Ivana Alawi secret weapon of Lvna, leads Barbie campaign

Ivana Alawi

Drake Dustin Ibay of fine diamond jewelry retailer Lvna by Drake Dustin revealed the company almost "perished" during the pandemic if they hadn't tapped Ivana Alawi to become their celebrity endorser.

"Ivana's endorsement gave us the edge," he said at a press conference held at Manila Peninsula recently. "Magmula noon, siya na ang hinahanap ng mga clients."

No wonder that for the Lvna x Barbie collaboration, the content creator-turned-actress was top of mind for Drake. Ivana not only endorses the brand, but she actually owns a Lvna store in Cebu City.

"Bata pa lang ako ay mahilig na ako mangolekta ng diamonds and gold," Ivana said. "Hindi kasi bumababa ang value ng diamond."

Her first diamond was an 8-carat ring bought when she was a teenager. It would have been the centerpiece of her collection except that during the shoot for an Lvna campaign, she fell in love with a diamond ring loaned to her that day.

"Hindi ako nakatulog," she said. "Sabi ko kahit wala na akong talent fee, yung diamond na lang na yon ang talent fee ko. So, I called up Drake and told him I want to buy the piece. Sabi niya, 'Sigurado ka?' And that was it."

She gave advice to those who want to start a business, whether it's jewelry or whatnot. Ivana said it is important to ask tips from people who are "experienced" and not to invest in anything beforehand.

As for first-time diamond buyers, the actress and content creator suggested they start "basic."

"Hindi kinakailangan na eight carats agad, just something na masusuot mo," she said. "Pwedeng necklace or ring. Lvna has different kinds so pwede kayo mamili dun. Basta get something na buo yung bato."

Recall that Ivana created a buzz when she bought from Lvna what she called a "self-love" ring. 

 "When I was younger, I thought magpapakasal ako when I reached 18. But 25 years old na ako, wala pa din so I thought of buying a ring for myself," she explained to that effect. 

Though perfect for the campaign, Drake revealed that negotiations with toy company Mattel that created and owns Barbie took months to get finalized. Now the familiar black Lvna boxes and trunks will be in pink for sometime in line with the Lvna x Barbie campaign.

Aside from Ivana, the other celebrity endorsers of Lvna by Drake Dustin are Andrea Brillantes and Rabiya Matteo.