"Fashion is your armour"—Heart Evangelista looks back on how she found her authentic self and style

But even with her immensely successful career as an actor in the Philippines stretching back to the early Noughties, it wasn’t until 2016 that her dream became a reality. “Schiaparelli invited me—that was my first show and fashion week,” she says. “I even got free tickets for some of my friends to watch.” Since then, she’s become a front-row regular, sharing her experiences with her 16.3 million Instagram followers and almost 3 million YouTube subscribers. While she’s thrilled by what fashion offers, Evangelista is honest about the work it takes to be a full-fledged style icon. “I used to attend almost all the shows,” Evangelista said. “At first, I enjoyed it; then, it became work. I would wake up at 4am to prepare for five to six shows daily, and I got used to it. [But] I had to change my process at some point because I didn’t enjoy it anymore.” 

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To regain the magic of her fashion week experience, she admits to being more discriminating. “Now, I still wake up early, but I take my time. I do three shows a day, maximum—that’s a lot already.” Of course, one show she never misses is Schiaparelli. “I loved their fall-winter 2024-25 collection. It was a bit toned down this year but still elegant and extraordinary. The lighting was amazing. It was a homage to [prima ballerina] Anna Pavlova—wonderful.”

Evangelista and her stylist Izabel Sim worked closely with some of her favourite designers to create a lookbook for the Tatler shoot. “Giambattista Valli, Ashi Studio and Tamara Ralph were so kind, and collaborated with Iza and me to put together the best looks for the cover.” As is characteristic of any shoot with Evangelista, everything ran at full tilt—they had the dresses for only two hours before the pieces had to go back to their respective ateliers. “It was crunch time; we had only ten minutes per look! [But] it was a fun team-building experience; everyone was so hands-on,” she says. “It was nice to be a creative director, choosing and putting together the looks.”

Evangelista started working as an actress in her early teens, gracing primetime television shows, commercials and movies, and understanding the pressures and demands of showbusiness very early on. “I grew up in a time when there were no stylists. I would wear my [own] clothes on the set of G-mik, Berks, My First Romance … I had to exercise self-awareness and develop my style,” she says. “But I would also be confused because I worked with many people [always] conscious of [what my image should be]. Everything was too fixed—down to the number of bracelets and the boots that had to match this or that. It was too contrived.”

However, during the pandemic, the actress had to travel without stylists, and she unexpectedly rediscovered the joy of being carefree. “There’s a certain je ne sais quoi from things unplanned. I followed what I felt then, and I liked that better.” Evangelista now applies this philosophy to her life as a fashion maven. “Going to fashion week isn’t like going to premiere night [anymore]; it’s going as yourself.”

Furthermore, she’s become a staunch advocate for individuality and self-expression. “Everyone can be fashionable, but style has much to do with your DNA. A jacket can be manufactured a thousand times over, but it’s how you wear it, even if you don’t add a single accessory. It’s how you stand up and talk; it’s just you that makes it different. That’s style. Fashion can be replicated; style cannot.”

Evangelista’s wisdom has been developed over the course of a long career, one that has been built on triumphs and trials. Recently, she went through a public fallout with “ex-friends”, news that became fodder for local tabloid channels. It was a trying time, to say the least, but she says, “There are things that are allowed to happen to build you up. Let’s just say I truly learnt my lesson. I now know the difference between socialising and the people you bring home. [For the longest time,] I allowed the little girl in me to rule my heart. I don’t think anybody can [easily] earn my trust these days; the gates are closed. It doesn’t mean I’m mean or a ‘dragon lady’ ... I’d rather be someone who will protect myself and my loved ones.” And while she has learnt many life lessons from her position as a public figure, Evangelista says her husband, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, is her greatest source of advice. “He told me, ‘You should be thankful when you’ve reached rock bottom and be comforted by it, because there is nowhere else to go but up. So many times I’ve reached rock bottom and remembered him saying that … nadugtungan niya yung buhay ko [he extended my life].”

Evangelista and Escudero married on Balesin Island in 2015 and privately renewed their vows this February. “It felt like it was my first wedding,” she confesses, giggling. “When I married in my thirties, I was mentally in my twenties. I had no idea what it meant to be a wife. Our marriage went through the test of time, and I sometimes felt it failed.” The actor has been open about her four miscarriages, which alone have taken their toll. Through the rededication ceremony, both welcomed a new chapter in their relationship—which Evangelista emphasises is hard-earned and even more romantic. “There’s no road map [for love]. You can read all the books and watch all the movies … but love is meant for moments when it’s hard to love,” she says. As for her desire to be a mother, she leaves it up to God. “I’m done feeling hopeless. I’ve tried every solution, so now, I pray for grace [so] that I can accept what He wants for me. I’m grateful for what’s in front of me.”

Read more: Come What May: Inside Heart Evangelista and Chiz Escudero’s vow renewal ceremony

Part of the couple’s new chapter includes Escudero’s recent appointment as senate president. Meanwhile, Evangelista has taken on the role of president of the Senate Spouses Foundation Inc (SSFI). She laughs when we ask how her relationship to politics has changed, “In the beginning, it was very daunting … I cried,” she admits. “I’m very aware that being married into politics is challenging.”

Their new appointments have drastically affected their schedules, but Evangelista quickly quells doubts about their marriage. “There was a time that he would go to fashion week with me. He studied photography. He would even stitch my clothes! For somebody like him to do all that … [taking a role in the SSFI] was a no-brainer for me. If he can dive into my world, it should be the same for me. If he has no time, I’ll try to visit him—[even if ] it’s just bringing pastries or coffee.” As the newly minted president of the SSFI, Evangelista has taken on a more ‘significant and prominent role. “Till the end of the year, our schedule is full. I love the idea that we’re creating awareness. I’m even behind the foundation’s social media account; I highlight every person and spouse. My goal is to build the foundation’s savings,” she says.

By capitalising on her connections, platforms and networks, Evangelista is working hard to cultivate sponsors for the foundation’s events, giving her new drive. “I didn’t expect to love it [this much]. I had a purpose before. Yes, fashion is your armour, but what is it protecting inside? This is what I’m protecting now. I love that it has nothing to do with me. It’s not mine; it’s ours.”

Throughout her career, Evangelista’s made gold out of the most gruelling situations, from public criticism to private struggles. Nowadays, she’s taking time to balance her passions with duty, paying less attention to the noise and reserving energy for things that matter most. And when asked what final piece of advice she had to share, Evangelista simply had this to impart: “know your self-worth and always go with the beat of your heart”.

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