EXCLUSIVE: For Cheetah Rivera, A Bleeding Heart Can Be Something Beautiful
As many beautiful things do, it all began with a simple exchange between friends. Heart Evangelista was in the middle of a fitting for an entirely different project when she looked at her fashion designer and asked, “Can you make me garments that are heart-related?” A request so open-ended might have inspired a certain degree of creative panic, but Cheetah Rivera had been making clothes for her muse for eight years. There was a deep-seated trust between the two of them.
And from their bond, the Bleeding Heart emerged.
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Found Treasure
To behold it is to step into another world entirely. At first glance, the dress appears as though it has lived many lives. Its fabrics are purposefully distressed, bearing the marks of time and tide, as if rescued from the depths of the ocean or discovered within a crumbling chest in a forgotten castle corridor.
One could easily imagine it hanging in a historical museum, or perhaps tucked away in the archives of a gothic romance—which is fitting, given that the dark eroticism of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and even Corpse Bride were never far from Rivera’s mind as she worked.
For a year, the Bleeding Heart simply existed in the creator’s space. There was no deadline breathing down her neck. She had the luxury of time and full creative freedom, and she made the most of it by refining the existing work.
“’Yon ang maganda when a client has faith in you,” Rivera says. “That’s really the trust that I value, especially with Heart.”
In 2024, the piece was completed. Since then, it has stayed patiently waiting for the right moment. Evangelista even once brought the garment to Paris just in case an opportunity arose. It’s only now that the dress is unveiled, appearing to happily coincide with the aesthetic of Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights.”
The Long Road
“When I was designing a set of heart-inspired clothes, naglaro lang sa isip ko. I tried to look inside me. I really consider myself a storyteller. It’s always been part of my DNA,” Rivera adds. It’s an apt description, as the Bleeding Heart is only one chapter of an ongoing narrative.
For the most part, its creation was an exercise in pure joy. Rivera has been manipulating fabrics since she was seventeen years old; thus, she didn’t encounter many technical hurdles. But her particular vision called for an anatomically correct centerpiece. She decided to turn toward Gabriel Pingol, an Ilocano 3D artist and painter who was also the hand behind Gabbi Garcia’s Miss Universe golden breastplate.
Pingol, who has been practicing his multiple disciplines since graduating in 2012, remembers the joint effort well. “The Bleeding Heart was the first collaboration we did together,” he says. “It could be her (Rivera) personality or our similarity in taste that made the collaboration work well, or both. What’s also cool is she gives a lot of creative liberty, so there’s a good balance between her vision and my approach or translation of the piece I contribute.”
On his end, it took approximately a week to finish the 3D printing—much shorter than the compounded time Rivera spent traveling between Manila and Ilocos just to see Pingol’s process. “I love working intentionally. Bibiyahe talaga ako ng eleven hours na bus ride just because I love that moment for myself. Parang joyride lang habang nakatingin sa palayan,” she laughs.
When asked how she discovered the artist, she credits a mutual friend. “I’ve been going back and forth to Ilocos for fifteen years now. I met a really good friend there who happens to be my sister na rin: Amor Albano from Project Runway Philippines. I often visit her,” Rivera shares. “I saw his (Pingol) artwork hanging in my friend’s apartment. Sabi ko ‘uy, ang cool naman nito, maybe I can incorporate this technique and 3D printing technology in fashion.'”
Some might say it was kismet because the art that caught Rivera’s eye in Albano’s apartment was, fittingly, a heart as well. She later gifted another version of it to her muse, Evangelista.
“Siguro it’s true na once you know yourself as an artist, it’s easier to spot those who’ll work well with you,” Rivera muses. It’s a sentiment that Pingol agrees with. “Although most of my art career is centered around traditional painting, we share the same drive to experiment with unusual mediums or ways to express art,” he states.
Pain & Beauty
But while creating the Bleeding Heart unfolded with serendipitous grace, the emotional terrain the designer was navigating was entirely different. “I was going through a lot of processing during that time,” she admits. “I’ve lost people that don’t align with me anymore. It was painful. I guess I was heartbroken when I made that piece. I remember being in a moment of solitude and reflection. Don’t hurt an artist kasi pag nasaktan si artist, doon niya talaga ibubuhos yung work niya.”
And yet, Rivera remains full of perspective. Beauty can arise even after difficult times. For her, pain can also teach self-love, self-respect, wisdom, and acceptance. “People forget sometimes that it’s okay to be sad. But there’s always a silver lining to everything. I’m just glad that the Bleeding Heart can be a memory na pwede ko balikan na parang ‘ah, this was during a challenging moment of my life, and yet I was able to turn things around by utilizing this gift that I have,’” she says.
The Art of Mending
As a creative, Rivera is candid about the fact that she’s still learning—not just as a designer, but as a person holding onto her own humanity. She emphasizes the importance of resting, as she has come to learn that her most brilliant ideas arrive when she’s well-rested. It’s a piece of wisdom she often forgot when she was starting out.
“I’m still in that process where I’m trying to learn how to balance my life because designing requires so much energy, attention, and discipline. I’m still practicing work-life balance. Most of the time, I’m quite too serious with what I do that I tend to forget myself. I’m now on that journey,” Rivera adds.
And when asked about what she hopes people feel when they encounter her work, her answer is characteristically thoughtful:
“One thing I realized as a fashion designer is that all creatives have unique life experiences, and we all desire to relay our stories. I’m just trying to tell what I feel and how I see the world. I’m glad that people get to resonate with what I’m doing.”
—CHEETAH RIVERAAdvertisement
All roads lead to love, and there’s no doubt that Cheetah Rivera loves what she does. That much is evident in everything she builds, in every collaboration she endeavors, and in every long bus ride she takes. From a heart that bleeds to mending it—that’s the path the Bleeding Heart traces. And for anyone who has ever loved, lost, and somehow found the courage to create something beautiful from the wreckage, it’s a tale that needs no translation.
Photos: CHEETAH RIVERA & GABRIEL PINGOL
The post EXCLUSIVE: For Cheetah Rivera, A Bleeding Heart Can Be Something Beautiful first appeared on MEGA.
EXCLUSIVE: For Cheetah Rivera, A Bleeding Heart Can Be Something Beautiful
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