The Next

"Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me..."

Mon, 28 May 2012 05:17:27 -0400

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.”

- - Mahatma Gandhi

Love how my mom emails me from #phfashionweek (Taken with...

Sun, 27 May 2012 22:25:45 -0400

Love how my mom emails me from #phfashionweek (Taken with instagram)

To allow the Universe to move you in your life to happier and better things, you are going to need...

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:11:03 -0400

To allow the Universe to move you in your life to happier and better things, you are going to need to look around you and appreciate the good things here and now. Seek the beautiful things and count the blessings of where you are. Dissatisfaction will not bring the happier and the better into your life. Dissatisfaction roots you to the spot where you currently are, but appreciation for what you have attracts the happier and better to you.

Remember that you are a magnet! Appreciation attracts appreciation!

-Rhonda Byrne

Night visions

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:13:42 -0400

Night visions

Just a friendly reminder on my blog. To you, and maybe truthfully more to myself. Don’t lose...

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:11:00 -0400

Just a friendly reminder on my blog. To you, and maybe truthfully more to myself.

Don’t lose yourself in what the world wants you to be. Be who YOU want to be. It’s a test to communicate that honestly every day. It’s sometimes easy to change your shape according to other people’s mold. Say no if you don’t like it. Say yes if you do want it. But please dear, be responsible for it. Because if you’re unhappy at the end, it’s no one’s fault but your own.

- V

Earthly delights party by Status Magazine!!

Tue, 22 May 2012 04:36:42 -0400

Earthly delights party by Status Magazine!!

Style Weekend

Mon, 21 May 2012 04:34:00 -0400

For anyone who missed this story on @styleweekend, read the full story here :)

The Fantastic Four

Seemingly imbued with superpowers (gorgeous counts as a power, right?), the Herrera sisters are conquering the fashion industry, one stylish step at a time. Style Weekend gathers Teresa, Tina, Rosario, and Victoria and chats with them on their sisterly bond, simple pleasures, and secrets to success.

by Pierra Calasanz-Labrador

When I think of the Herrera sisters, I wonder if there was something in the water in their household. All four siblings (five, actually, including their only brother Jon) are formidable forces in the fashion industry—not to mention, gorgeous, amazingly talented, driven, witty, and downright nice, to boot. What are the chances? Must be a combination of their hardy Filipino roots, growing up in California sunshine (cultivating a confident, bold spirit that may at times be misconstrued), jackpot genes, and a mother’s nurturing hand. Victoria, the youngest, shares, “Mom raised us all, especially when my dad passed away 11 years ago. She’s been a huge inspiration for strength, resilience, perseverance, and faith in our lives.” Tina chimes in, “Mom advises [us] on everything: bouncing back from life’s adversities, business, personal finance, making money, and men.”

If you work in fashion or are a style enthusiast, you’ve probably come across at least one Herrera. But it’s when you encounter the fab four together—usually during the twice-a-year madness known as Philippine Fashion Week (which starts next week, on May 22), when their different fashion careers volt in—that you fully appreciate the Herrera girl power. Constantly evolving in their respective crafts, they’re difficult to pigeonhole, but in a nutshell, from the eldest to the youngest:

There’s model/host/actress/yogini and good-vibes guru Teresa; former CalCarrie’s booker-turned-TV producer, StyleMedia Asia CEO, and Philippine Fashion Week’s visionary Tina; fashion stylist, entrepreneur/boutique owner, and Status magazine editor in chief Rosario; and writer/book author, host, model, Dollhouse doll, and culture vulture Victoria. Though it sounds like a monumental catfight waiting to happen, sorry to disappoint—all four sisters share a close bond, thrive in their creative, supportive atmosphere, and have so much fun, it makes you want to join the Herrera sorority.

Teresa

The Free Spirit

Arguably the most recognizable Herrera, Teresa is a “bicontinental” model/host/artist who shuttles between Manila and Los Angeles, her home base since the age of seven. Though she originally harbored ballerina dreams, Teresa shares that from childhood she was already drawn to anything creative, “from performing to visual arts.” (She actually has extensive training in theater and film.) In fact, Teresa’s interest in modeling was quite evident as a teen—with sister Rosario in tow doing the styling, they would take off on weekends to do their own mini photo shoots around Long Beach, California, where they grew up.

After Teresa graduated from high school, she moved back to the Philippines, where she was promptly discovered by fashion-show director Joey Espino during the Elite Model Look contest in 1995. “I didn’t win, but I became really busy working after that,” she shares. Pretty soon, her face was gracing countless magazine covers, editorials, and commercials, beginning with her breakthrough Shell ad. “That was my launching pad!”

Currently, Teresa is busy as co-producer and host of Runway Television Asia airing on Lifestyle Network. The show gives viewers an in-depth look on designers and brands as they present their seasonal collections on the international runways of New York, London, Milan, Paris, and Berlin. Whether posing for the camera, hosting onstage (her TV-hosting debut was Project Runway Philippines), or interviewing fashion heavyweights, Teresa always looks cool as a cucumber. You’d never guess she gets stage fright, but she protests, “I get butterflies in my stomach all the time! Just goes to show I’m human.”

Though she juggles multiple passions and a peripatetic lifestyle that could cause most people to burn out, Teresa continues to emanate a bright, gorgeous aura. “I believe in beauty from the inside out. If you nurture your inner self, it will show on the outer self,” attests Teresa. She’s always been drawn to spiritual disciplines, but it was only when she “needed an exercise I could take with me” that she fell in love with yoga after attending a class in LA back in 1998. She’s now a certified yoga teacher, who teaches prana vinyasa flow, and even pioneered yoga trance dance in the Philippines (no, it’s not practicing yoga to trance music—it’s about tuning into your own personal rhythm for a liberating experience). The poster girl for the good-vibes lifestyle, Teresa is leading a yoga and scuba diving retreat this coming August (“It’s going to be an epic trip!”). She says, “I just feel my best when I’m taking care of myself: eating healthy, doing yoga, being outdoors. I believe that in order to live the full life I have imagined for myself, I have to take care of it.”

A beach girl at heart, Teresa’s favorite getaways are Boracay, Palawan, and the Maldives. When she’s not befriending fish at some exotic locale, she enjoys hosting dinners with good friends. “I love to cook!” She also spends quality time with her siblings, who always remind her to “keep it real.” But her ultimate inspiration is her mom Corito Paredes, who encourages her to pursue her creative endeavors, yet keeps her grounded. Thus, the secret to Teresa’s easy-breezy beauty lies in Mom’s words: “Be real. Be natural. Let people see the real you!”

Follow Teresa on Twitter @TeresaHerrera27

Tina

The Visionary

Though she usually works behind the scenes, everybody in the fashion biz knows Tina. This perfectionist keeps everyone on their toes, but, come downtime, is a warm, fun-loving, “kickback” kind of gal who is most comfortable in her jeans, tees, and signature boots.

Often mistaken as the eldest Herrera, Tina exudes a quiet authority, and simply makes things happen. A major force behind Philippine Fashion Week, she never imagined she would join the fashion industry at all. “When I graduated from high school in Long Beach, I moved to the Philippines. Teresa was already modeling and told me all about the wonderful teams she met in [CalCarrie’s modeling agencies in] Singapore and Hong Kong.” When some of them came to set up a Philippine office, Tina met them. “They had just finished interviewing [potential bookers],” she remembers,” and they jokingly asked if I wanted to be a booker. The rest is history!”

Tina’s “great character-building experience” began in 1996 with intense training under CalCarrie’s Philippines’ Audie and Joey Espino. “Audie taught me systems, contracts, and negotiation. Joey taught me imaging, packaging, market value, and to believe in myself.” She also trained rigorously in Hong Kong and Singapore for months. “I was quite starstruck at CalCarrie’s Hong Kong because I couldn’t believe I was working with a company that was representing big names like Russell Wong and Maggie Q!” Tina learned how to deal with clients and all types of models, and most importantly, how to plan models’ careers. “I realized that bookers had the power to make or break their models’ careers. I also realized my love for selling, image building, and marketing.”

By 2002, Tina transferred to CalCarrie’s sister company Runway Productions to establish the TV division, while helping produce Philippine Fashion Week, which was established in 1997. “I started off as a production coordinator, then they let me sell… I did mention my love for selling, right?” she asks, laughing. “I loved the hustle, the marketing, and the selling.”

Today, Tina is an executive producer and partner in the television division, producing and distributing Philippine Fashion Week TV and Supermodel TV globally. “And with the blessing and support of my mentors, and with the never ending encouragement of my mom, I opened StyleMedia Asia, which produces Runway Television Asia.”

Now going on her 17th year in the industry, Tina remains staunchly loyal to her mentors, the Espino brothers, “because of the wealth of opportunities and knowledge they shared with me unselfishly. We are family.” Her career highs include: seeing the success of Philippine Fashion Week, the biggest celebration of local fashion talent, now with more than 80 designers featured each season and an average of 50-60 shows a year (“It’s the biggest Fashion Week in Southeast Asia, gathering around 100,000 attendees throughout the week,” says Tina); producing TV shows and airing them locally, regionally, and globally; and witnessing the international success of CalCarrie’s Philippines’ models, like Danica Magpantay.

What’s next for Tina? “We just finished shooting our third season of Runway Television Asia. We’re in the midst of producing two new shows—Runway TV Men and Runway TV Couture. All will be aired on TFC Global this coming season. I’d also like to do another TV project with my sisters and produce more fashion and lifestyle content, from fashion documentaries to lifestyle shows, and eventually… movies,”smiles Tina. Watch for it!

Follow Tina on Twitter @tinaherrera_ and like her Facebook page for RunwayTVAsia

Rosario

The Arbiter of Cool

Hip, business-savvy, and with a great eye for aesthetics, Rosario has a knack for knowing what’s current and what’s cool—and she keeps us in the know via Status, the edgy urban-lifestyle magazine of which she is editor in chief. “I grew up around a lot of fashion magazines; that helped me tap into my creative side. I would spend hours poring over my mom’s magazines and wished that I could create beautiful images like the ones [I saw]. It wasn’t until I got my first styling job that I got addicted to [styling].”

Rosario’s fashion journey started off as a booker at CalCarrie’s, where she also got to style models for shoots. A year later, she went back to LA for school and landed an internship at InStyle magazine. “There I had a better understanding of how a magazine operated,” she says.

After her InStyle stint, Rosario returned to the Philippines. She began knocking on magazines’ doors, officially kicking off her local fashion career. “Another important mark in my styling career was the first time I went to New York Fashion Week. I saw how editors talked about collections’ fabrics, colors, and inspirations. I also learned that fashion was a business and that people in the industry took it very seriously.”

After a couple of years of styling, her entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and she set up StyleLab, her own creative agency. Then she ventured into hip fashion boutiques Trilogy and Greyone Social with younger brother Jon, himself an entrepreneur, marketing specialist, and DJ. (Trilogy’s ownership has since been turned over to Jon, while Rosario oversees Greyone Social.) Rosario also founded Status, where she calls the shots on both the business and creative fronts as publisher and editor in chief. “With Status, I wanted to connect our lifestyle with fashion, music, and art in one magazine. And with both businesses, I wanted to create a dynamic company that would have a positive effect on our customers and readers, as well as on my team,” she shares.” Because I’m immersed in fashion and fascinated with business, it was easy for me to connect both fields.”

In an industry where indie magazines tend to have a short life span, Status is defying the odds and recently celebrated its fourth anniversary. Looking back, Rosario says, “One of the most satisfying moments I had was when we got [Blink 182’s drummer] Travis Barker for the cover and French artist So Me to illustrate it [for the Art Issue]. The cover was so beautiful that I teared up! I also felt a sense of accomplishment when we had our first photo exhibit with British photographer Perou.”

When she’s not conceptualizing fashion shoots, collaborating with fresh talent, interviewing international superstars, or planning business strategies, Rosario loves traveling, discovering new restaurants, and watching basketball. And, of course, chilling with her siblings, whom she can talk to about anything, from boys to business. “They listen, understand, and guide you in the right direction—that’s important,” she adds. Driven, intense, and impervious to intrigue (“Gossip doesn’t interest me”), Rosario’s soft spot is her mom. “She’s a beacon of strength, not only for me, but for all her children. Her guidance and experience has been invaluable in building my businesses. Whatever compliment people give me, they should just give my mom—I am who I am because of her.”

Follow Rosario on Twitter @RosarioHerrera and read

her blog fashioneur.tumblr.com

Victoria

The Doll

Victoria—or Vicky, as friends and fans call her—is a writer and model who views the world with wonder and wears her heart on her sleeve. The youngest Herrera, Vicky was bitten by the fashion bug early in life. “[At] eight years old, I was watching Teresa model. I found the industry very inspiring. Growing up, I appreciated the fact that my sisters were very grounded and business-minded when they approached fashion. It wasn’t just about the clothes or makeup, but also about the creative spirit.”

Imbibing that creative spirit, Vicky perpetually brims with enthusiasm when speaking about her passions in fashion, art, and media. “I like to write about inspiring people and things, and create beautiful images whether it be through my modeling work, art directing shoots, my blog (victoriaherrera.com), or taking photos. I love to express what I think in a very positive way.”

Entering the fashion industry as a Herrera has proven both boon and bane to Vicky. Networking came easily, but so did the comparisons to her siblings. She was still in high school when she began contributing articles to teen magazine Meg, eventually gracing its cover at age 18. With her milkywhite skin, soulful eyes, and pouty lips that can turn from angelic to vixen, she was soon getting booked for beauty editorials. She also worked with Rosario and Jon at Trilogy, and enjoyed a brief stint as features editor at Status. She even ventured into hosting. Inevitably, Vicky sought to carve her own path, though, she clarifies, “not to resist comparison but to grow as a person. We [sisters] are all different, but complement each other greatly.”

She began to feel like she had “something of my own” when she started The Dollhouse, her column with Sarah Meier-Albano in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and morning radio show of the same name. When the show eventually went off air, Vicky boldly approached Fully Booked with the idea of compiling the transcripts of interviews with some of their more memorable guests. These “unscripted conversations” gained a new lease on life via Unscripted, the fresh, hip, highly conceptual book by Sarah and Vicky launched late last year.

Still on her journey to self-discovery, Vicky currently shuttles between Manila and Singapore, and hopes to travel the world more. Like a sponge, she soaks up inspiration from everywhere, feels “electrified with life,” and is eager to manifest (a favorite word) and share her blessings. “Right now, I am passionate about education. My friend Lynn, who works with Mano Amiga Academy (manoamigapilipinas.blogspot.com), is doing great things to bring education to underprivileged kids in the Philippines. I do whatever I can to help her out.”

Radiating positivity, you’d never guess that Vicky has had her brushes with industry intrigue. How does she deal with it? “I pray. You can’t control other people’s behavior or intentions. Jealousy, competition, and ridiculous drama will appear at any time. And if you zoom out, you see how small these things are compared to how great life can be.” With a maturity that belies her youth, she says, “I try to focus on the beauty I want to create, on the difference I want to make. I also have a great set of friends that I can turn to, [who are] doing great things with their lives and aren’t after fame.”

And, of course, she has her sisters. “From them I learned thatanything is possible. Just work hard, have fun, and never stop trying.”

Follow Victoria on Twitter @_Victoria_H

Photographed by Roy Macam, assisted by Byron Chua, Danica Condez, Ian Pan Styling by Alyanna Martinez, assisted by Ria Cajanding, Vicky Magno, Anton Miranda Makeup by Cathy Cantada-Dizon for Shu Uemura and Joyce de Dios-Ignacio Hair by Rick Diokno of Kiehl’s Stylist Series

Book Review: Unscripted via The 5 to 9 Life

Mon, 21 May 2012 04:32:29 -0400

Book Review: Unscripted via The 5 to 9 Life:

unscriptedconversations:

“Both Meier and Herrera didn’t hold back on the personal and probing questions either, which is a rare find in the world of journalism today. A refreshing read that had me wanting to find out more about some of the creative people interviewed within this book.”- Chau Tran, The 5 to 9 Life

Click the link to read the whole story.

Make More Money the Miracle Minded Way

Sat, 19 May 2012 22:58:00 -0400

Make More Money the Miracle Minded Way:

This was a really good article to read. I feel like it reinforced my beliefs that you can do work you love. Hope this helps whoever clicks the link.

xx, V

The next Rihanna? Rita Ora Jay-Z just signed her. Interesting to...

Fri, 18 May 2012 22:54:22 -0400

The next Rihanna?

Rita Ora

Jay-Z just signed her.

Interesting to watch her.

Thanks Nimbus9 for the tip.

Photo

Fri, 18 May 2012 20:15:04 -0400

I wanted to wake up a bit earlier today and really soak in the...

Fri, 18 May 2012 20:11:52 -0400

I wanted to wake up a bit earlier today and really soak in the day.

Pink

Fri, 18 May 2012 20:11:22 -0400

Pink

Audi Fashion Fest

Fri, 18 May 2012 20:11:08 -0400

Audi Fashion Fest

Puppy love. Here’s a shot of us with Alyanna’s...

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:02:53 -0400

Puppy love. Here’s a shot of us with Alyanna’s adorable poodles. #styleweekend (Taken with instagram)

Because these are the women I’m proud to be beside: my...

Thu, 17 May 2012 20:24:59 -0400

Because these are the women I’m proud to be beside: my sisters Teresa, Tina and Rosario. All huge forces in fashion and in my life. Read the full story in today’s Style Weekend :) (Taken with instagram)

One of my favorite places to have dinner. Xx

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:49:32 -0400

One of my favorite places to have dinner. Xx

Amazing excerpt from my uncle’s upcoming book

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:45:55 -0400

Amazing excerpt from my uncle’s upcoming book

She’s so awesome Marilyn Monroe

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:38:05 -0400

She’s so awesome

Marilyn Monroe

Philippine Fashion Week Schedule

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:25:00 -0400

Philippine Fashion Week Schedule