Teresa Herrera : Project Teresa

MANILA, Philippines - Filipina supermodels like Charo Ronquillo and Chat Almarvez have a lot of trailblazers to thank. One of them is Teresa Herrera.

Known as the host of the hit TV show Project Runway Philippines, Teresa began modeling at 17. A dancer since her childhood, the model-TV host-yoga teacher says that modeling opened a lot of doors for her.

“Modeling gave me the opportunity to travel the world and meet many different people while I was working. I thank God I had amazing mentors to guide me along the way. I always knew there was a lot more that I wanted to do outside of modeling, so I just focused, worked hard and then eventually pursued the other dreams,” says Teresa, whose face has graced various magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar Hong Kong, Marie Claire Hong Kong, Elle magazine Hong Kong, Preview and Mega.

Her modeling stints eventually led her to the entertainment industry. She appeared in movies like Black Mask II, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and television shows such as Smith and It’s All Relative on ABC. She dabbled in theatre and has appeared in plays like Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Dogeaters.

But it was Project Runway Philippines that would make Teresa famous. The show, which is hosted in the US by German supermodel Heidi Klum, sees designers competing in various challenges, culminating in the showing of the top three contestants’ creations during Fashion Week.

 “Hosting Project Runway Philippines has been such an amazing opportunity. To be able to nurture and encourage young designers to pursue their dream and make it in the world of fashion is truly a blessing,” Teresa says.

With the show currently on hiatus, Teresa keeps herself busy with traveling and developing projects in the US. She also keeps herself fit by doing yoga and has even used it to launch a campaign for a cause.

“Every year we hold a yoga/charity event called the Global Mala Project. This is a worldwide event that happens in over 150 cities. The purpose of the event is to unite the global and local yoga community and bring attention to global issues of our time, mainly the environment. The benefiting organizations are Trees for the Future and Tubataha Foundation,” she says.

When asked about her secret to having a nice skin, Teresa replies: “I’m pretty low maintenance and I try to keep everything simple. Two steps: cleanse and moisturize. It’s also important to nurture your inner self, which will reflect on your outer beauty. Daily health and nutrition and exercise are also very important.”

Asked about her thoughts on Filipina models making it in the international scene, Teresa is proud of Charo and Chat’s achievements. “It’s fantastic. Seeing Filipinos doing well is great.” She adds that Filipino women are inspiring as they are strong, creative and hardworking.

And her advice to women of today? “Dream big! Believe big! Think big! Love what you do and keep it real and keep it simple always. Also, let’s support each other.”

Photography by Jo Ann Bitagcol • Styling by Corine Alegre • Makeup by Mickey See of Shu Uemura • Hairstyling by John Valle for Loreal Professionel