Creative Joel Andrade Isn’t Afraid to Ruffle Some Feathers
Be unforgettable. Be obsessive. According to the creative director of Issy, that’s how you make your mark in the fast-paced world of beauty.
“We removed your post,” the notice from Instagram read.
Last February, Issy, the beauty brand that has successfully positioned itself as the edgy outlier in the Filipino beauty industry, and one that audiences have come to expect beautiful—not pretty—ideas, campaigns and products from, released its Cowgirl collection.
A social video teased the collection, named after Issy’s most popular muted rose shade. And once it went live, a barrage of reports led to the post being taken down from the social media platform. Across Reddit, Threads, and likely Telegram group chats, the debate was on. Many called the teaser wildly inappropriate, while others applauded Issy for consistently thinking outside of the box.
“Success 🤣,” read the top comment on the post about the takedown notice. It was from Joel Andrade, Issy’s co-founder and creative director, whose vision for the brand’s campaigns often translate to virality, a most coveted currency in beauty.
Cowgirl is memorable for Andrade for being his “most difficult project.” “We’re pushing boundaries,” he says. “And when you’re pushing boundaries, there’s always going to be people resistant to it. But I think it’s important to stand for what you believe in, and Issy believes in bold self-expression. So, you know, we’re not afraid to ruffle some feathers.”
Perhaps one of the reasons Andrade is fearless in standing his ground is that the creative has seen it all. Starting in 2015 from “the very bottom of the ladder” as the “assistant of an assistant” to a fashion stylist, Andrade learned to do everything, from producing shoots to designing garments to reimagining retail spaces.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Andrade says of his origins. “Because when I started climbing up the ladder, I knew every part of the job. And now, as a creative director, I know how the whole system works.”
The move from fashion to beauty was spurred by an opportunity to build a beauty brand. “Even if I knew nothing about beauty, I believed so much that I have an opinion about beauty,” he recalls of the shift. That beauty brand turned out to be Issy. And that’s how Andrade’s first foray into beauty turned out to be his career-defining venture.
In this Allure Philippines exclusive, Andrade dives deep into misconceptions about being a creative in the beauty industry and what it takes to create something that will always be remembered.
How can a creative play a significant role in the “business” part of a beauty business?
You know, a lot of people assume that creatives can only work in the creative industry. But I say, no, use your creativity to be an edge in the business part.
I work in product development. After product development, [I work in] merchandising, retail, store design, store experience, e-commerce, and online. I think what I’m most proud of with my work is that even if I’m a creative, I find a creative way to do commerce, a creative way to do visual merchandising.
What is the biggest misconception about what you do?
The biggest misconception about my profession is that we just boss people around. The honest truth is, I think I’m the most active. Because being the creative head, the creative lead, the creative director, if I do not move first, nothing will come about.
So if you’re a person who’s not passionate about what you’re doing, this is definitely not for you. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s for the people who are willing to show up every day, even when you don’t feel like working. You have to show up, because people depend on you. So yeah, that’s one of the biggest misconceptions, that we’re just being pretty.
What skills and traits do you need to make it in the industry?
Joel Martin Andrade / IG: @joelmartinandrade
I think a quality that a creative should possess is having an opinion and having a voice. Having a distinct point of view will set yourself apart. And be strong enough to defend it to the end.
You don’t want to be forgettable. As a creative, the last thing you want is what you’re working on to seem like something [that’s been] seen before. “Creative,” right? It has to be something that innovates, something that pushes the boundaries.
My favorite people to work with is, of course, my creative team. The crazy ideas that we come up with [at Issy], the narratives that come through, and then realizing them in a full product and a story experience, I think is just so rewarding.
What’s one thing a newcomer in the industry should have?
For any creative beginning in the industry, just obsess over your craft. Obsess in a way that you constantly learn, innovate, and outdo yourself. In that constant repetition and in that constant trying to make it better, you will learn a mastery and confidence that will come naturally when it’s time for you to become the creative lead.
How can one make that transition from being a creative to a creative director?
For an aspiring creative director, [you have to] be well-versed in many different things. You have to talk to photographers, videographers, makeup artists, stylists. [You have to] pitch [in] boardrooms. You have to be able to understand different languages. Learning many different crafts will help you become a creative director. Think of yourself as a conductor: It’s all about piecing different pieces together in one whole cohesive unit.
Do you feel like you’ve made it?
Even up to now, I don’t believe I’ve fully made it. There are so many things I’m so eager to learn, so eager to prove. But maybe when I see people using Issy or seeing people in the mall shopping our products and obsessing over our products, that’s the best feeling. That’s when I feel like I’ve “made it” because I’ve made someone’s day. Even if I don’t know them, the fact that I live in someone’s purse, that reminds me, “Oh, I’ve come a long way.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Joel Andrade is co-founder and creative director of Issy, a Filipino beauty brand known for boundary-pushing campaigns. He oversees product development, retail design, visual merchandising, e-commerce, and brand storytelling — translating creative vision into commerce across every touchpoint.
Issy has positioned itself as the edgy outlier in Filipino beauty — producing campaigns that prioritize bold self-expression over conventional beauty aesthetics. The brand is known for generating viral cultural conversations, including content controversies that have amplified its audience reach and brand identity.
Andrade began in fashion in 2015 as an assistant to a fashion stylist, learning production, garment design, and retail from the ground up. He transitioned to beauty through an opportunity to co-found Issy — a brand he built without prior beauty industry experience, guided by a distinct creative point of view.
Andrade identifies a strong, defensible point of view as the essential quality — paired with cross-disciplinary fluency across photography, styling, video, boardroom communication, and product development. He describes the role as a conductor: assembling distinct creative elements into one cohesive brand experience.
Andrade’s trajectory — from the bottom of the fashion industry to co-founding one of the Philippines’ most culturally visible beauty brands — reflects the value of mastering every part of the creative process before leading it. His advice to newcomers: obsess over the craft with consistent, iterative improvement.
