Heart Evangelista enters the ‘soft power era’

At 40, Heart Evangelista has entered what she calls her soft power era — a stage in life where she no longer needs to speak loudly to be heard. For the global fashion icon, this chapter is about peace, purpose and an unshakable sense of self.

Finding poise after the ‘war path’

In an interview with Boy Abunda during a GCash event, Heart reflected on the shift she’s experienced in her 40s. “It comes with that innate poise that really comes with experiences,” she said. “I did a lot of healing… and I’m glad I made it to 40, literally. I really went through a war path.”

She admitted that in her younger years, she often gave too much of herself away just to be liked. “I allowed them to chop me up and sell pieces of me just to make people happy,” she recalled. Now, her priorities have changed: “I’m not going to waste my energy. I have channeled it towards building my future, towards being productive.”

For Heart, mutual respect is the currency she values most — an understanding between her and those who truly see the woman she is today.

Style icon stands her ground

Heart’s presence remains as striking as ever. She recently turned heads at the GMA Gala 2025 in a Schiaparelli Fall 2023 couture gown, hand-painted from neck to hem. In July, she was also among the fashion standouts at President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address.

Yet beneath the glamour is a woman who has learned to navigate fame on her own terms — including setting boundaries in the face of rumors.

Moving past the noise

Heart once again addressed the supposed feud with Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey, which began circulating after Heart’s former glam team started working with Pia. “I never had a problem with Pia,” she said, noting that she had cheered for her in the past. “It was the people around her making things problematic.”

The topic resurfaced during the recording of GCash Spotlight, where Heart pointed out that both she and Pia regularly receive invitations to high-profile fashion weeks. She admitted she has endured difficult experiences with certain individuals in the past, but chooses to maintain professionalism: “I work hard for what I have… All is fair in love and war, I get that. But there are some things where I feel, ‘Okay naman tayo, wala namang ganun.’”

Heart now sees even painful chapters as necessary steps forward. “Sometimes you have to get your heart ripped out because things need to permanently change. You have to get to the next chapter of your life.”

Privacy over public spectacle

While she has moved on from the alleged rift, Heart made it clear she would prefer less public scrutiny over such matters. “I feel like it would be nice in any setting… if there weren’t any cameras to capture every moment. I think I’d appreciate that even more.”

From her fashion dominance to her personal reinventions, Heart Evangelista’s soft power era is less about the noise around her and more about the quiet strength within. After years of giving too much of herself away, she’s finally keeping her energy — and her voice — exactly where they matter most.