Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but repetition makes it a classic. The scripted return of Heart Evangelista in Paris

Fans of Heart Evangelista must have rejoiced exultantly this past month. After giving Paris Fashion Week last October a miss, the Filipina celebrity/influencer was back in the French capital to give fashion the necessary appreciation and Harper’s Bazaar SG an audience boost. The magazine shared just a few hours ago a video of the twosome’s tête-à-tête in a limousine as they cruised the streets of Paris. Ms Evangelista was in ‘This or That’, a recurring digital carousel hosted by the magazine’s editor-in-chief Kenneth Goh that’s available on the title’s YouTube page. Neither wasted any time to go to the beautiful heart of the hackneyed. Or, show a touching portrait of a friendship defined by its sturdy, bilateral utility. Ms Evangelista is a Bazaar regular; she has even guest-edited an issue—July 2025, titled “Championing Asia”. The first-ever guest-editing stint (or stunt) was accompanied by a series of high-profile events in Manila where Mr Goh and local celebrities celebrated her guest-editorship, effectively blurring the lines between a magazine launch and a state appointment.

As the limousine glided past the Haussmann façades without a purr, the chat remained joyfully frictionless. Mr Goh initiated by asking her to choose between a Dior look and one from Bottega Veneta. She immediately chose Dior. No surprise there. When asked why, she said, “They really gave it, like, a new; like a new refreshment (sic) spin on the whole bar jacket. They had like different texture…” and added “knitted” after Mr Goh prompted her. She continued: “They put the nice ruffles underneath.” Totally influencer material. Ms Evangelista’s entire career has been built on influencer speak—language that doesn’t have to mean anything, as long as it sounds like it does. “Refreshment spin” is a perfect example: it’s vague, lifestyle‑adjacent, and gives the illusion of insight, even when she could be referring to sago’t gulaman (a Filipino street drink of brown sugar and sago). Or “nice ruffles”, a parsley on Jolly Spaghetti. That’s the influencer’s mode: perform taste, not analyse it. In many ways, it reflects her TV series Heartworld (now in its second season). It’s not to challenge anything, but to keep the mood buoyant. And “nice” is the safest, emptiest way to do it.

Ms Evangelista’s entire career has been built on influencer speak—language that doesn’t have to mean anything, as long as it sounds like it does

Ms Evangelista professed to not only “love” Dior, but also Fendi (whose newly-installed Maria Grazia Chiuri received her praise) and Schiaparelli (“The surrealism of Schiaparilli is insane,” she informed the viewer). Yet, in Paris, in the car, she wore an old dress from Danish brand Rotate Birger Christensen (commonly known as Rotate). It is a contemporary label—accessible, fun, and firmly mid-market. The off-white number, with exaggerated puff-sleeves and a row of fabric buttons on the front seam of the yoke, was first seen on her in 2020. For a nice woman who reportedly secured the fifth spot among the Top Key Voices in Paris, generating a staggering US$11.2 million in EMV (Earned Media Value) with a 2.3% engagement rate, the dress from a “party-girl” brand is a fascinating choice. It’s not archive; it’s not of the season. There is a stark contrast between her media impact value and the actual pith of her nice insights. Name‑dropping heritage houses signals insider status. Actually wearing accessible, mid‑tier luxury keeps the persona relatable and YouTube‑friendly.

Admittedly, influencer speak is never meant to illuminate. It thrives on adjectives that reassure, but never describe, on banter that sounds insider, but requires the bolstering of an editorial chaperone. The purpose‑built register is optimised for attention, emotional resonance, and shareability. Sure, ‘This or That’ was put together to be lighthearted on which fashion habitues choose between two trend options. There is, however, a difference between lighthearted and inane. For Heart Evangelista, being vivacious is key. It’s easier than explaining the material subversion of a 2026 Dior knit—or was it a knitted fabric? Admitting that she is a “maximalist”, twice, she presented herself as a salad of nice enthusiasm, but with select, repeated ingredients: “I truly enjoyed”, “I love everything ” and everything is “very modern”. It was groundbreaking in a subterranean sense, the way a sinkhole is—exposing what’s missing underneath. The banter, with one over-talking, did not carry a kernel of insight, a germ of joy (another fave word). It was really noise dressed as taste.

Screen shot: harpersbazaarsg/YouTube