Heart Evangelista On Fashion As Armour And Taking Life By The Reins

“I feel like I have so much to do because I am trying to break the norm of being constricted by time and age, or what you do in your life. So I feel like I’m really gonna go for it,” says Heart Evangelista. As she sits at a vanity in a hotel room in Indonesia, her glam squad working their magic, the Filipino actress-turned-global fashion icon whizzes through the questions of this interview before the demands of yet another glamorous—and hectic—day begin. After all, Evangelista is busy. Busy going for it. 

A member of the renowned family behind one of the largest food empires in the Philippines, Evangelista kickstarted her career in show business at the mere age of 13 and quickly became the teen queen of her generation. Now, she has built up a wardrobe that is both literally and figuratively filled with hats—because she wears many. Throughout her life in the limelight, Evangelista has never settled on simply being or doing just one thing. She has long been known for her philanthropic and advocacy work across a range of causes like animal welfare and thalassaemia, currently serves as president of the Senate Spouses Foundation, and is working on community outreach within the arts through Hong Kong’s very own First Initiative Foundation.

Undoubtedly an artist in the silver screen sense, Evangelista is also a successful visual artist under her birth name, Love Marie. “I’m able to really fully express myself, let my soul truly speak,” she says. “In a sense, [art] is the only thing that will immortalise me.” Her distinctive oil paintings have sold out at exhibitions and found their way onto the luxurious leathers of Hermès Birkin bags owned by friends and fellow bag collectors, serving as a more tangible expression of her passion for the arts.

Fashion, it seems, is part of her artistic expression. A regular fixture at fashion weeks around the world, Evangelista has grown to become one of fashion’s favourite darlings. Her style spans a spectrum from bold and experimental to classic and polished, earning her a distinct versatility that keeps things exciting for those who watch her every move—luxury fashion houses included. Evangelista’s diverse outfits are well-documented, captured by street photographers during the chaotic hustle and bustle of fashion week, recorded and transformed into cinematic Instagram videos by her own production crew, and now flaunted once more in her latest reality show with GMA Network, “Heart World.” 

In the first episode of the series, the fashion multi-hyphenate touches on feeling misunderstood for being kikay, a Tagalog word to describe women who enjoy ‘girly’ things and getting dolled up. “I always struggled to fit in—that never happened,” she reveals. Evangelista shares how her evolution away from acting and into fashion has paved a path for the “true” Heart to shine. At Paris fashion week, there are no show ratings, no opponents, no one telling her how to dress or act.

“I feel like there’s no game. I don’t dress for any reason at all other than because I truly love it for myself and how it makes me feel. I feel like I can express myself and be myself,” she explains. “It’s just a different feeling, especially when you work really hard and you feel good about yourself, then you can do so much more. So I feel like not just in fashion week but in the real world, fashion is really truly your armour and an outlet for you to just have fun being yourself—whether somebody’s looking or not. ”  

As 2024 comes to a close, Evangelista looks back on an overwhelmingly fantastic year. “I think I have a lot of highlights. I’m just beyond grateful because it has gotten to a point where I don’t even think I can count how many highlights I have!” she exclaims. And I agree. Top performing APAC celebrity of SS25 Paris Fashion Week, producing her own television series, renewing her wedding vows…the list goes on. “Maybe the whole year is just shimmery and splendid because there’s a spotlight on it.”

Heading into her forties next February, Evangelista admits to a supposedly vacant 2025—though that’s not to say she isn’t ready. “I don’t have plans, but if an opportunity opens up, I will go for it. At the same time, I’ll live a well-balanced life, just be grateful, and have a smile on my face with everything I do. Make sure as blessed you are, you can be a blessing to others.”

Photography: BJ Pascual
Fashion & Creative Direction: Foxla Chiu
Styling: Lyn Alumno
Makeup Artist: Memay Francisco
Hair Stylist: Jerry Javier
Executive Producer: Marina Fairfax
Fashion Assistants: Dayle Galvan & MJ Almero