From rituals to the runway: Norwegian-Filipina artist HILLARI takes us to the Stel show at CPHFW

Between promoting a new EP and readying for her first headline show, Norwegian-Filipina singer HILLARI is pretty busy these days. The 18-year-old talent, however, found time in her hectic schedule to travel to Copenhagen for Fashion Week to sing accompaniments for Stel’s AW25 collection. For a Vogue Scandinavia exclusive, the singer offered an insight into her day, from travelling in the early hours and numerous rituals to post-show celebrations.

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As I landed in Copenhagen, Nicolay, my bassist, reminded me of something: exactly one year ago, on this very day, I was in Copenhagen performing as a supporting act for Masego on his tour. The coincidence of it all felt like a clear sign - it was going to be a good day!!

I went for a fitting for the STEL show today. I tried on different outfits to see what matched my energy for the performance. With the help of my stylist, Maria Fuhre, we ended up going for a more cool, business-casual look.

Nothing beats the excitement of getting ready, and doing your own make-up and hair. And especially with an iced coffee in your hand? The best! Can you guys even tell that I had no sleep the night before? The makeup up was make-upping!

This is the secret key to my life! My pre-show ritual (and honestly, even in daily life) is making time for myself by carving out moments for prayer, journaling, and spending time with God. Being a creative with a packed schedule can be overwhelming, so I made sure I had time to ground myself before the show. This habit has given me so much peace and strength.

I was on my way to the venue! I will never be not fascinated by Samsung’s back screen! Like yo….you can actually see yourself?!

Soundcheck time!

This was actually my first performance for a fashion runway show, so we were a bit nervous because it is completely different from doing a concert.

I don’t like to admit this, but we actually made our setlist on the very same day. We probably changed the songs and its order more than five times. It was already around 5:30PM, so It was stressful for a second because the guest were due to come in an hour or so. But as always, we figured it out at the end and were excited with our plan for the show!

30 minutes before the show, I usually I warm up my voice. Shoutout to Joshua for encouraging me to do so, cos not too long ago I didn’t even know how important this was.

It’s showtime! Shoutout to my girl, my stylist Maria Fuhre for always making sure I look good! She’s a real one.

I enjoyed performing an acoustic version of my single, “Dangerous”.

Full on STEL outfit, I loved how this outfit made me feel so confident.

Time went by fast, but the models did an amazing job, and I felt like the performance was incredible - so it was an amazing night. I talked with my friends, and met some cool, new people. It was a beautiful first-time experience.

Astrid did such an incredible job, and it was genuinely such an honor that STEL was my first fashion runway performance! Being a part of STEL´s show was a good way to start off 2025, and I can’t wait to see what this year has to bring for Astrid and I!

That’s a wrap!!!! So Maria, Nicolay, Shirin and I ready to go back to our hotel, and end our day! Tonight was such an unforgettable blessing! Thank you for having me, see you next time Vogue Scandinavia.