Starlight – Willy Bagatcholon

starlight on

Willy

Bagatcholon

November 13 2025

Willy Bagatcholon. “Creative Alchemist” and Defender of The Defenceless.

The Stylander’s publisher Sandhya Dusk Devi Nand met, photographed and interviewed Willy Bagatcholon at Australian Fashion Week May, 2025.

“Willy is fabulous and very much the proverbial still waters run deep type of human.
Of course we sparked because of his fabulousness and understated flair but we clicked over his advocacy and deep need to change the world.
Plus his fight against… city hall. You can fight it, and where there’s Willy there’s a way.” – Sandhya Nand

PRESS PLATFORM: ‘Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way. [XX/11]

Willy is wearing a coat by Sydney label Provacator.

Photographed at AFW2025 by Dusk Devi.

STORY.

The dapper and multitasking Bagatcholon works a seemingly glamourous life, under the umbrella of his creative services agency, Smallstone Creatives, as a fashion and social scene commentator, occasional essayist* and photographer. His photography style is delightfully moody, ‘Blade Runner’ meets ‘The Lost Boys’, very Sydney. Bagatcholon also is, as he describes himself in the video, a “creative alchemist”.

*read a fashion homage written by Willy in 2011.

Bagatchalon uses his creative alchemy as a creative director for high profile industry peers such as international DJ and glamour-model Emily Scott, for her first shoot with the [now defunct] Maxim Australia, and rising male model Bailey Martin for his magazine cover debut, the latter whom Bagatcholon also mentors.

A Creative Alchemist worth their depth in gold, is also someone who uses one’s innate skills, glamour and confidence to make the world not just aesthetic but also ethical.

By night [and fashion months] he is a ‘glamchemist’, by day Bagatcholon is a defender of the defenceless, a champion of Special Interest Young People with Disabilities, a voice of humanity’s LGBTIQ+ community, positive mental health / human rights advocate [for me the latter and former are a part of each other, not apart], and a loving brother and son.

“Advocacy was my natural calling. I was a World Vision sponsored child growing up in the Philippines, and that gave me access to things I didn’t have prior. I have been given so many opportunities that I want to be able to give back. I made it my purpose to give where and if I can.“

Sydney based Bagatcholon, is also the primary carer for his brother who has schizophrenia as well as for their elderly mother.

Amongst his other creative accomplishments, in 2016, Bagatcholon produced a docu-film called ‘Being Gay & Christian’.

“Being Gay & Christian is a short film documentary of a man who is a carer for his brother with mental health disability. While having to go through his own battle of internalised self-conflict because of his sexuality and religion. His family has a strong religious stance on homosexuality.“- IMDB

Bagatcholon, who is a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, received funding from My Choice Matter’s – NSW Consumer Development Funds to produce a film about sexuality and religion. The film features interviews with esteemed pillars of the community, one who was the first openly gay Judge in Australia, the other a lesbian reverend.

“The purpose of the film ‘Being Gay & Christian’ is to generate a dialogue […] about the stigma attached to a person who identifies themselves as a gay Christian.” – Bagatcholon.

The film was launched Saturday 27 February 2016, just before and leading up to Mardi Gras 2016. Watch here.

Later this month TS will be featuring a PRESS PLATFORM piece about a significant issue Bagatcholon has brought to life and has been battling for almost a decade. Check the Change.org petition here.

STARLIGHT on WILLY BAGATCHOLON.

1. Current mood’s favourite songs/music.

My mood changes a lot in one day, but recently I have been listening to Jamie Miller as I like ballad music. Otherwise, if I want to hype myself up I would listen to “Ego” by Beyonce but the remix version with Kanye, Or “Ice Cream” by Blackpink and Selena Gomez.

2. Time travel: when, where and why?
The time when Jesus was born. I think it would be interesting to see what really happened. Jesus has been proven as an actual historical figure of his time who 2500 years later still has a major impact in our society.

3. What are you most grateful for?
I am grateful for my heart to take so much on. The resilience of my mind and I am grateful for how much life can give. The possibility is endless, there is so much to experience and learn.

4. Do you think there are people on another planet wondering if we are aliens?
Yes, 100%. The universe is infinite. It makes no sense why there would be no other life but on earth. It sounds egoic to think we are the only life in the universe.

5. Name a book that had an impact on you and why.
‘Lost Connections‘ by Johann Hari, because it uses scientific research to explain the disconnection of our society. Technology has connected people, often those who are lost to us. Yet, we remain more disconnected than ever.

6. What thing keeps you going on hard days? What is faith to you?
I don’t have faith in people as people are just as flawed as I am, but as contrary as it sounds I do have faith in myself. However, when that fails, I place my faith in a greater purpose than myself. A being that is far greater than myself and the world, something that is insurmountable cannot be solved or explained.

7. What is your style signature? Your favourite look for yourself.
Right now I love wearing shorts. Combining it with formal shirts with a tie is my current vibe. Specially when mixing winter with summer clothes.

[Check out Willy’s style here, STREET STYLE AT AFW2025]

8. What catches your eye about someone else’s style?
Their smile and their matching eyes that comes with uniqueness on how they express their personal flair.

“Small-Stone is the English translation of my last name. Bagat means small, cholon means stone. Together, Bagatcholon, it means that everything in life has a purpose.“

The STARLIGHT series is written and curated by TS Publisher, Sandhya Nand.