THE FASHION ISSUE
FASHION'S LEADING LADIES & INFLUENCERS: KIM JONES, HEART EVANGELISTA ESCUDERO & LIZ UY
The term ‘influencer’ has been tossed around on and off the web for quite some time now. Many internet personalities with a growing following develop an affinity with this buzzword, tacking it onto their social media accounts and mixing it in with the rest of their biography in the ‘About Me’ tabs of their websites. The online Cambridge Dictionary defines an influencer as someone who affects or changes the way people behave. This annoints the term a little more gravitas than we normally associate it with, given how casually it is bandied about. Heart Evangelista-Escudero, Kim Jones, and Liz Uy, who have been on the radar well before the advent of social media, are influencers in every sense of the word, especially in the fashion sphere. We flock to their Instagram accounts, eager to know who they are wearing, where they are travelling to, and what their next projects might be. Yet these women are more than what they wear; they are representative of years of hard work, a drive to put one’s self out there, and a vision that continues to resonate with a wide audience.
Miss Jones
In search of a space she could call her own, Kim Jones joined the blogosphere anonymously. Back then, it was more of a personal project than anything else; she would upload a collection of virtual keepsakes such as photographs, artworks, music, and poems to her website, which became a sort of home for anything and everything that left a lasting impression on her. It was only in January of 2011 that she decided to put a name and face to her blog. Her growing follower count was a pleasant surprise, but it was—and still is—more vital to Jones that her message of connecting to readers through and beyond fashion would come across.
“There is always a story to tell, and photography and styling to go with it,” she says of her work. “Though travel and fashion are common threads in my posts, I don’t really churn out content that is simply about a specific trip or an outfit of the day; rather, I see them as conduits to help create compelling, substantial content I feel readers might enjoy.”
Jones has always been creative. When she was younger, she would change up her clothes in small ways—a shorter hem here, a new button there—to make them more unique. Her learning tools were films and books, most of which helped shape how she saw the world. “Books like Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee had a real impact on my view of women,” she shares. “As a young girl back then, the characters in these stories were very inspiring.”
While working as a bank teller back home in Australia, Jones found herself at a bit of an impasse. A short visit to the Philippines made her fall in love with the country, cementing her decision to quit her job, leave behind her possessions, and purchase a one-way ticket to what would become her new home.
The change was jarring, but Jones is nothing but resilient. She says, “I like to believe that we are all in a constant state of transition, always evolving and not necessarily living by a set of rules. This extends to my style, which is a by-product of who I am at a particular point in time. If I’m going through something, it definitely affects the way I dress.”
At present, she is working on launching an e-commerce business that is designed to revolve around collaborations. Jones will be teaming up with up-and-coming designers in a move to help educate Filipinos on sustainability and ethical fashion. This is, no doubt, right up her alley; she has been quite vocal on the subject over at her blog, doing her part to add value to what she describes as “an already saturated platform.” She adds, “There are so many of us on social media now, and it has become very cacophonous. If your end goal as an influencer is to garner a large following, I would advise taking a step back and reflect if what you have to offer will connect with and resonate with people. Learn how to have good conversations with others regardless of your differences. Make sure your voice is unique and substantial. Above all, be geared towards becoming a positive influence.”
All Heart
She entered the showbiz industry at the age of 14, endearing local audiences with her portrayal of the chic, ultr a-feminine Missy Sandejas in ABS- CBN’s teen-oriented series
G-mik. Though Love Marie OngpaucoEscudero (or Heart Evangelista-Escudero, as she is most known by) was already a fashionista as a little girl—she wryly recalls falling down the stairs while parading around in a pair of her mum’s high heels, paying for her trouble with seven stitches along her right eye—she believes that playing Missy was the ticket to discovering the earliest form of her style identity.
“Style is an innate, powerful force; fashion is a way of expressing that. How we dress and carry ourselves can make a world of a difference as to how we are perceived ” — Heart Evangelista- Escudero
“What I enjoy most about what I do is getting to share my vision and my happiness with others. If a celebrity, for example, feels good in something I put them in, then they can channel this positivity to their audience” — Liz Uy
“I was always preferrential to the classics, but I was highly experimental when it came to my fashion choices,” Evangelista-Escudero shares. “I was surprised when I found out that people were taking notice of what I was wearing because I felt that I was all over the place back then. And at the time, the local fashion scene was still a bit on the conservative side. We weren’t really expected to dress up unless it was for a show, event, or magazine feature.”
At a time when the internet was not what it is today and online searches would yield very limited results, magazines were Evangelista-Escudero’s primary guide to the fashion world. Her mum and her sisters collected various titles, and she would browse through them to keep herself in the know. Relationships with designers would come later; her debutante gown was designed by Inno Sotto, whose work and friendship she continues to enjoy today.
The actress-entrepreneur was able to explore another facet of her stylish side when she was invited by good friend Mark Bumgarner to paint on his gowns for a fashion show back in 2016. Her artistic talent was no great secret; she’d dazzled art enthusiasts in Manila and Singapore through successful exhibitions at the Ayala Museum and Chan Hampe Galleries. Friends would even flock to her to have their Hermès Birkin bags painted (“It can be a difficult canvass. When the image in my head is so complex, I have to work on scaling it down because the bag accords me only a limited space.”) despite the long wait. A long-time audience member at fashionable gatherings, Evangelista-Escudero found herself exhilarated and nervous to be on the other side of the equation. “The opportunity to team up with Mark came at a time when I was preparing to show a different side of me—the artist—to the world,” she says. “Art and fashion are two of the things I love the most, and it felt absolutely gratifying to get a chance to bring them together.”
She is currently working on a home line and a clutch line, the latter of which she hopes to release later in the year. Both collections will be under the Love Marie brand, a move she describes as only natural, for EvangelistaEscudero feels she finally understands who she is now. “Many people continue to dismiss wanting to wear and make beautiful things as mere vanities, but that is not true at all for me,” she reflects. “Style is an innate, powerful force; fashion is a way of expressing that. How we dress and carry ourselves can make a world of a difference as to how we are perceived. And in this day and age, it has become much easier to put ourselves out there because we have all these social media outlets. The key is to stick to your guns and be your most authentic self—there will always be someone out there who will find you relatable.”
The Liz Biz
It was at the height of the Sex and the City hype that Liz Uy began to take an interest in fashion, mixing and matching her varying wardrobe staples to create edgy new looks. Then a Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management student at the De La Salle-
College of Saint Benilde, she was often told that she was a good fit for a fashion design course. Her experiments were a celebration of hits and misses; Uy looks back on what she describes as “flops” with amusement rather than regret, as she is all about the learning process.
“Despite having already developed my style identity, there is still a need to capitalise on what’s in at the moment because trends are what the industry revolves around,” Uy says. “That’s where the challenge is for fashion editors because we have to seek unique ways to incorporate the trends—and there are hundreds of ways to do so—into our personal style. We have to make sure we are not plateauing.”
This stylist to the stars has dressed many A-listers. But long before that, Uy was at the bottom rung of the fashion ladder as an editorial assistant for Preview. She would do all the grunt work: steaming clothes, pulling out and returning borrowed items, and taking charge of ordering meals at shoots. And though she now has a bevy of welltrained staff to handle all such tasks, she doesn’t mind the unglamorous aspects of the job, always happy to tape down the sole of a shoe if there is a need.
“What I enjoy most about what I do is getting to share my vision and my happiness with others. If a celebrity, for example, feels good in something I put them in, then they can channel this positivity to their audience. Of course, there are times when a client and I do not see eye-to-eye; I respect that because they have their own style and know what they want. In those cases, I’ll just come in as an editor that makes sure they look perfect before they go out into the world,” Uy enthuses.
Last year, word broke out that Uy was added to the roster of creatives represented by New York-based talent agency The Society Management—the very first Filipino to make it. Always humble, she remains every bit grateful, saying, “As someone who used to do things by herself, it’s always great to have some form of help. Being part of this team also keeps me inspired because I get to collaborate with other creatives. Though I am in a good place in my life, I am still able to learn so much.”
For the emerging influencers of today, it’s a bit of a different ballgame. Everything is laid out and easily accessed at the click of a mouse button, and there are more and more avenues we can utilise to better educate ourselves on varying matters. “Though there are pros and cons, everybody can now become someone because of a well-curated, visually strong Instagram account,” she adds. “More and more content creators are hopping on the bandwagon and turning it into a business, which is fantastic because it has become so much easier for newcomers to have their dreams within reach. In my time, we didn’t have access to such opportunities, but I am proud of where I came from because we know the value of passion and hard work. Also—and I feel this is the biggest lesson—I hope that newcomers understand how important it is to be kind to others as well.”
The fashion world remains in a state of flux—print gives way to digital, top editors are joined by emerging bloggers, trends come and go, and markets shift to accommodate new demands. Influencers, who are well-equipped to help dictate the ins and outs of the industry, find themselves in cushy front row seats just a hair’s breadth from the runway. These may be the best seats in the house, but there is quite a bit of pressure, for with great power comes great responsibility. Yet these women—armed with knowledge, confidence, and an impeccable sense of style—are more than capable of leading the pack. And so, we follow.
‘ Learn how to have good conversations with others regardless of your differences. Make sure your voice is unique and substantial. Above all, be geared towards becoming a positive influence” — Kim Jones