Heaven Peralejo is all smiles as she poses for cameras on Day 2 of Manila Fashion Week 2026.
It's her first time attending the fashion event. Although she initially finds the experience intimidating, her curiosity ultimately draws her in..
So, how is she finding it?
Heaven says she is pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the fashion community is.
She also enjoys seeing people confidently take fashion risks.
“Everyone was wearing like something outside of the box, which I really love ‘cause it’s so rare for, I don’t know, in this country to like see someone who’s very, very stylish,” she says.
Her appearance comes between the Randolf and Lorico shows.
When asked if she might eventually walk the runway herself, she does not rule it out.
“I’ll never say no.”
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Heaven embraces local fashion
For her Fashion Week debut, Heaven wears a colorful mini dress from Where Siriusdan, the clothing line founded by textile artist and designer Cyrus Dan Cañares.
The brand is known for its nomadic-inspired approach to clothing and its use of distinctive textiles and fabrics.
The dress is impossible to miss: its boxy, above-the-knee silhouette features thin shoulder straps and a riot of colorful fabric scraps arranged into an intentionally mismatched patchwork design.
Heaven pairs it with cream-colored strappy heels and a pair of playful, fish-shaped statement earrings, also from Where Siriusdan.
The look also reflects Heaven’s growing appreciation for Filipino designers and local fashion.
She admits that she was not always familiar with local brands and once viewed them as something inaccessible, describing the local fashion scene as “a different world” and “a different community.”
That changes after her director, Gino Santos, introduces her to local designers and gets her interested in Filipino fashion.
“Just recently I have come to love local brands,” Heaven says.
She chooses the Where Siriusdan dress partly because of its material.
Made from retazo, or fabric scraps, the piece embraces what Heaven calls as “perfectly imperfect” quality.
“The more that you wear it, the better,” she comments.
It also reflects her fashion philosophy: clothes are meant to be reworn.
“I don’t wanna wear something just once. I want to wear it on different occasions.”
The dress costs her around PHP4,000, which Heaven considers worth the price.
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Heaven sometimes budgets PHP10K for clothes
Heaven’s willingness to spend on pieces she finds worthwhile does not mean she shops without a budget.
When asked if she sets a spending limit before shopping, she initially answers, “Of course,” before clarifying that it depends on what she is buying and how much she needs it.
For clothes, particularly those she needs for work, her budget, she says, is around PHP10,000.
Asked if PHP10,000 is her maximum, Heaven qualifies her answer: “Sometimes. But if it’s worth it, if it’s worth more, then why not? Why not, di ba?”
For Heaven, the value of a local piece also comes from the work and materials behind it.
She points to Filipino brands that use sustainable materials such as abaca and says their pieces often have stories behind them.
She also mentions purchasing a handwoven piece from ANTHILL, which made use an old silk cloth that had been passed down from a grandmother.
“Everything has a story,” she says, explaining why she considers certain higher-priced pieces worth the investment.
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Heaven is putting her money into experiences
These days, however, Heaven’s biggest spending priorities extend beyond her wardrobe.
She cites golf and travel, including a costly trip to Hawaii with Mikee Quintos.
When asked how much the trip cost, Heaven laughs off the question: “Wag na. Wag na. Wag na.”
Her approach to fashion is similarly measured. While she enjoys wearing nice clothes, she does not want what she wears to define her.
“I don’t want my clothing to be defined,” she says, adding that she likes wearing nice pieces from time to time but does not want to go “over the top.”
Her shift toward experiences also comes alongside more concrete investments.
Heaven reveals that she recently bought land in the South, near her grandmother’s place, and plans to build an Airbnb there eventually.
She is also looking toward another major project: starting her own business.
She keeps the details under wraps for now, but confirms that the venture is something she wants to launch soon.
“Business soon,” Heaven teases.
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