THE HEART OF EVOLUTION artmageddon
What lies at the heart of waiting? That was what my poet-professor once asked. While waiting for Heart Evangelista to appear during an event, we got to thinking how this multihyphenated individual finds the time to do everything at such a posh pace. She is in the Netflix series Bling Empire one moment, and in another she is in Paris for Fashion Week being called the “perfect muse” by Victoria Beckham for wearing her VB couture. And, yeah, Heart paints. She could very well do that in her apartment in the City of Love with streets inundated with the presences of the art greats of yore, light from the Tower flicking through nearby windows.
“How does my art reflect my personal style? It has everything to do with it,” Heart tells me at this celebratory gig of a luxe watch brand. The wait finally pays off. “What I wear can be an inspiration as to what I will paint; and in turn my painting can inspire what I will wear.”
The influencer says colors can influence different moods. “Colors, occasions, events in your life do influence how you, in a way, rotate around your own world. They definitely influence my passions.” Heart embarked last year on a project with Incubus’ Brandon Boyd for Moonlight Arts Collective to create limitededition prints exhibited at Big Boy Cheng’s Secret Fresh. Her most recent project is here at the Philip Stein Wellness Cube Pop-Up showroom in Greenbelt.
As the brand celebrates its 20th anniversary, Philip Stein launches the “Signature Evolution” collection and announces that Heart Evangelista is its newest brand ambassador.
How synchronous is the partnership, we ask Heart.
“It’s perfect since I do lead different lives,” she says. “Philip Stein has two time zones. (Very apt since) you can say I live between two worlds — Paris and Manila-Sorsogon. (The watches) are casual, chic and very stylish.”
Another individual who follows his own muse — just like Heart — is Will Stein, the co-founder of Philip Stein alongside his wife, Rina. The man who steered the brand into what
it is today has admitted to having “worked all kinds of odd jobs” when he was young and visited the Philippines as a backpacker as part of a ‘Round-the-World-in-80-Days tour (a la Phineas Fogg-Robinsons Crusoe mash-up). For him, wellness is a passion, an adventure.
“We had the idea (of getting Heart as brand ambassador) for quite a while,” Will said. “She is an international fashion icon. She is loved by everyone. We couldn’t have chosen a better ambassador.”
Lucerne managing director Emerson Yao agrees. “Heart Evangelista is recognized by many luxury brands globally. We are proud to have her as our ambassador because of how she lives a healthy lifestyle, which is one of Philip Stein’s brand advocacies.”
A Philip Stein watch is “wellness that you can wear.” Its Natural Frequency Technology helps one “possess more energy, reduce stress, and enjoy more restful sleep.” These were the attributes that probably drew Heart toward the brand.
The evolution of Evolution is a story in itself.
Will was thinking about how the signature Philip Stein watch has been steadily selling — a series of fortunate events started by one Miss Oprah Winfrey — and that maybe the time has come to dream up a new horological incarnation.
Enter the Signature Evolution. These are singular and distinct timepieces inspired by — also just like Heart — “those who dare to improve themselves.” The collection is modern and timeless, with fewer curves and a thicker case.
As the specs go: the recognizable dual time zone dial is still present, as is the feature of interchangeable rubber straps, which now come in diverse fashion hues. The variations of the diamond pave case, the diamond bezel, and the diamond indexes — all fitted with the mother-of-pearl dial — are just some of the features that make the watch truly a head-turner. Even the case of the watch can be turned into bold statements of preference and individuality — from rose gold, to steel, and black PVD.
“We told ourselves maybe we can do something inspired by the signature watch, but it needs to have more of a modern and sleek touch — that’s how we came up with the Evolution,” he explains. “It’s important for us to maintain the Philip Stein DNA but with a more modern touch and sustainability. So far, from what we are seeing, they’re selling really well. You’re lucky if you have one homerun in your lifetime. Let’s see if we get a second one.”
And pursuing one’s passions, as Will Stein will tell you, is easy if the Heart is in it.
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Philip Stein is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Lucerne. For information, visit https://philipstein.com.ph. Philip Stein watches are available at Ayala Center 6750, Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, Century Mall, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Pampanga, SM Clark TS, SM Cabanatuan, SM Seaside Cebu, Solaire, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Magnolia, Ayala Vertis North, Ayala Center Cebu, Abreeza Davao and Centrio CDO. Visit Philip Stein e-stores at https://shop.lucerneluxe.com/collections/ philip-stein