Raymond Gutierrez on Fashion Week access, hosting comeback on ‘Agenda’
MANILA, Philippines — What really happens at Fashion Week abroad? Who gets invited and who pays?
Raymond Gutierrez recently shared how these “highly coveted” Fashion Week invitations really work, and why getting one means more than just securing a seat at a runway show.
The TV host, creative producer and longtime fashion enthusiast considers every invitation an acknowledgment of the relationships he has developed with international brands and the value he brings as someone who genuinely wears and supports their creations.
His recent participation in Paris Fashion Week also became part of his hosting comeback through “Agenda,” Bilyonaryo News Channel’s primetime newscast, where he brings his perspective on entertainment, lifestyle and pop culture.
Raymond said his Fashion Week arrangements vary depending on his relationship with a particular fashion house. One of the legacy brands he has maintained a long-standing association with is Louis Vuitton, whose events he attended in Paris.
“One of the main brands that I worked with for Fashion Week is Louis Vuitton, and I have an ongoing relationship with them for so many years,” he said during a recent media interview.
“I also produced some of their events before. So as a creative, I like to work with brands that I’m a fan of and appear in their campaigns.”
Being invited to a major fashion show, he stressed, involves an approval process. Even personalities who have the resources and desire to attend are not automatically guaranteed access.
“For me, it’s always been a dream to work with legacy brands like that. So ‘pag may offer to watch the show in Paris and you get invited, may proseso kasi ’yun. Not everyone who wants to watch can watch,” he said.
“The fact that I was approved and that I was invited, malaking karangalan for me. They see me, they value me and to be invited to the show is, for me, an achievement as a fashion fan and as a fashion consumer.”
Also, Raymond is usually inclined to accept such invitations because Fashion Week is an experience he truly enjoys.
“Ako, I always say yes because it’s fun for me and nag-e-enjoy ako,” he said.
He was, nevertheless, candid about the expenses involved in attending Fashion Week. Asked whether brands always pay for a celebrity or influencer’s airfare and accommodations, he said there is no single arrangement that applies to everyone.
For the particular Fashion Week season he attended, Raymond shouldered his own travel and hotel expenses.
“There are moments where airfare and hotel coverage are all covered by the brands. And there are times where you get an invitation and it’s up to you whether you would like to accept the invitation or turn it down,” he explained.
“There are opportunities also for some brands na nililipad ka talaga for certain moments, certain launches and certain product lines. So iba-iba. I think it depends on their marketing strategy, their budget and also, it’s up to you.”
Raymond clarified, however, that he has never paid for a Fashion Week seat. Once invited, guests are often dressed by the fashion house and may also receive clothes, bags and other pieces to wear.
“They dress you, they give you an outfit, they give you bags, so they really spoil you also. Hindi lang siya very one-sided. You feel the love from the brand, and I think that’s what’s important,” he said.
The glamour seen in photographs, however, does not always reflect what happens behind the scenes. Raymond described Fashion Week as demanding and chaotic, with packed schedules, huge crowds and currently hot weather in many parts of Europe adding to the pressure.
“If you’re not into fashion and if you don’t have love for it, you really question it because Fashion Week is tough. It’s very chaotic, mainit, ang daming nangyayari,” he said.
“Ang daming tao sa Paris at that time, so it’s medyo chaotic talaga. So ‘pag hindi mo love, you’re really going to question, ‘Bakit ko ’to ginagawa?’”
Raymond, likewise, said he does not necessarily see himself as being at a financial disadvantage when he pays for parts of the trip because he would be shopping and traveling regardless of whether he had a show invitation.
“I’m not sure about others. With me, I don’t mind because I shop anyway. I mean, I shop with or without an invite, so it’s just part of my life,” he said.
More important to him is the significance of being chosen to occupy one of the limited seats available to Philippine guests.
“Sometimes, one or two ’yung seats for the Philippines. Minsan nga wala. So for you to be invited, to be given a seat, speaks a lot also about what you bring to the table and the fact that they value the way I carry their clothes and the way I carry their items,” he said.
“For me, it’s a feather in my cap as a fashion fan.”
Joining ‘agenda’ as co-anchor
Meanwhile, Raymond’s return to television through “Agenda” sees him combining that fashion and lifestyle experience with the career that first established him in showbiz — hosting.
He spent 12 years as a talk show host, getting his first major break via “Showbiz Central” on GMA. He went on to host similar formats such as “H.O.T. TV: Hindi Ordinaryong Tsismis,” also on GMA, and then “Showbiz Police” on TV5.
“Nami-miss ko ’yung talk show style because for 12 years, I was a talk show host. Let’s see, baka may resurgence ng ganyang klaseng format,” he said.
“Nakaka-miss siya because I miss the human-to-human interaction, ’yung conversations, ’yung interview style.”
Hosting had always felt more natural to him than acting. When his twin brother Richard Gutierrez seriously pursued acting when they reached their teens, Raymond fully supported him.
When he eventually decided to enter showbiz himself, he deliberately chose hosting because he believed it suited his interests and skill set more, and not because he wanted to create a career path separate from his brother.
“I think iba lang talaga ’yung skill set ko and ’yung passion ko. When Chard started getting into acting, I was very supportive. Ako pa nga ’yung minsan nagsho-shopping for him and nag-i-style sa kanya sa mga big events niya,” he recalled in response to a STAR question.
“But when it came to a time na I wanted to enter show business, I really wanted to do hosting because it’s something that I felt came naturally to me.”
He also disagreed with the perception that hosting is an “easy entry point” into the entertainment industry.
“Hindi nila alam, mas mahirap actually ang hosting, lalo na pag live kasi bawal ka magkamali,” Raymond said.
“Lahat ng sasabihin mo, kailangan tama, especially now na everything is online. I really loved hosting, and it’s something that I’m very proud of. So nung time na I got to choose which projects I wanted to do, I really wanted to do hosting.”
Now, he begins another chapter of his hosting career, joining Korina Sanchez-Roxas, Pinky Webb and Willard Cheng as an anchor of Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “Agenda.”
It’s now a very different time and landscape from when he first started. Still, he believes research, trust and the ability to ask the right questions will distinguish experienced interviewers from the growing number of content creators and podcast hosts.
“As a host, kailangan din na komportable ’yung subject mo. So it’s building that rapport and engaging in a way na trustworthy ka,” he said.
“Also do your research. Kasi ngayon, I think everyone seems to be a host. A lot of people have podcasts. A lot of people create content on YouTube. But I think what will set you apart as a good host is if you do your proper research and ask the right questions.”
- Latest
- Trending
