Tessa Prieto-Valdes
Maria Theresa Isabel "Tessa" Rufino Prieto-Valdes is a Filipino interior designer, socialite, columnist, and television personality known for her flamboyant personal style in fashion and for her philanthropic work. Prieto-Valdes writes lifestyle and society columns for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and has co-founded the Red Charity Gala, an annual charity fashion gala in Manila. She has also appeared as a media personality on reality television and in films.
Early life
Prieto-Valdes is the eldest daughter of Marixi Rufino-Prieto, a businesswoman who chaired the Philippine Daily Inquirer and a member of the prominent Rufino family, and Alejandro "Alex" Prieto, a businessman. She had an older brother, Louie, who died in a motorcycle accident along South Luzon Expressway in 1994. Her sister, Alexandra "Sandy" Prieto-Romualdez, is the president and CEO of the Inquirer Group of Companies, while her brother Paolo is the president of Inquirer.net, the newspaper's website.Prieto-Valdes completed high school at Assumption College in Makati in 1981 and initially studied architecture at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila for two years, but she dropped out after becoming pregnant with her eldest child, Bryan, at age 19. Raising Bryan as a single mother, her parents sent her to live abroad. She then pursued interior design, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design from the College of Notre Dame in the United States. After finishing her studies abroad, Prieto-Valdes returned to the Philippines and took the professional licensure exam for interior designers, achieving the top score in 1995.
The Rufino-Prieto family was listed by Forbes as one of the Philippines' richest—ranked 39th in 2007 and 40th in 2008—with an estimated family fortune of more than US$30 million.
Career
Interior design and writing
Prieto-Valdes has been a practicing interior designer since at least 1989—fellow designer Tessa Alindogan recalls that Prieto-Valdes was her first business partner in an interior design venture that year. Prieto-Valdes later established her own design firm known as the Trezza Group or "Tessa Group", which has handled both residential and commercial projects. Notable works include the interiors of Hotel Elizabeth in Baguio and Cebu, as well as the office of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. With over two decades in the field, she is recognized for an eclectic design aesthetic that blends colors, patterns, and themes, much like her personal fashion style.Since 2003, Prieto-Valdes has been a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, writing on lifestyle and society topics. She contributes a society column and a weekly real estate/home interiors column titled "My Square Meter". Her columns chronicle the people, places, and events of Manila's high society, and she often draws from her own experiences in the social scene. Her Sunday column, simply titled "Tessa!", is a personal chronicle—part social diary, travelogue, and family journal. By the mid-2000s, she was contributing two weekly columns in the Inquirer. In 2013, the Inquirer published a compilation of her first ten years of columns.
Television, film, and other media
In 2007, Prieto-Valdes joined the GMA Network's reality singing competition Celebrity Duets: Philippine Edition, where well-known personalities performed with professional singers. Among the singers she performed with were Kyla, Jolina Magdangal, Billy Crawford, Kitchie Nadal, Manilyn Reynes, Rufa Mae Quinto, Arnell Ignacio, Michael V., Joey G. of Side A, Mike Hanopol, and Aia de Leon of Imago. On October 20, Prieto-Valdes won the show's first season. In subsequent seasons of Celebrity Duets, she returned as a judge.In October 2009, she was featured as a guest judge on an episode of the second season of Project Runway Philippines, where the design contestants were challenged to create wearable outfits inspired by her famously eccentric style.
Prieto-Valdes made a cameo on the regional reality competition show The Amazing Race Asia, which aired on AXN. During the show's fourth season, a leg set in the Philippines featured her as the local "pit stop greeter", welcoming contestants at the finish mat in Bacacay, Albay, while standing beside the show's host, Allan Wu—she appeared in a vibrantly colored abacá-fabric outfit reflecting the local culture.
In 2012, Prieto-Valdes co-hosted Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Philippines on TV5 as the show's interior design expert, alongside Paolo Bediones as the team leader.
She has guested on several talk shows, including The Ryzza Mae Show, The Lolas' Beautiful Show, and Sarap, 'Di Ba?.
One of Prieto-Valdes's major television stints was as host of Philippine Realty TV, a real estate and home design program on the ABS-CBN News Channel. She first joined this show in 2015, announcing that she was "the new host of Philippine Realty TV, a show on real estate" airing Sunday nights. The program involved property tours with interior design features—an area well within her expertise. Prieto-Valdes's tenure on Philippine Realty TV spanned multiple seasons; she remained its host through the late 2010s. As of 2020, media profiles still noted that she "hosts Philippine Realty TV" as one of her ongoing roles.
In 2023, she was invited as a guest judge on the second season of Drag Race Philippines. During episode 3 of that season, she joined the judging panel evaluating contestants' high-fashion looks. Her participation attracted attention when she bluntly described one contestant's Halloween-themed outfit as "trash", echoing a controversial critique from a previous season. The remark drew some backlash from viewers and former contestants on social media, although Prieto-Valdes defended her judgment as part of the show's entertainment.
She led a team as a celebrity contestant on the GMA Network game show Family Feud in 2024, marking her return to the game show after a 15-year gap.
Apart from television, Prieto-Valdes has appeared in a few Filipino films, usually in cameo roles where she plays herself or a variation of her public persona. She had a cameo in the comedy film Temptation Island, portraying a beauty pageant host in an extravagant pageant scene. She also appeared briefly in the teen comedy Tween Academy: Class of 2012 as a character known as the aunt of "Popular Gal" Chloe, and in the comedy horror film Coming Soon. These film cameos typically capitalized on her status as a fashion icon; she would often be seen in her trademark flamboyant attire on screen.
Philanthropy
In 2009, Prieto-Valdes co-founded the Red Charity Gala together with Kaye Chua-Tinga, the wife of former Taguig mayor Freddie Tinga who later became the president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The Red Charity Gala is an annual fundraising event in Metro Manila that combines a high-profile fashion show with charity auctions. The gala showcases the works of prominent Filipino fashion designers and raises money for various causes. Over the years, it has featured celebrated designers such as Dennis Lustico, Michael Cinco, Rajo Laurel, Cary Santiago, and others, each headlining the gala to present their collections for a cause. The proceeds from Red Charity Gala events are donated to humanitarian and community charities—beneficiaries have included the Philippine Red Cross, the Assumption HS '81 Foundation, and organizations supporting livelihood projects and disaster relief.As the gala's co-chair, she helps oversee sponsorships, the creative themes, and the selection of designers. In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, funds from the gala and her foundation were used to build homes for affected families in Samar. In interviews, she has credited her mother, Marixi Rufino-Prieto, for instilling in her the duty to "share your blessings" and to maintain "charity in our blood".
Prieto-Valdes is active with her high school's alumnae foundation, which provides scholarships to underprivileged youth. She regularly attends graduations of scholars and personally supports students through school, often noting that education is one of the most effective ways to improve lives. She also lends her time to various benefit events, from art auctions to charity balls, frequently as a host or speaker. Her reputation as a philanthropist earned her the description of having a "heart of gold" by fellow socialites.
In addition to traditional charity, Prieto-Valdes has found creative ways to merge her lifestyle interests with fundraising. She has organized marathon runs and sports activities with friends to support causes, and even her lavish parties sometimes double as charity events. The annual thematic parties she throws—often coinciding with her birthday or anniversaries—have been used to gather donations for charity instead of personal gifts.
Fashion and public image
Prieto-Valdes has often been described as a "fashion icon" in the Philippines for her outré outfits – lavish gowns, vibrant color schemes, layered patterns, and whimsical thematic accessories, especially her elaborate hats and headpieces. She has stated that she dresses to express joy and individuality, not to blend in. Early in her adulthood, however, her style was far more subdued: when she was coping with her older brother's death in the mid-1990s, she wore mostly black and neutral tones. Prieto-Valdes later credited a shift in her outlook on life—a decision to "live it up" after her brother's death and other challenges—for inspiring her signature colorful look. Since then, her extravagant fashion has become her personal brand. In 2002, she was featured on the cover of Tatler Philippines dressed as a Christmas tree, complete with ornaments, exemplifying her playful approach to haute couture.Prieto-Valdes supports the Philippine fashion industry. In interviews, she notes that she frequently collaborates with Filipino designers for her outfits and that she showcases local design talent in the events she hosts or attends. As a columnist and society figure, she has used her platform to promote designers and advocate for creativity and confidence in fashion, encouraging others to dress for themselves without fear.
Media outlets have regarded Prieto-Valdes as one of the Philippines' notable socialites, coming from a prominent family and maintaining a visible presence in Manila's elite social circles. GMA Integrated News, Philippine Entertainment Portal, and Tatler Asia have noted that her maximalist fashion style has made her the "life of the party" at Manila's social gatherings. She and her ex-husband, Dennis Valdes, were known to celebrate milestone anniversaries in grand fashion – for instance, in 2014, they renewed their vows on their 20th anniversary with a lavish Game of Thrones-themed party, complete with costumes and decorations inspired by the television series. Despite her status among the country's elite, Prieto-Valdes has cultivated a relatable public persona; media have nicknamed her "Ms. Sunshine" of Manila high society for her positive energy and approachable, witty demeanor.
She has earned the moniker "Sea Princess" because of her affinity for diving and marine life. "Sea Princess" was the title of her Philippine Daily Inquirer lifestyle column, and the name stuck as her public nickname over the years. Her Instagram handle is @seaprincess888, referencing the nickname. Friends and media alike use the nickname as shorthand for her colorful, mermaid-esque fashion style. Philippine publications routinely mention "Tessa, a.k.a. the Sea Princess". Prieto-Valdes, for her part, lives up to the title with ocean-themed elements in her wardrobe.