Heart Evangelista admits ‘pressure’ in being tagged as ‘Global Fashion Icon’

Heart Evangelista. Image: Instagram/@iamhearte

Heart Evangelista said being touted as a “Global Fashion Icon” is a tough act even for herself, admitting that she feels “very pressured” to live up to the title.

At a press conference for her new show on GMA, “Heart World,” Evangelista said that while she is flattered for the branding, her real purpose was simply to express her love for fashion.

“I’m very flattered, but I’m very pressured. The reason why I joined Fashion Week was because I was pressured about ratings. To put a number or ranking makes it a little bit bittersweet for me,” she said.

‘Bida’ mindset

Evangelista was also asked about how she views being the “bida” (protagonist) of a show in order to maintain their status to the public. She said that being well-known for her craft means there’s a “time frame” to prove one’s worth.

“Because you know how [some actors would] always be like the best friend, you’re always gonna be in every movie,” she said. “But if you’re the bida, sometimes there’s a time frame. I don’t want to have a time frame. I just wanna be here. I try not to think about the numbers. I just want to keep going and enjoying.”

Evangelista was recently named the top influencer at the Spring/Summer 2025 Paris Fashion Week, garnering $10.6 million in media impact value (MIV). She also took the 13th rank at the Spring/Summer 2025 for Milan Fashion Week.

But when it comes to working with different brands, she pointed out that her goal is to make luxury clothes look relatable to normal people.

“It’s really more of translating what you see on the runway. The goal is to not be on the runway — it’s about translating that look into real life, and how a normal person would wear it,” she said.

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Fashion Week is a job

Despite the glamor of Fashion Week, Evangelista reiterated that it’s “still a job.” She has learned to balance her busy schedule with her responsibilities as the president of the Senate Spouses Foundation, Inc.

“I think people forget that at the end of the day, it’s still a job. It’s very me, but it’s a job,” she explained. “It’s a balance of how I do things in terms of living it and working for it… The only thing that I feel that I love about fashion is that it is the liberation of being you. You have the ratings and all that but you just have to celebrate yourself and that’s it.”

The fashion influencer also stressed her status in Fashion Week took time and effort.

“I’m doing it because I love it so hindi talaga siya shortcut. Hindi siya pwedeng dahil gusto mo siya, gagawin mo yung whatever to get there… It will come but it comes with time, effort, and just being happy about it, not trying to get ahead. Dapat happy lang,” she said.

Evangelista earlier made headlines after clarifying that she has nothing against Miss Universe 2015 and fellow fashion personality Pia Wurtzbach in the same media con.

“Heart World,” which will premiere on October 26, will revolve around the Kapuso star’s behind-the-scenes moments including her Fashion Week pursuits and her private life.