Heart Evangelista shares why it's ok being 'second choice' in fashion weeks: 'I don't wanna take anybody's seat'
Heart Evangelista said it’s okay for her to be a “second choice” in fashion weeks, saying that she does not treat it as her job, but does it out of passion.
In the latest episode of her vlog series, the actress-fashion style icon shared her reason for joining fashion weeks.
“The reason why I joined fashion week was because I grew up in a system where it's super competitive. When one episode of your soap opera doesn't do well in terms of rating, you're gonna be axed out,” she began.
“I grew up just being on this race and I entered fashion week because I love it so much. I'm very kikay or maarte. In English, it doesn't sound well but I'm very vain in terms of what I wear or what," she continued.
She added, “Basically, I love just expressing who I am instead of playing characters.”
Heart has attended several couture shows in the past years, and has interacted and met with the likes of Giambattista Valli, Lee Min Ho, Jessica Jung, Avril Lavigne, and more. She was also featured in international publications for her looks at different shows. With these, Heart says she does not see joining fashion weeks as a job.
"I entered fashion week and it wasn't a job. It was because of passion. I really went through the hard route," she said in her vlog.
She also shared different ways she gets invited into prestigious events, like being a press, as a cohort, as a buyer, as a KOL (key opinion leader), as a celebrity, and as an influencer. But she stressed she prefers to be invited merely as herself.
“As press, I remember I used to get invited. And the reason why these days, I try not to anymore get invited as press because I do love the brand. If you want a relationship with them, I truly want them to know who I am. And I don't wanna take anybody's seat,” she said.
She continued, "This is the golden rule. Fashion week is fun. Fashion week for me, is a passion,” adding she “feels guilty” for taking a spot allotted for someone else.
She then stressed that it's okay for her to be the second or third choice, saying that having a good relationship with the brands is her priority.
"Whoever is supposed to have that seat, should see it, should feel it, should hear the music. So he can be able to be set on fire, inspired to write or edit something about the show,” she explained.
“For me, it's all right. I'd rather be second. Thanks for putting me in first, but I don't mind being second or third, as long as I'm invited as myself and I have a good relationship with the brand,” she stressed.
Heart recently attended Haute Couture Week in Paris. Recently, she cried foul when her Instagram account was allegedly reported for “posting daring pictures.”
“Sad, but ganu’n talaga,” she said in her Instagram Live video last June 29.
“I don’t know what it is, but every fashion week is always like that. It’s not anything new,” she was quoted saying.
“So in short, hindi ko po ito kabuhayan showcase kasi, isang ubo ko lang ‘yung last na ‘yung kinikita ko rito. So, isa-shopping na lang natin ‘yan. Nang dahil diyan sa pag-report n’yo sa account ko, nasa-sad lang ako ng konti. Pero thank you pa rin sa inyo kasi na-justify ko ‘yung pag-shopping ko today,” she quipped.
Heart added, “I’ve been through this many times. After 26 years in the business, I know how it works. But goodness will always prevail.”
Apart from her fashion career, Heart recently took her oath as the president of Senate Spouses Foundation Inc. (SSFI) following her husband, Chiz Escudero taking over the Senate president seat in May.