The Universe Is Pia Jauncey's Runway

“I first learned about Preview when I was reading Candy,” she tells me after we wrap our shoot at the former Summit Media office, one floor above Preview’s current HQ. Pia has already changed into her off-duty uniform: an oversized leather jacket draped over a delicate lace corset, paired with the best-fitting jeans I’ve seen in a while (Agolde, she confirms). Mere minutes ago, this same 5’8” beauty was smoldering for photographer Renzo Navarro on a deserted floor with one working electric socket; now, she’s relaxed in the studio, with the dust on my shoes the only proof of the scene we just left behind. 

“And you know what? If that was the old office [from 2001], I probably shot my Candy cover up there,” she says, amusement in her eyes. “That was my very, very first cover, too. As in [first cover] of my life,” she emphasizes. 

“At that time, I was too young to be in Preview, but I was already aware that this was the fashion authority of the Philippines. And that when I grow up, hopefully I will graduate from Candy to Preview,” she says. Graduate she did—with distinction. From a wide-eyed preteen in our sister publication to three distinct Preview covers, two Best Dressed List nods, and now a Style Icon award, Pia’s journey has been nothing short of a masterclass in reinvention.

Since first stepping into the Summit building 24 years ago, she’s become an actress, a Miss Universe titleholder, and a global fashion force commanding millions in media value. A single month in her calendar can see her in Paris for fashion week, Los Angeles for a shoot, Singapore for a Bulgari event, Riyadh for advocacy work, Manila for a fleeting visit, and finally Dubai with her husband, Jeremy Jauncey—each appearance purposeful, camera-ready, and without a single strand of hair out of place. “Not only has it taught me to develop my sense of style, but I’ve grown up so much in the last two years because of this different world I didn’t expect to be so colorful,” she reflects. 

Acting gave her that outlet. Though she has no immediate plans to return to show business, the passion remains.

“Before, I would just say yes to everything. Anything you make me wear, ‘Yes! I'll wear it.’ ‘Are you okay with it?’ ‘Yes!’ ‘Do you wanna change it?’ ‘No!’ It's always, like, ‘Whatever you guys want me to do,’” she narrates. It may have been a decade since she had to get permission for her every look—remember how she almost didn’t wear her blue Albert Andrada winning gown for Miss Universe?—but that deeply ingrained system was difficult to unlearn.

“I've slowly started to develop my own taste and listen to my own voice. And it hasn't been easy because I always [second-guess and] think, ‘Is this nice?’” she admits.

While she now has a firmer grasp of what she likes, Pia still surrounds herself with a trusted circle. Her creative core—stylist Perry Tabora, makeup artist Justin Soriano, and hairstylist Jeck Aguilar—enrich her creative process.

“I always like to have something interesting in the look. So it can’t just be a simple black dress—there’s gotta be something that makes it different,” she says. Her style sensibility thrives on the playful excess of Haute Couture Week, where “more is more” and rules don’t apply. Whether it’s a quirky accent, an unexpected silhouette, or an unconventional fabric, Pia ensures there’s always an element that stands out in a sea of good outfits. And if it’s not in the clothes, it’s in how they’re worn. Ultimately, it’s the woman who defines the look, never the other way around.

“What makes a woman stylish is the way she carries herself,” Pia asserts. 

“A big part of my sense of style comes from how I feel in the moment. So it’s very emotional for me. It’s not just following the trends. It’s also about listening to how I feel at that time,” she says. “I have this phase now, and I know I’m gonna have a different phase next time and the next time and the next time, and that’s fine. It doesn’t mean you’re fake because you keep changing your style, or that you’re inconsistent and don’t have a signature style. It’s just evolving.”

As Pia has learned, it’s her sense of self that anchors it all. The act of choosing—of claiming each look as her own—is the thread that ties every phase together. And as she candidly points out, “You know, I should really trust my gut instinct more because it was that very gut instinct that got me to wear the blue gown at Miss U!”

What she doesn’t explicitly say, but embodies every time she takes a step forward, is this: There’s room in the spotlight for you exactly as you are. That it’s not only acceptable but admirable even to change lanes in pursuit of your true calling. That it’s valiant, not foolish, to aspire for something you haven’t mastered yet.

Pia has lit the path, not to keep it for herself, but to invite others to shine just as brightly. And in our book, empowering others is the one thing that will never go out of style.