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This is an excerpt from the MEGA September 2025 Stylephile
Meet 22-year old Lorin Gutierrez Bektas, an advertising student about to finish her last year at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. While does some social media work on the side, she is focused on completing her studies right now. And, if you Google her, you’ll see articles about Lorin in Philippine news sites ranging from she’s spending her summer vacation to what made her change her mind about getting a nose job, often with her mother’s name mentioned on the same headline.
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See, in case you don’t know yet—but likely you do—Lorin comes from a family of celebrities—from her maternal grandparents, to her mom, and uncles. While Lorin and her sister Venice are not in the entertainment industry themselves, they also grew up in the spotlight. It couldn’t be helped. And Lorin, looking back at it now with wisdom beyond her years, has a pretty balanced perspective of her childhood, both the privileges and the downsides of living in the public eye.
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF PRIVILEGE
Lorin admits that back then, she never really felt different from her peers because her classmates and teachers in school treated her like a regular person. It was only when she got older and learned more about the world through social media that she realized how different her childhood really was. When asked about it, she candidly mused, “I think a lot of kids are able to have the grace of that awkward stage and finding out who they are, making mistakes and just figuring out their place in this world, while I feel like I had less of that space to kind of move around and figure out who I was.”
It goes without saying that growing up wasn’t easy. On top of the natural insecurity of a young woman trying to keep up with society’s beauty standards, Lorin had to deal with the fact that her mother is a famous actress and beauty queen, so comparisons to her came naturally from all sides. “It was a lot of pressure from a young age in terms of navigating beauty standards and learning how to not let [other people’s] comments affect me.” Though her family has always been there to help her deal with noise, “When you’re 13, 14,15,” she pointed out, “a girl can say something mean about you at school, and you’ll think about it for two weeks—let alone strangers on the internet.”
“There were times when I wished that it was up to me to introduce myself to the world once I felt ready and once I felt more sure of who I was,” Lorin confessed to struggling with this for a while. Then she added, “But again, at the end of the day, there’s a silver lining to anything. It’s such a privilege, especially in this country, when there’s so much income inequality, to come from a family that is a little bit more financially stable, and all the benefits of being from a celebrity family.” She smiled. “I love social media, and I think I definitely acknowledge that I probably got a bit of a push because of my last name. So as I got older and more confident in myself, I resented it a lot less.”
IN HER OWN TERMS
Lorin wanted to go to the United States for college for the very reason she felt like she could introduce herself to people on her own terms. It was also a chance to figure out her identity beyond her family name. At 18 years old, the world opened up to Lorin and she took her time experimenting with different styles, different looks, and different approaches to life.
“Eventually, I realized that who I am is who I’ve always been,” she revealed, “and that the journey of growing up isn’t about straying away from who I was initially, but rather coming home to myself and realizing that I just need to connect with my inner child.”
Lorin shared that in order to find herself, she had to take herself out of the rat race of rapidly changing beauty trends and micro trends she was—like many still are—caught in. Instead, she asked herself, “What did I like as a kid? Who did I take inspiration from? What are my core values? I think that’s when I discovered who I am.”
One of Lorin’s core values, she found, is dedication to service. “I feel like human beings exist within a community, and it’s important for us to foster that community; help people who are in need,” she said. “But I don’t think that’s something to be applauded. I view it as a moral baseline for everyone. If you are in a position where you’re able to help someone, even if it’s something small, that can go far.”
Another one of her values is authenticity. Lorin has gotten to know her inner child and she protects her fiercely. “Just being true to myself, not allowing myself to be in positions or situations that disrupt my inner peace and happiness, and being able to say no to things.”
Her third core value is having strong family values. “That’s the Filipino in me that can never be taken away. Because when you’re raised in a way where your family is also influential, the mistakes you make and the way you carry yourself not only represents you, but it can represent your family as well. And rather than fighting that, it’s something you have to accept and move forward accordingly.”
Lorin admits that it took a lot of work in order to arrive at this realization of who she is and what matters to her. Being able to articulate her personal core values have resulted in a personal style that focuses more on quality rather than quality. She started to be more conscious about the fabrics and fit of the garments she wears.
“I think I like a lot of neutral colors, but I also like a pop of fun here and there,” she said. “I got a lot of inspiration from the 90s and super models off duty, and blending classic femininity with fun trends…I still want to enjoy my early 20s with my style, and be fun and fresh, but still have that classic twist. And I think I show timelessness through the quality of the materials, rather than the style.”
And yes, of course, she borrows from her mom—”A lot of her vintage bags, vintage shoes, and some sweaters,” she admitted. “Actually, recently I’ve been really into, like, the early 2010s party girl resurgence style. So think, like Hervé Léger bandage dresses, her Louboutins. I feel like, now that I’m in my 20s, I’m really into that.”
Read more about Lorin Bektas in MEGA magazine’s September 2025 issue now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photographed by ALEXIS DAVE CO. Fashion and styling direction by ROKO ARCEO. Art direction by CLARE MAGNO. Makeup THAZZIA FALEK. Hair RENZ PANGILINAN. Fashion Assistant KRISSIE TERUEL. Shot on Location at MEDUSA AT THE PALACE. Special thanks to RAYMOND GUTIERREZ
