la vita è bella

PIA WURTZBACH is enjoying the newest chapter of her life as a growing presence in the global fashion scene. It's a journey that has taken her to fashion weeks all over the world and to becoming Bulgari's first Filipino friend of the house.

- JACS T. SAMPAYAN

It was the middle of spring and Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey found herself on the grounds of the almost 400-year-old Villa Aurelia, on a day rife with activity.

It’s not unusual for the distinguished property; while storied, the distinguished and resilient venue, having survived attacks from the French army in the late 1800s and the long passage of time, now serves primarily as a space for the cultural pursuits and programs of the American Academy in Rome.

Neither was the day unusual for Pia, who has lived in the public eye since her teens, through her reign as Miss Universe in the mid-2010s, and whose stature among global fashion brands has been growing in recent years.

The creative air was particularly thick that day. The Italian luxury brand Bulgari invited over 20 media titles from all over the world to the baroque 17th century palace and its sprawling 3.5 acre gardens. Pia served as the muse of the Vogue Philippines team, who worked from nine in the morning to seven in the evening and were the last to leave the property. She wore Fall/Winter looks from Alaïa, LV, Gucci, Prada, Shushu/Tong, and Filipino designers Michael Cinco and Mark Bumgarne.

While the team decided to shoot more images than initially planned, she remained in high spirits, and even encouraged to do more layouts. “She was very collaborative and generous with her time,” Vogue Philippines fashion director Pam Quiñones, who was there at the shoot with the former Miss Universe. “She took the time to do an afternoon of fitting and was always game during the shoot. She was such a pro.”