Coming into her own: Rocio Zobel is a digital influencer, style muse and the latest ambassador for the Belo Medical Group

As the interview shifts to lighter chitchat, I remind her of our very first meeting at her old family home in 2009, when I interviewed her sister, Natalia, for her cover story as the second Filipino débutante to represent at Paris’ le Bal des Débutantes. As unforgettable and as lovely as that interview was, what sticks out most is the endearing memory of bearing witness to the longing in the then seven-year-old’s eyes, watching her older sister have her moment, and wanting so badly to be a sparkling débutante herself.

“Oh yeah! I wanted to be at the ball,” admits a suddenly reenergised Rocio Zobel, her apparent zeal at discussing a topic of interest adorably amusing. “Natalia’s the complete opposite of me. It was so funny because that’s not her thing. She’s not into the girly kind of stuff. And I was, like, wait a second…this is my thing.”

While she did attend her sister’s début, a whole decade later, this once little girl’s wish came full circle, as she finally attended as a débutante herself in 2019.

See also: Filipina It Girls: 5 empowered young women to know

“Oh my gosh, I met some of my very, very best friends in the world there!” she fondly reminisces. “Going in, you obviously think that it’s a great opportunity to meet all these people…But you don’t actually think that you’re going to meet some of your best friends in the world,” she shares. “One of them was living in New York when I moved there. Another had just moved to New York, and she lived with me for a little over a month while finding her own place; now, her twin sister is considering moving there. Two of them are also from the south of Spain, where I’m from, so we’re together the whole summer when we go back for the holidays.”

If finding multiple soulmates at le Bal was the consequence, surely the couture was the initial draw. “I mean, I had the best time making my dress with the designer,” shares Zobel, referring to her custom beaded nude tulle and silk organza gown by Jan Taminiau. “It was my first real collaborative project with an amazing fashion house.”

So, did she love fashion and couture before le Bal? “Oh, I knew since I was like five,” she answers without so much as blinking. But who would she most want to collaborate with from the fashion world? “These changes all the time, but right now—Matthieu Blazy of Chanel and Pieter Mulier of Alaïa.”

Celebrated for her chic, understated fashion sense and playful presence on TikTok, the Gen Zer consistently demonstrates what can’t be manufactured. What sets Zobel apart from the wave of creators is her intentional sense of grace—partly rooted in tradition yet utterly attuned to the rhythm of the now. It’s no coincidence that her swimwear line, Cala by Rocio Zobel, is named for her family farm, Calatagan, in Batangas, and that every single garment is produced in the Philippines using only local textiles. “Cala’s pieces are more earthy and natural and use materials that aren’t always used in swimsuits,” she enthusiastically shares of her line, which will launch sometime next year.

Zobel has clearly inherited her mother’s striking good looks and genes. “My mum is so simple when it comes to beauty products. She is a big advocate for sunblock, though, and obviously does the basics, such as cleanser, like we all do…However, she’s not someone who puts much effort into that, which might actually be the reason why she has amazing skin. I, myself, am a big believer that too much product in life has the reverse effect,” she justifies, adding, “My skin is very much like baby skin and the more products I put on, it just feels like too much.”

The sun-worshipping heiress frequently shares glimpses of her sunny, laid-back jaunts to her sister’s resort, Inara, in Siargao, as well as to their coastal Calatagan farm, through her snappy social media posts. 

When fashion is not her focus, there’s no denying that Zobel’s natural beauty is worth leveraging. And being the girlie girl that she is, playing a part in the cosmetic industry has proven to be an occupation that the looker quite relishes. 

Enter Belo’s brand-new campaign, “Face Card Always Valid”, for which Zobel has just been officially announced as an ambassador, or “Belo Baby”, as they are known.  Known to all as Dr Victoria Belo, founder, president and medical director of the Belo Medical Group, one of the pioneering and largest medical aesthetics clinics in the Philippines, to Zobel, she’s Tita Vicki, a longtime family friend and neighbour.

“I regularly go to Belo and I trust them,” confirms Zobel. “I’ve done the Virtue RF, Advalight and Exosomes Hair. And now, as part of the campaign, I’ve tried the latest NeuroGlow Facial from the neurocosmetics line of Arkana, because it helped balance oil production and manage my acne breakouts, which were caused by a gut infection.”

“I love that she’s open about the fact that she’s had acne, which so many young people can relate to, and that she chose Belo to help her through it. We’ve really seen her journey and growth, both in her skin and in her confidence,” shares Dr Belo of the special relationship they’ve built.

“Rocio”, Dr Belo adds, “is such an ‘It’ girl. She has style, grace, and that natural influence that even I find myself watching what she’s up to. But what I love most about her is her authenticity. Rocio isn’t just a pretty face for a campaign—she’s been with us for years, she does the treatments, and she believes in them.”

Thanks to her pedigree and favourable genome, Zobel’s face card will probably always be valid. But her real allure lies in the way she redefines the meaning of ‘It’ girl in the digital age. No longer just a socialite or a familiar face at the front row, she embodies a refreshing new archetype: one who moves fluidly in the democratised landscape of social media. Here, beauty and fashion will be about cultivating her own aesthetic philosophy, and every filmed moment will feel like an invitation into her world—cute nieces, nephews and all. 

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