In her first podcast guesting, Heart Evangelista opens up on the realities of her own journey to Fashion Week with MEGA: The Next Move
A storyteller to her core, Heart Evangelista has a number of tales on her sleeve about her life. She does the storytelling, too, in many ways—from portraying characters and painting women figures to sharing her love for fashion. Her journey to different stages in her life is not a walk in the park, especially when it involves flying to another country to make a name for herself. Beyond the luxury of clothing pieces and celebrity interactions lie stories of hard work and determination. And in her first appearance on a podcast, the artist reveals on MEGA: The Next Move her own tales and thoughts on Fashion Week.
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1. The hand-painted bags and her friendship with Kevin Kwan led her to Fashion Week
At a time when the actress had doubts about her career in show business, she took her creative juices out on painting. From actual canvases, she translated her craft to Hermés bags.
This caught the attention of Michael Coste, the PR of the luxury house. At that time, she also met a connection who invited her to Schiaparelli’s brand relaunch.
Among those who she met during the show was Crazy Rich Asians novelist Kevin Kwan who changed her life. After he wrote about her painted Birkins and did a feature with her, Heart officially entered the realm of Fashion Week. “He introduced me to a lot of people, and that’s when everything started to happen for me,” she recalled.
2. She does not want to be called a VIC (Very Important Client) or a celebrity during Fashion Week
Although Love Marie, the fashion maven’s real name, has a life back in the Philippines, she has established another one in Paris, too. In her stay in the city, she has built genuine relationships with fellow fashion creatives, including Christian Louboutin. “We bonded, we clicked so much,” she shared. “I spent Christmas with him, and he cooks pasta for me. It’s because of these angels that I’ve met that paved way to where I am. [They] supported me. They really helped me a lot.”
Explaining more about her fashion career, she said, “I didn’t enter because it’s a job. I entered because I love it. Then it became a job. Fashion is tricky in a sense that it’s business, but it’s very personal. It has so much to do with who you are. It’s about your identity.
“I don’t want to be called a [Very Important Client] or a celebrity. When you’re a celebrity, you’re only there for a chapter of your time. You’re not there as a fashionista. You’re there for your numbers. I don’t want to sit on that seat. I’d rather sit on the third [row] and sit there for many years. I’m in it for the long [haul.]”
3. She firmly believes that journalists should have a seat in fashion shows
“A lot of celebrities come as press,” Evangelista remarked, spilling the reality of fashion coverage today. “Give it to the real journalists who deserve that seat. The ones who will write, the ones that will edit, the ones that will cover and write that story. That’s for them.”
4. Heart almost got kicked out of some fashion shows this year
Acknowledging the realities of her chosen path, Love Marie revealed the dirty politics that also come with it. The first one is the apparent shadowbanning of her Instagram account after it got spammed of follows and comments. This will eventually lead to the platform diagnosing the validity of one’s account.
With her intention to make kick-ass content, it almost led to her getting kicked out of Fashion Week. “I had to talk to certain PRs. Somebody was calling and saying that I would not be able to attend. They would say that they represent me, but they really don’t. I had to do a lot of clearing up.” She credited her husband, Sen. Chiz Escudero, and her three agents who helped her get through that rough time.
5. She is happy that more Filipinos are attending the shows
Last season, a number of Filipino celebrities graced Fashion Week alongside Evangelista. Ending all speculations and allegations against her, Heart truthfully spoke her mind about the issue. “I’m very happy. Some people’s [mentalities] are messed up here in the Philippines. This is just Fashion Week, guys! This is not the fight of your life. It’s supposed to be chill. Enjoy. Be yourself.” Mentioning fellow actress Anne Curtis, Heart appreciated that she received a friendly text from her fellow fashionista.
To listen to the full podcast episode on Spotify, click here
Photography EXCEL PANLAQUE
