Stone Philippines. Through MEGA Global Group Inc., Condé Nast’s exclusive Philippine partner, he is also the publisher Vogue Philippines and GQ Philippines.
The BoF 500 is an annual index launched in 2013 by The Business of Fashion that recognizes key figures shaping fashion globally. BoF editors curate it from nominations and on-the-ground intelligence supplied by its community of executives, creatives, and other media figures.
Carrasco is the first Filipino media CEO and only the fifth Filipino personality on the BoF 500, following V Magazine and VMan editor-in-chief Stephen Gan in 2013 and H&F Retail Concepts’ Jappy Gonzalez in 2017. It places Philippine publishing within a global fashion industry index.
The BoF 500 Gala takes place on October 3, coinciding with Paris Fashion Week.
The BoF 500 Gala will be held in Paris, with the dinner dedicated to this year’s honorees. Archie Carrasco, AGC PHC’s Chairman and CEO, will attend alongside the rest of the BoF 500 Class of 2026.
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