For many, diamonds best symbolize luxury and elegance, ever-coveted for their brilliance and timeless beauty. As two of the most sought-after celebrities of the day, Andrea Brillantes and Rabiya Mateo compellingly embody these qualities, making them ideal ambassadors for LVNA — the rapidly thriving jewelry brand helmed by the talented designer Drake Dustin Ibay, who is famously committed to democratizing diamond ownership. As LVNA pushes to make diamonds accessible to a broader audience, Andrea and Rabiya's involvement with the jewelry house — not only as brand ambassadors but as investors, by the way — brilliantly underscores their love for this precious stone and their desire to share the joy and fulfillment that diamond ownership brings with as many of their followers as possible.
* * * Andrea Brillantes, the reigning "Gen Z Queen," was officially launched as LVNA by Drake Dustin's newest face and shareholder during a media conference at The Peninsula Manila on July 16. The event showcased LVNA's plans for collaboration with Andrea, including an international "iconic" brand partnership. The young actress excitedly wore a sneak peek of this collaboration around her neck, taking the form of an exquisite cross comprised of six cushion-cut diamonds that sweetly sparkled amid her baby pink cocktail dress.
Drake Dustin Ibay, LVNA's CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for working with Andrea, highlighting her influence among the younger generation and her alignment with the brand's core values of creativity, innovation, and inclusivity. "Andrea's success story, her love for fashion and jewelry, and her entrepreneurial mindset make her an ideal endorser and partner," Drake expressed. From the business side, Andrea's involvement is indeed a strategic step in LVNA's nationwide expansion and increased global presence, inspiring the young generation to venture into business and investment like her.
On the bubbly Andrea's part, she eagerly recounted her love for jewelry to show why this endorsement is particularly special to her. The actress mentioned that her interest in appreciating and investing in jewelry was sparked by her grandmother, especially when her career quickly began to succeed. Before Andrea became the youngest shareholder of LVNA, it can be recalled that she had successfully built her cosmetic brand, Lucky Beauty, which solidified her status as one of this generation's most thriving and influential stars.
Of this venture, she noted, "Fine jewelry has always been a dream for me because of my Lola. She taught me that investing in jewelry is best because it's long-lasting and, of course, it's beautiful. As a woman, it's wonderful to have real, timeless jewelry.
" Officially declaring her days of fashion and teeny-bopper jewelry long over, the 21-year-old teleserye star confessed to The Manila Times Lifestyle that she isn't even interested in acquiring her birthstones — aquamarine and bloodstone for the month of March — any longer. "I just want diamonds!" she blurted honestly as she laughed out loud. Finally, when asked what excites her most about collaborating with LVNA, Andrea proudly pointed to the company's promotion of self-love and self-discovery through its fine diamond jewelry, which seamlessly aligns with her journey of empowerment and success.
"Super kilig ko and super happy ako (I'm thrilled and happy) to be a part of the LVNA family," Andrea enthused. * * * On July 18, LVNA held another significant media conference, also at The Pen, where Drake holds office. This time, the event featured one of its original brand ambassadors, 2020 Miss Universe-Philippines and teleserye star Rabiya Mateo.
As an endorser and investor for three years, the celebrity stunner and LVNA's management — led that day by Drake's sister and company president, Dane Ibay — were thrilled to announce the brand's expansion to Cavite and her new role as branch CEO. Appreciative not only of the quality craftsmanship and design of LVNA's pieces, Rabiya proudly shared her satisfaction as a long-time investor during the panel interview. She noted that her undisclosed investment has yielded significant and consistent returns, underscoring her faith in the brand's vision and potential.
On the other hand, Dane expressed that LVNA's trust in Rabiya to lead the Cavite expansion stems from her passion, hard work, and loyalty. They particularly admired her resilience despite a recent and much-publicized business setback, which Rabiya overcame. Rather than being discouraged, Dane said Rabiya's willingness to embark on a new journey and take on more responsibility for LVNA only demonstrates her faith in the brand and dedication to success.
Rabiya effectively reinforced the team's confidence in her new role for LVNA when the half-Indian, half-Filipino beauty and brains enthused, "I really love doing business! Believe it or not, I started selling stickers in Grade 1, and now I can't believe I'm CEO of my own branch and marketing jewelry." Fully embracing her businesswoman era, Rabiya disclosed that besides her investment with LVNA, she is also into real estate and is about to rent out apartment blocks she's been able to acquire with her showbiz earnings. Truly inspiring when she talks about her goals, the inexhaustible and industrious bundle of energy also clarified that she will carry on with her showbiz career despite her business ventures and is fully committed to her contract with GMA Network.
"I'm so blessed with my showbiz career and just as passionate about that as I am with these new things I'm doing," she noted. Rabiya admitted, though, that being a businesswoman is such a thrill for her, so much so that she is gradually changing her fashion style to suit the part. "Yes, you're right.
I'm more intentional with what I wear these days, whether it's my clothes and, of course, my jewelry," she acknowledged when The Manila Times Lifestyle noted her pristine white power suit at the launch, which she accessorized with dazzling diamond-dangling LVNA earrings, accentuated by deep red rubies at the tip, that so sophisticatedly spell "CEO." Affirming you have to look the part, if and only when you've done your homework to prepare for the business at hand, Rabiya lastly revealed her clear and determined direction for LVNA: "For Drake and me, we want people to immediately think of LVNA when they talk about diamonds. That's the goal.
So he reminded me to engage with the grassroots in terms of marketing and use all the influence we have. We can't just select a specific target market. For LVNA, it's diamonds for everyone.
".
