Alden Richards was met with an enthusiastic reception as he walked the runway at Body of Work: The Bench Show, held at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City, on 21 March 2025.
However, unbeknownst to many, he was extremely nervous that night.
"Malala po kasi first fashion show ko po 'yon," he said to the press during his partnership with VIVA Entertainment.
"After eight years, ako po 'yung ginawang opening. First, thankful po ako kay Sir Ben Chan and the team for the opportunity. But nakaka-pressure po siya kasi everyone was expecting so much of me because I’m gonna be opening the show."
Alden also shared the significance and meaning behind his outfit at Body of Work, which had a special connection to his namesake, Richard Gomez — Alden’s real name is Richard Faulkerson.
"Actually, the night before ko pa lang nalaman kung ano po 'yung segment ko and kung ano 'yung tribute, kung anong essence ng damit ko," he revealed.
"So that’s a [1989]… the first-ever campaign of Bench, for Kuya Richard Gomez. So, 'yun ang suot niya habang nagsasagwan. So, nakadagdag pa po sa pressure, talaga naman."
"Kaya sabi ko talaga, pag-uwi ko sa bahay, sinilip ko 'yung katawan ko, ‘Ano, kaya mo ba? Sige, laban na 'yan, hubarin mo na 'yan bukas!'"
Alden was referring to Bench’s very first TV commercial in 1989, which featured Richard Gomez wearing a white tank top while rowing a boat.
The audience's reaction to Alden’s runway appearance was overwhelming, and he also experienced a rush of emotions during the moment.
"Grabe rin po 'yung excitement ko kasi for some reason, paggising ko sa umaga, ang lakas ng kabog ng dibdib ko. Tapos very excited akong pumunta sa venue to rehearse.
"Sabi ko, 'Let’s go. This is my first fashion show. Let’s go!’ Nag-gym pa ako. Sabi ko, 'Coach, kita tayo mamaya doon ha?'
"Tapos nagpagupit ako so medyo palung-palo po talaga ako noong araw na 'yon. But the experience was surreal. I think I would consider it one of the highlights of my year, and I’m just so happy I did it.”