We chose the name “MANIFEST” not because of the skyrocketing popularity of this word – not because of the rise of manifestation on TikTok beginning 2018 whereby the word has brought about new interpretations and resulted into different evolving modern cultures.

Manifestation in this New Age has been re-interpreted as self-help philosophy of using visualization, affirmations, and positive thoughts to make one’s desires become a reality. Included in the various beliefs surrounding it is the flawed belief that one’s inability to achieve goals is because of “not manifesting hard enough” or “not manifesting the right away,” as well as the harmful false belief that negative experiences are just results of the mind attracting negativities in life. Included in the evolving culture is the controversial commercialization of manifestation – selling books, courses, and retreats to teach how to manifest their dream life.

The abovementioned are not the reasons why we chose the name MANIFEST for this magazine.

The Original Meaning of the Word “Manifest” Before its Popularity

We chose the name MANIFEST based on the original definition of the word – to make something evident or certain through showing (as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary); or to show something clearly through actions or signs (as described by the Cambridge dictionary); or that which is perceived by the senses especially by the sense of sight (in the Merriam-Webster dictionary).

Manifest and Creation

The word MANIFEST is originally linked to the act of making something visible – creation. A vision, idea, or concept becomes manifest when it is brought into a form that can be understood, seen, or experienced. This process of concept to creation is at the core of fashion, art, culture, and expressions. 

For example, fashion creation begins with a vision, inspiration, or idea, which the designer manifests into visual sketches, which the designer later manifests into an actual garment construction. Similarly, parts of peoples’ cultures are visuals, such as architectures, festivities, ways of life, whereby their identity and beliefs are manifested, shown, or made understood to the world.

MANIFEST magazine celebrates people’s creativity and identity through their fashion, beauty, art, culture, and life. Beyond the beauty of these forms of expressions are people’s depth and meaning – their vision, beliefs, dreams, purpose, and love – which they manifest visually into these art forms for everyone to experience. 

Criteria for Choosing a Magazine Name

There were also practical factors to consider when coming up with the magazine’s name, such as the need to look for a word that is unique and unused in the magazine genre of fashion and lifestyle we were entering into. 

In 2021, as we were envisioning a Filipino and global magazine covering fashion, beauty, art, culture, and life, we had to take into account the following:

English Word

The name has to be an English word because the magazine is written in English. The readers are both Filipinos and other nationalities who understand the English language. 

Word is Not Used by an Existing Fashion Magazine

The name has to be available – which means it should be a word that is not yet being used for a magazine on fashion. We had to be the first one.

Available Domain

The name has to be available for the www._______.com or domain for the magazine’s official website.  

MANIFEST as the magazine’s (manifestmagazine.com) ticked off all of these practical criteria.

But MANIFEST is more than manifestation of heart’s desires becoming a reality. 

Rooted in the original meaning of the word, MANIFEST is about turning visions and purpose into action, creation, expression, dedication, and passion.