Stacey wears a LOUIS VUITTON jacket. Photographed by Renzo Navarro for the November 2024 Issue of Vogue Philippines
Raised by her mother, Stacey Sevilleja grew up with a love for all things feminine. Now, as part of the Nation’s Girl Group, BINI, she reflects on how far she’s come.
In the small town of Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, Stacey Sevilleja was raised by her mom. “A superwoman,” she once described her in a previous video. They were best friends: Stacey was a teen beauty queen, and her mom doubled as her fashion designer, occasionally creating her pageant gowns and taking her to and from modeling gigs. “Ever since I was a little girl, I loved all things girly. Like, Barbie, Bratz, stuffed toys, Care Bears,” Stacey recalls. “Even now, I’ve carried that into BINI, and I think that’s how people have come to know me.”
In 2018, with no prior experience in singing or dancing, Stacey made the long trip to Quezon City to audition for Star Hunt Academy. In the first chapter of Born To Win, the group’s three-part docuseries, the members all share the same memory of her from their trainee days: always dressed up and, of course, in pink. A pink top, pearl hair clips, and sometimes even a pair of heels, Stacey readily admits she’s always been the most kikay, or feminine, of the group.
Though she may have appeared outwardly confident, the P-pop girl group’s main rapper and lead dancer recalls being a shy child. Becoming a part of BINI, she admits, was an adjustment. “Before, I wasn’t talkative at all. I didn’t really talk to people. It was hard, really hard for me to interact and socialize with anyone,” shares the 21-year-old.
In a livestream, she revealed that her grandmother was really the one who urged Stacey’s mom to nickname her “Staku.” When asked why, her grandmother simply said the name would be popular someday. Whether by coincidence or fate, her words turned out to be true.
“It was surreal to think we started from absolutely nothing, from scratch, to now selling out our own concerts.”
Having just flown back from their US-Canada tour, Stacey was still, naturally, on a high. It was during the last stop in Toronto, standing before a sea of enthusiastic fans, that she found herself momentarily stunned. “That was the moment I truly felt, ‘Wow.’ It felt like performing at Araneta, with the huge venue filled entirely with Blooms. It was our very first solo concert tour, so it was surreal to think we started from absolutely nothing, from scratch, to now selling out our own concerts.”
For Stacey and the rest of the eight-member girl group, it’s vital to remind themselves that their success didn’t just happen overnight; it’s the result of years of hard work. Reflecting on her biggest lesson over the past five years, she recalls a conversation with veteran performer Gary Valenciano, who visited them backstage at their very first solo concert at the New Frontier Theater last June. “You don’t have to be the best,” she remembers him saying, “you just have to be excellent.”
Through the whirlwind of events over the past year, Stacey keeps this sentiment close. Being part of a Philippine pop phenomenon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it also comes with sacrifices. In the wake of endless flights and packed schedules, keeping up isn’t always easy. When the going gets tough, she wills herself to pause and savor the present moment. It costs nothing to be kind, both to others and herself. “A good heart will always win,” she believes.
On and off stage, Stacey finds joy in the camaraderie the group shares. “Honestly, everything is the best with them,” she smiles. “Especially when we’re all in the mood to laugh, everyone’s quirky. When we have downtime, we just end up laughing and joking around with each other. I think that’s what I love about them, this side of us that’s so fun. Lahat talaga dinadaan sa happiness and positivity [We really get through everything with happiness and positivity].”
While life looks different than it did five years ago, Stacey says that, in many ways, she still feels like the same girl. On rest days, she and her mom go back to their favorite routine: going on dates, shopping, sharing meals, being girls together.
YOU CAN SIT WITH US
By BIANCA CUSTODIO. Cover Story by GABY GLORIA. Photographs by RENZO NAVARRO. Fashion Director PAM QUIÑONES. Beauty Editor JOYCE OREÑA. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Makeup: Carell Garcia, Julius Cabanisas, Mark Qua, Theresa Padin. Hair: Bill Watson and Cherry Reyes of Toni &Guy. Art Director: Jann Pascua. Production Design: Justine Bumanlag. Executive Producer: Anz Hizon. Associate Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Beauty Writer: Bianca Custodio. Nails: Extraordinail. Digital Associate Editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Digital Content Writer: Daphne Sagun. Multimedia Artist: Tinkerbell Poblete. Photographer’s Assistant: Alexis Wang, Dominic Pamatmat. Stylist’s Assistants: Neil de Guzman, Ticia Almazan. Hair Assistants: Glenda Eugenio, John Al-rey Valencia, Lindsay Agapito, Noel Muncada. Production Design Assistants: Gabrielle Mantala, Geber Cunanan, Jan Abal, Jonel Navarro, Olderico Bondoc. Shot on location at Balara Content Studio.
