Cover Story: Heart Evangelista Tells Us What's Close To Her Heart
Social causes, time with loved ones, self-expression through style, and gold old kaya toast - in our cover story featuring Boucheron, the multi-layered Heart Evangelista tells L'OFFICIEL SINGAPORE what matters to her and how she's finding balance by living her life sans the over-planning.
How original, how nonconformist. When we ask Heart Evangelista what’s coming next at the end of our interview, the multi-faceted fashion icon replies without hesitation, “I used to have it obsessively planned out, but somewhere along the way I stopped giving a damn about what I’m going to do. It’s like when I stopped playing the roles on telenovelas and started to play myself… Plans are not really a part of my game plan. But I’m definitely still manifesting, and I feel like my heart already knows what I truly want.”
When we first met Evangelista in early 2024, she was exactly that: refreshing. The first of the crew to arrive at the hotel lobby for a long day of filming in Bangkok, she shook my hand and smiled warmly, introducing herself when I approached the sofa where she was perched. Minutes later, we were engrossed chatting about the weather forecast for the upcoming season of fashion week, and what shows we would be attending. This is why we heart her: unaffected by her successes with no trace of dramas and airs, and always, always fabulously dressed.
Hi Heart! Welcome back to Singapore. You are no stranger to our sunny island. How did you spend your time here before our shoot?
We had kaya toast first! And since we had a full day, you would’ve found me walking around Ion Orchard and Marina Bay Sands. That’s something I love to do whenever I’m in Singapore, just walking around. Oh, and I plan on going to Universal Studios — I’m doing the works!
You are one busy lady. Tell us what you’ll be doing after you leave Singapore.
The moment I land back in the Philippines, I’m going to sleep. And the very next day, I’ll be off to Dubai for the EMIGALA 2025 Fashion & Beauty Awards, where I’ll be receiving the Global Fashion Influencer of the Year Award. That’s something new for me. I’ll be there for four days with some Filipino friends and designers, so it’ll be nice.
We were just talking about diamonds a few weeks back when we were in Paris for fashion week. And now we are here at our cover shoot with some incredible Boucheron jewellery. You are one who truly knows and loves your jewels. So we have to ask: Any do’s and dont’s when it comes to bringing on the bling?
Yes, I remember! Well, I always have my bling with me. I never check it in, not even in my hand briefcase. No, I must have it in my personal bag. What else? A collection at a time. That has a lot to do with the jewellery that I buy: I can wear them with anything. Whenever I attend fashion week, I just have one set of jewellery that I wear throughout no matter what I bring.
You’ve really become a fashion darling among other things, driving media impact value and being one of the top performing personalities in the Asia-Pacific. These days, what goes through your mind when you’re preparing for fashion week or a big event?
Honestly, the numbers drive me insane because I know I’m not going to hold onto them forever. That does put some pressure on me, so whenever I’m mentally preparing for a big event, I try not to think about that because I don’t want it to become my driving force. No matter what, if you give us a luggage full of random clothes, my team and I will be able to perform. More than anything, I love working on my Reels; I sketch my storyboards, I have my soundtrack, and I already know what the mood is for the season. That’s how I prepare.
With all your experience with fashion, what would you say fashion is to you?
For me, it’s really a sense of expression. I’ve thought about that so many times whenever people say fashion is materialistic. I mean, I do love brands — I love the quality and the longevity — but truly it’s the self-expression that keeps me happy and alive. It’s not just about being on trend, in style or if it’s expensive. No, it makes me feel alive! And in that sense, it’s my armour.
It’s been almost 28 years that you’ve been an artiste. You’ve almost done it all: acting, music, art and fashion. Describe where you are at in life now.
Something that’s been constantly on my mind is how success comes with time spent away from your regular life and loved ones. How do I balance what I have and doing what I love with spending time with the people who matter? Time passes too quickly — 28 years flew by in a blink! All of a sudden, I wake up and I’m 40. All of a sudden, my parents are old. You have all the success, all this beautiful stuff on you, but are you truly happy being away from your family? So that’s kind of where I’m at in my life right now.
With all the travelling and jobs that come your way, what are you doing to balance your professional and personal lives?
You have to learn to say “no”. And sometimes, that’s going to hurt. But opportunities will always come, especially if you work towards it. You can’t have it all, so you have to go back to what truly matters. At the same time, time is always running out, so you need to choose what you do with it wisely.
For a very long time, you’ve been one to support meaningful causes. What’s one that is closest to your heart now?
Right now, I’m the president of the Senate Spouses Foundation, Inc., and we handle different charities that are similar to those I used to work with. What I really want is to bring more awareness to thalassaemia patients. It’s a rare disorder that technically doesn’t kill you, but [the treatment] is so expensive. And in the Philippines, we don’t have any organisations or insurance to help with the upkeep. I’ve been supporting this cause since I was 21, so it’s particularly close to my heart. Hopefully, I can continue to do more for them.
You’re always flying and in different time zones. What is your secret to looking and feeling great while on the move?
Well it’s really about hydration. I drink lots of water, especially on the plane. I try to have good collagen face masks with me, especially when I turned 35 to 40. And major skincare as well as avoiding the sun, of course.
What’s next for Heart?
I used to have it obsessively planned out, but somewhere along the way I stopped giving a damn about what I’m going to do. It’s like when I stopped playing the roles on telenovelas and started to play myself, that’s when all this random fun stuff started to happen. That’s my tempo now. I’m all for living it up, having fun and balancing my life. Plans are not really a part of my game plan. But I’m definitely still manifesting, and I feel like my heart already knows what I truly want.
Editor-in-Chief IAN LEE
Photography STEFAN KHOO
Styling TOK WEI LUN
Hair MARK GIL SAYO
Makeup MAY FRANCISCO
Photography assistant CHONG NG
Styling assistants CRYSTAL LIM and MEGAN LIM
On-set interview YONG WEI JIAN
