Ringo Starr showing his room full of Beatles memorabilia. Arnold Schwarzenegger showing his pet donkeys.
In a nutshell, such were some of the Zoom encounters of Hollywood media couple Ruben and Janet Susan Nepales in the virtual space mandated by this pandemic. Not bad. Not bad at all.
But even as Ruben and Janet never missed a beat in the two years of the pandemic, continuing their interviews and coverages of Hollywood celebrities and movies, Janet and good friend Bessie Badilla made time to finally produce a coffee table book about the Filipino designers whose creations have graced the red carpet in Hollywood.
Fashion. Filipino. Hollywood. The World was launched December 2021, authored by Janet, and published and art-directed by Bessie. It’s a hefty masterpiece of photos on the red carpet, most of them by photographer Sthanlee B. Mirador—a veritable galaxy of stars. Quite a number of Filipino designers have been doing the red carpet ensembles of Hollywood celebrities, including Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez.
Featured in the book, now available on amazon.com, are Rajo Laurel, Michael Cinco, Furne One Amato, David Tupaz, Francis Libiran, Oliver Tolentino, Kenneth Barlis, Josie Natori, RC Caylan, Puey Quinones, Alexis “Bong” Monsanto, Alan del Rosario, Ezra Santos, Rocky Gathercole, and Monique Lhuillier.
Bessie is a fashion icon herself, who started modeling in her teens, and became a top fashion model who later broke into Paris as model for the House of Balenciaga for four years. She had a hiatus from the fashion whirl when she settled down abroad as wife to Filipino banker Bambi del Castillo, until Bambi’s death. She would then shuttle to the Philippines, travel the world, and at 50, became once more the talk and toast of Manila fashion circles when she became the Carnival Queen in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. How the designers and models in the Manila fashion circle—most of whom were her friends—lapped up that news! Bessie became their poster girl for living the life.
Bessie also starred in the local sitcom Eh Kase, Babae.
As a lifestyle editor then, I admired the way Bessie embodied the joy of living. She’s the type of woman who knows how to enjoy life and remain kind to people. A lunch with her was like a happy pill.
Bessie is hilarious, and calls Janet “Lady Jane,” just like she has fond nicknames/titles for some friends.
To me, Janet, like her husband Ruben, is one who enjoys the salt mines, in a manner of speaking. She loves to work and works to live. She was a fresh university graduate when I met her in the newsroom. She was a junior reporter who, even then, the senior editors doted on because she never ran away from work. She was good at chasing stories—in heels, literally—meeting deadlines and expanding her network, while respecting the authority of her seniors in the profession. Even as her star rose, she never got swell-headed but instead, kept her eye on the ball. Her people skills made her perfect for entertainment coverage, especially the coverage of local celebrities. Such single-mindedness, such focus, we knew, would serve her in good stead as she and Ruben migrated as a young couple to the US and started a family.
Ruben and Janet were made for the red carpet
So when they developed a niche in the entertainment media in the US, I wasn’t surprised. Their output and network made them valuable columnists in Philippine broadsheets. The nose for news—Ruben and Janet have that, and the social networking skills to bag the story.
Ruben and Janet were made for the red carpet.
In this interesting Q/A with Janet and Bessie about the coffeetable book, Janet recalls hilarious experiences on the red carpet, her first time on it, the time her brooch got caught on Alec Baldwin’s tux and she got dragged, or the moment her dress caught the eye of Angelina Jolie.
Our Q/A with Janet and Bessie. It’s a fun read—a vicarious thrill.
Can you recall the time you two met? How did you hit it off?
JANET: We “met” for the first time on Facebook. We hit it off immediately because Bessie also has two daughters and they were almost the same age as my daughters Bianca Nicole and Rafaella Angelica. Then I went to New York and met Bessie and her girls in her Park Avenue apartment where we had shabu-shabu. That was on August 8, 2009.
From then on, every time Ruben and I went to New York, we made it a point to meet her….We discovered that we both enjoyed dancing, singing, and simply just having fun and enjoying life. We both do not need wine to go crazy; water is enough….
We both love FB, and Bessie was even inspired to write a song when I burned my adobo while I was on FB. The result was her song Facebook Addict.
We both work hard, but we also play hard. We laugh hard. I think our sense of humor bonded us first. My niece, Rosemary Nepales Clubb, once told me that she loved reading our exchanges on FB because we were both funny. Rosemary even believed Bessie’s joke that she “used to be a man” or that she wears scarves “to hide my Adam’s apple.”
Then one Golden Globes night, Rosemary made sure to meet Bessie to check out for herself if Bessie was actually a man! Plus, Bessie always refers to herself as “Ang Babaeng Bakla” or “Reyna ng mga Bading!” Recently, at my book launch, when Bessie and Rosemary met again, Bessie grabbed Rosemary’s hand and made her feel her boobs, just so Rosemary would believe she is a real woman!
One Golden Globes night, my niece Rosemary made sure to meet Bessie to check out for herself if Bessie was actually a man!
Bessie enjoyed meeting the stars every time we brought her to premieres or other Hollywood soirées and at the Golden Globes. She always loves to tell us, “Thank you, Lady Jane and Sir Ruben! May social life na naman ako!”
I love it that Bessie always has photo shoots—for her FB profiles! She goes around the world, takes along top fashion photographer Filbert Diego Kung, and does photo shoots—for her FB profiles!
Just like Bessie, I love fashion, too, and I enjoy and appreciate Filipino designers when they create something unique and outstanding. I am so proud of them.
BESSIE: Lady Jane and I met on FB some 10-11 years ago. I enjoyed looking at all their (Lady Jane’s and Sir Ruben’s) posts with celebrities and A-Listers. I thought they had the coolest jobs and were the coolest couple. About a year later, they were in New York for a movie premiere and during a free evening, they asked if they could interview me about my Indie Film productions and my participation as Carnaval Queen in Brazil. I invited them for dinner in our apartment and we had a blast!….Lady Jane and I are proud to wear creations by Filipino designers, we laugh at the same jokes, we get high on water, and we love to dance like we were the only people on the dance floor!
Janet, can you recall your five most memorable moments on the red carpet?
JANET: There was a time I almost had a wardrobe malfunction when a brooch on my gown got hooked to Alec Baldwin’s tux, and he kept walking while I was being dragged along. When I tried to call out his name, “Alec! Alec!” he thought I was a fan trying to follow him.
When he turned, I told him my predicament. “My gown is hooked to your tux and we need to disentangle it before I have a wardrobe malfunction!”
One time at a dinner party in New York, I was wearing a Filipino designer’s intricate, lacy orange dress and Angelina Jolie kept pointing at me. Then when she finally got close to me, she told her assistant, “I love this dress! Find out who her designer is.” The assistant got the business card of the designer from me which I thankfully had with me.
At the Golden Globes red carpet, I usually ask the stars who they are wearing for our fashion coverage for the Golden Globe website. Lea Michele of Glee was so excited to see me in my Filipino designer gown, and screamed, “Janet, who are YOU wearing?!”
Another time in the Golden Globes after-parties, Ruben was walking ahead of me, and Channing Tatum saw me dragging my train. Channing gallantly volunteered, “Janet, do you want me to carry your train?” And he was already holding the train of his then-wife, Jenna Dewan.
Channing Tatum saw me dragging my train and gallantly volunteered, ‘Janet, do you want me to carry your train?’
When I was going to welcome Regina King, she screamed with delight seeing my orange dress, and danced, and I danced with her! We took photos of our “twin moment” on the red carpet. I also had the same “twin moment” when I met Dame Helen Mirren and we were both wearing a fur stole. Of course, hers was real fur, mine was faux.
Janet, what was your first red carpet experience like? Giddy, nervous?
JANET: I was not giddy at all nor nervous since I was more focused on working than looking glamorous. I’d get made up early, go to the red carpet, and get the photos and interviews done so by 2 pm. I was tasked on the day of the Golden Globes to ask stars who they were wearing for our fashion page on the Golden Globes website, and I usually did it with my colleague, former Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner.
Then I ran backstage to interview on-cam the winners, and we would be the first stop of the winners before they meet the general press. After an hour of that, I did the rounds everywhere to do the live blogging, as well. So, it is a lot of work!
On the red carpet, I look for my photographer friends who take good photos of me for that special moment, because everything goes fast, in a blink! One time, the other photographers who did not know me thought I was one of the actresses in the award-winning film, Parasite!
Janet, if you were to pick 10 stars you’re drawn to or love watching, who would they be?
JANET:
1) Lady Gaga—always full of surprises and never boring. She can be classy or out of this world. She really goes out of her way to be the star of the red carpet, full of drama.
2) Lupita Nyong’o—the first time I saw her on the red carpet she became my new heroine on the red carpet; she’s very classy and she really knows how to wear her gowns.
3) Angelina Jolie—always beautiful and elegant in whatever gown she wears; even if her gown is really very simple, she still shines on the red carpet.
4) Billy Porter—never a boring moment, and I love how he can get away with gowns. He even has themes when he wears a particular gown.
5) J. Lo—always sexy and oozing with appeal in her choices. She has the hourglass figure and she knows how to carry her gowns sensually.
6) Helena Bonham Carter—never a dull moment and she is full of surprises. Even if sometimes she intentionally wears shoes that don’t match on the red carpet, she comes out having fun and taking herself and the red carpet not so seriously.
7) Jared Leto—one of the most daring men on the red carpet, and I love it when he wears something that other actors would not dare wear.
8) Gemma Chan—this model actress commands respect when she is on the red carpet because she can carry even a very voluminous ballroom gown on a long red carpet with grace and elegance.
9) Dame Helen Mirren—she is the classiest and most elegant actress who can outshine the younger actresses on the red carpet.
10) Emily Blunt—lately, Emily Blunt has become one of my favorite actresses on the red carpet because you can see her exquisite taste in clothes, and every time I see her, I love what she is wearing. She can swing from classic to feminine, from elegant to fun.
‘Lady Gaga is always full of surprises and never boring… She really goes out of her way to be the star of the red carpet’
Bessie, can you tell us more about your red carpet moments?
BESSIE: I’ve been very lucky to be invited to two Golden Globes, in 2013 and the second in 2020. The first was so exciting because I did not know what to expect! I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I had to write about it in Positively Filipino, to thank the Nepaleses, Hollywood’s “Golden” Filipino Duo. That clearly explains my “moments” on the red carpet. (see link)
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/2/hollywoods-golden-filipino-duo
Janet, how about Filipino designers you watch and wear? Can you recount some of their triumphs and struggles in the US?
JANET: I think everyone knows the Cinderella story of the late Rocky Gathercole and how he achieved success, from being impoverished in the Philippines to being a fashion designer of the stars. He was an unknown fashion designer in Pasay City who became someone who made clothes for stars from Jennifer Lopez to Britney Spears, from Cardi B to Nicki Minaj. Until the final days of his life, he was creating something for Lady Gaga.
I am so proud and happy that he participated in my book and was able to answer my questions. Two days after he finished answering my questions, he passed away. So, the book is also a tribute to his talent.
Most of the Filipino fashion designers in my book started in their respective provinces, with their own mothers or the women in their lives influencing their art and calling, with their local natural surroundings and the beauty of their provinces inspiring their respective works.
All of them struggled to be known and respected here in the US, but they never stopped pursuing their dreams to make it on the international fashion stage.
Janet, after all this time and with your coffee table book, what uniqueness do you think the Filipino designer brings to the red carpet?
‘Filipino designers never forget where they came from, and you can see that in their work’
JANET: They never forget where they came from, and you can see that in their work— the detailed embroidery or the use of indigenous materials; the mix of fabrics that are native to the Philippines and the use of accessories coming from home; the great influence of the terno or the butterfly sleeves on their designs; keeping their individuality and not letting critics stop them from being original and daring; the blending of the East and West influences. Most of all, just being Filipino and being proud of it shows on the international fashion stage, because it is part of their DNA.
Janet, briefly, can you give tips to the Filipino designer aspiring to break onto the red carpet, from designing to PR?
JANET: Aspiring Filipino designers who want to make it on the international fashion scene should keep on designing, creating, and maintaining their individuality. I know some start by simply copying other works, but there should be something distinctive in their design so that when you see their work, you can immediately identify the designer who made it. They also should know who their client is, the personality of their client, to be able to create something that she will wear confidently on the red carpet.
It is important to be exposed to what is going on also outside of the Philippines and outside of the US. Networking and social media help, but it is important to be seen at the right places and events, as well. It is the best way to be seen and admired by the right people.
Good PR means establishing good relationships with clients and future clients. The job of a designer does not begin and end with creating a gown or a dress for a client. That is just the beginning. One has to establish and maintain that relationship and grow with one’s client. Every client has different needs, and every designer has to learn and get to know each client well to be able to create the perfect gown or dress for her.
It is also important for designers to hire stylists in the US who can get stars to try and wear their clothes.
Bessie, who are the Filipino designers you enjoy and love wearing? Can you describe to us your ties to a few?
BESSIE: I’m blessed that Michael Cinco and I call each other our BFFs. We didn’t know each other, but I was already following him on FB. I was so proud of him and I loved his work. I once commented “Beautiful” on one of his posts and he was so surprised to get a comment from me! I had no idea he knew who I was because I was already retired from modeling then. We started our friendship on FB, as well. Then I needed a gown for the 25th Ma-Yi Anniversary, where I was to receive an award for Arts and Culture. I flew to Dubai where we finally met, I was fitted, and the gown was sent to New York a few weeks later. We have remained close and we even travel together to places we’ve never been.
I love Michael’s designs because they make me look good without the dress wearing me.
I love Michael Cinco’s designs because they make me look good without the dress wearing me
Ezra Santos and Furne One Amato—both sweet designers I met in Dubai, and I even had the dream shoot wearing their creations! The shoot was the last I did pre-pandemic in February 2020. It was for NOW Magazine, LA where I was chosen to wear creations of “The Three Great Filipino Designers of Dubai.” All three have drama in their creations.
Oliver Tolentino—another sweet designer; I am lucky to have worn his designs. He is very generous and does not have a mean bone in his body. He is always positive and kind.
Antonio “Jan” Garcia—Although he is not included in the book, Jan is another designer I love to wear. We met as models in the ’80s, and we lost touch after I got married and moved to Singapore. Our paths would cross again in Connecticut when I was president of the International Women’s Club of Greenwich. I needed a designer to do our fashion show and I came across a Filipino student/designer at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles! He had just won the Latino Design Contest (no one knew “Antonio Garcia” could easily be a Filipino name!), and he was the one our club found as guest designer. He still makes my outfits, and he is now based in Manila. I like his daring avant-garde designs.
Bessie, what drew you to this book project?
BESSIE: After a very successful first publication of Sir Ruben’s Through a Writer’s Lens the previous year, I wanted to right away publish a second book. I was not going anywhere for a long time during the strict lockdown in the Philippines, so I immediately told Lady Jane we should do her coffee table book next. I was still very excited and full of adrenaline from the first book that I wanted to do the second while I could still remember how to work with Adobe InDesign. A tough program to work with, but I somehow learned in only two weeks. The idea for Lady Jane’s fashion coffee table book came about during the 2020 Golden Globes.
Bessie, you’ve had an interesting and vibrant life. What do you think are its high points? What are you most grateful for?
BESSIE:
1) Modeling in the Philippines for all the designers, from Aureo Alonzo, Pitoy Moreno, and Ben Farrales to Cesar Gaupo, Auggie Cordero, Inno Sotto, and Joe Salazar, to name a few;
2) Landing a contract with the House of Balenciaga in Paris for eight seasons (four years), and being chosen to do Balenciaga at the Igedo in Dusseldorf;
3.) Doing a number one sitcom on TV, Eh Kase, Babae;
4.) Marrying Bambi del Castillo in seven weeks!;
5.) Having and raising my daughters Blanca and my unplanned baby Ines. Both would be the highest points in my life;
6.) Becoming a Carnaval Queen in both São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro at age 50!;
7.) Being one of eight children to loving and nurturing parents;
8.) Being able to write, sing, and record songs in Tagalog and in Portuguese!;
9.) Enjoying the artwork and layout design for Through a Writer’s Lens and Fashion. Filipino. Hollywood. The World;
10.) Having traveled to 124 countries starting at age 18, to the present.
I am most grateful for the gift of family, my daughters, and friends. During this pandemic, I went through a lot of soul searching and I found that I have everything I ever needed in this life to be happy. I have the love of my family and friends.
A high point in my life was being able to write, sing, and record songs in Tagalog and in Portuguese!
Bessie, how do you keep the joy of living?
BESSIE: The joy of living is being grateful for everything God has given me. That’s how I was brought up and that’s how I am. I wake up in the morning and say my prayers of thanksgiving. I think of all the things I am thankful for and everything absolutely makes me happy.
We all go through hardships at one point in our lives. We always have a choice, to be happy or to be miserable, and it is up to us to choose. I always choose to be happy even during hardships. My mother taught us to always laugh, especially when we are going through hard times. Yes, I worked hard in my career but when I look back, I always found a way to make things better. It is important to love and enjoy what you are doing, so any kind of hardships or trials won’t be a heavy burden for you to carry. I always choose to be happy.
For Janet and Bessie, how did you cope with the pandemic? What mindful attitude did you have? Are you used to Zoom or virtual meets by now?
JANET: I learned how to cook paella, bibingka, and other dishes during the pandemic. It was fun to learn a new craft. Cooking became my way of escaping boredom from being locked inside the house. I was able to spend more time catching up with family not only here in the US, but also in the Philippines, thanks to Zoom.
Interviewing stars via Zoom or virtual meets also allowed me a peek into their own homes and how they cope with the pandemic. Like when we interviewed Arnold Schwarzenegger and he showed us via Zoom his pet donkeys. Or when we interviewed former Beatles member Ringo Starr and he showed us his room filled with Beatles memorabilia.
During the pandemic, I learned to count my blessings every day, to be more grateful for life, for being healthy, for family, and for being able to still create and be productive.
BESSIE: I was lucky to be in the Philippines the past 22 months. I was at home with my big family and I was never alone. I was able to reflect on the important things in life. The pandemic has given me a lot of time to be quiet and think, making me calmer, more content, and happier.
I kept myself busy with the coffee table books. I prepared a lot of food donations from our home. My family put together and packed essentials like rice, canned goods, and toiletries. Giving helped us cope with the chaos around us.
For my health, I did yoga with my daughter Ines, I walked for miles with my sisters and brothers and did a lot of indoor exercises on YouTube.
For my family, I cooked and baked for our Sunday brunch! I became closer to my siblings, nieces, and nephews and enjoyed my grandniece and grandnephew, too. I gained wisdom and weight!
For entertainment, I watched a lot of Netflix and K-drama.
I have done a lot of Zoom meetings, but mostly for prayers for the deceased. I don’t like them. Virtual meets to me are something we need to do now as we wait for things to get better. I still prefer to do face-to-face meetings and get-togethers because I don’t see my face on the screen! I get very distracted looking at myself during Zoom meetings!