Shaun Pelayo —PHOTO FROM BENCH
With his even, moreno complexion and muscular frame, Shaun Pelayo cut a striking figure when he strutted down the runway at Bench Fashion Week earlier this year.
Aside from the fact that he was styled in boxer briefs, a beaded neckpiece and an abbreviated grass skirt, he stood out because of the way he looked and his many tattoos that covered his back and torso, and crept up his neck and down his arms.
In a sea awash with pale- and light-skinned models, this certified island boy was truly a refreshing sight. Pelayo, whose family hails from the island of Siquijor but who grew up in the United Kingdom, is back in the country to make a name for himself and achieve a goal he set.
Life in the UK molded him into someone unafraid to put himself out there. A few years ago, he joined a reality dating show there where he ended up taking home half of the prize money because his partner—who was the grand winner—opted to split it with him. The two dated but eventually split up months later.
He can now call himself an actor after he auditioned for and was given a role in the movie “5 Lbs of Pressure,” starring Luke Evans, Rory Culkin and Alex Pettyfer.
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On his socials, Pelayo posts clips of himself working out by the beach, playing basketball with the locals, and even joining a dawn procession in Siquijor during Holy Week. He is vocal in expressing his love for island life, particularly the availability of fresh, locally grown fruit. In fact, in several clips that can be described as “thirst traps,” he tears into a jackfruit—cave-man style—and punctures a coconut before drinking deeply.
Last week, in a series of Instagram stories, the 31-year-old talked about his reasons for coming back to the country, the stereotype he is determined to break, and why he identifies with cartoon panda Po of “Kung Fu Panda.”
“Life [in Siquijor] is simpler, more authentic. The weather is better and it’s safe,” Pelayo said.
“The people are happy, and the food and fruit are grown locally. [There are] no strict rules or people trying to control you. You can trust people here and everyone is welcoming and loving. No crazy narratives coming from the above trying to ruin society, just nice and simple life.”
Standards
Even after sustaining an injury, a small cut under his eye during a spirited game of basketball recently, he shrugged it off—slapping on a Band-Aid and going on his way. He’s no stranger to these unavoidable nicks and bruises since he grew up playing football “like every other kid in the UK.”
Several years ago, he began modeling “normal fashion stuff,” but when Bench came calling, he jumped at the opportunity. “Now you can see pics of me in underwear across multiple stores here.”
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Pelayo is unlike most of the models working today. Although there may be a few dark-skinned models inserted in the lineups, the prevailing look is pale with a slight build.
“The beauty standards here … they promote whitening lotion, pale skin, the K-pop stuff. If you look at all the billboards, you see guys are less masculine, so I thought there’s a big hole in the market for someone like myself who’s moreno, darker, tatted up,” he said.
“I’m proud, I’m strong, I’m Bisaya and I look after my family. I want to give the younger children a different alternative to look up to as opposed to the ones they’ve already got.”
Turning tide
Pelayo has his “work” cut out for him. The fact that the Philippines’ bet to this year’s Miss Universe pageant is dark-skinned Bulakena Chelsea Manalo, however, might mean the tide is finally turning.
“I set a goal here when I visited—to try to change a whole beauty standard. It’s a huge task and I need to be here to achieve it. I know if I were a little moreno kid here, I would want to see a big, strong tattooed moreno figure who is doing well for me to look up to, to aspire to be like. That’s the goal,” he said.
Moving back to one’s country of birth can be daunting for many who have lived abroad for decades. That wasn’t the case for Pelayo who assimilated quite easily and has retained his child-like wonder.
“You know when Po discovers his homeland for the first time and everything makes sense especially because he came back as the Dragon Warrior? Imagine this in real life—that’s how easy it was.” INQ