Take it from her, a stylish woman dresses up to express her “true self.” Style, unlike trends, is timeless. It doesn’t “come and go.” But no matter how innate one’s style is, it also has to adapt to the times, the person’s age and changing lifestyles.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article first appeared on PeopleAsia magazine’s Oct.-Nov. 2019 issue.
By Alex Y. Vergara
Like most high-profile and flamboyant personalities, hotelier and socialite Tina Cuevas has developed a unique and inimitable sense of style that’s all her own: long, flowy and at times flouncy dresses and tunics, whether plain or printed, which she sometimes layers with other garments like corsets, faded jeans and bustiers. If you include her go-to accessories like stilettos and high-heeled botties as well as chunky jewelry pieces, from long, multiple necklaces to statement bracelets, cuffs and dangling earrings, the entire look spells Tina from a mile away.
In a way, the sweet and soft-spoken Tina’s fashion choices tend to be divisive. In other words, there’s no middle ground. It’s either you’re crazy about her look or you’re not. And like not a few strong-willed and independent-minded fashion mavericks, she stands by her choices, which includes made-to-order pieces from her favorite Filipino designers such as Randy Ortiz, Jerome Salaya Ang, Rhett Eala, TC Alvarez and Francis Libiran.
She complements these designers’ dresses with statement jewelry pieces from such world-renowned local accessories designers as Wynn Wynn Ong, Ann Ong, TimTam Ong, Lilibeth Campos, Nicole Wishenhunt, Jericca Concepcion and Adante Leyesa. Of course, she also splurges occasionally on foreign brands, be they clothes or accessories, during her travels abroad.
“Some of my favorite international brands include Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Prada and D-Squared,” she shares. “I also like Australian designers Alice McCall and Zimmermann.”
To Tina, a stylish woman dresses up to express her “true self.” Style, to her, unlike trends, is timeless. It doesn’t “come and go,” but no matter how innate one’s style is, it also has to adapt to the times, the person’s age, changing lifestyles and current station in life.
“I believe I fall under both categories,” says Tina, who thinks of herself as both stylish and fashionable.
“I wear outfits, which express my current mood,” she continues. “My look is often layered and colorful. Accessories are essential to my wardrobe. It makes the look unique.”
If there’s one quality that makes her fashion sense consistent, Tina readily admits that “it has been an expression of my lifestyle. My sense and idea of style has evolved to what they are today based on a number of influences such as trends and my travels. And it will continue to evolve with the passing of time and emergence of new fashion trends.”
For instance, when she was a bit younger, Tina prefers pastel shades over bold colors. Not anymore, as she has become a more adventurous dresser. During her recent birthday party, which she threw for friends at the Sulo Riviera, Tina wore a long, hot pink chiffon number with exaggerated sleeves that flattered her figure and skin tone.
As for fashion icons, she finds such women as Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lopez “sexy and edgy.” She’s also drawn to timeless fashion icons of a bygone age such as Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Like Tina, they’re not afraid to be seen in looks that not only make them happy and cool, but also empowered and able to express themselves.
“These women and countless more like them didn’t only wear fashionable clothes,” she concludes. “They actually dictated and greatly influenced fashion to what it has become today.”
