Style
Anne Curtis Used Filipino Designer Pieces As Emotional Armor For Her Character In 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay'
Published on Jul 22, 2025
We all fell in love with It's Okay to Not Be Okay—from its powerful story and stunning cinematography to the unforgettable fashion of its female protagonist Ko Mun Yeong, the South Korean drama captivated audiences everywhere. Now, it's time for the Filipino adaptation to capture hearts in its own unique way.
That's something that Anne Curtis confidently promises. In a roundtable interview with the press together with co-star Joshua Garcia, Anne expressed how excited she is to show everyone how she curated the Filipino version of Ko Mun Yeong, Mia Hernandez.
"I'm so excited to share all of the outfits. I've been dying to share it, but cannot yet," she said, giddy with so much excitement.
Anne goes on to explain the intricacies of creating the image of Mia Hernandez in a Filipino way but still paying homage to the original version. "I'll start with Mia Hernandez. As everyone knows, she has an antisocial personality disorder. Her outfit serves as armor to protect showing her real emotions," Anne stated.
"Now, we know that in the original, Ko Mun Yeong's outfits were all so good. So, I had to make sure that we live up to that in the Filipino adaptation. But for us, I wanted to make sure that we had some Filipino designers in there. So, for some of the scenes, you'll spot the Filipiniana. And I used some madams (!) in the industry," she further told the press. She also noted that many of the standout outfits in key scenes were crafted locally.
As a longtime fan of the original K-drama—and an actress known for going above and beyond in every role—Anne shared how deeply involved she was in shaping Mia's style, making sure every detail reflected the character's essence.
"Sobra ko na-enjoy putting together her outfits for specific scenes, collaborating with the Filipino designers, and of course with Direk [Mae Cruz-Alviar], making sure na pasok sa kanyang palette and taste because she was specific about the shades. So, I had so much fun creating Mia Hernandez, not only emotionally, but also physically in terms of fashion," the actress illustrated.
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Anne Curtis & Joshua Garcia on their 'It's Okay to Not be Okay' characters
Fashion was undoubtedly one of the key aspects of Mia Hernandez that Anne deeply connected with on a personal level. This is amid the fact that Mia and Anne are a bit different when it comes to their personalities.
"I'm such a bubbly person. I mean, every now and then, I'll probably have a Mia Hernandez [persona] come out. Hindi natin maiiwasan yan. But, I had, I had so much fun playing Mia Hernandez because nga, she's the total opposite of me, but maybe relatable in terms of dressing up," Anne admitted.
As for Joshua, who plays Patrick Gonzales (Moon Gang Tae in the original), he says it's his role that feels very close to his true nature IRL.
"Nakaka-relate ako sa character ko," he said when asked if he ever felt that his character was relatable to him. "Masasabi kong isa siya sa character ko na nagawa na pinakamalapit talaga sa personality ko. Pinaka-enjoy ko while doing it, siguro yung makapag-express ako ng emotion ko."
If you haven't seen the original K-drama It's Okay to Not Be Okay, it tells the story of two brothers: Moon Gang Tae, a nurse at a psychiatric hospital, and his older brother Moon Sang Tae, a gifted artist on the autism spectrum. Their lives become deeply intertwined with Ko Mun Yeong, a popular but emotionally troubled children's book author—and Sang Tae's favorite. In a uniquely twisted yet touching journey, the three navigate personal traumas and emotional wounds, finding healing together while also revealing the stories of the hospital's patients along the way.
It's Okay to Not be Okay is currently streaming on Netflix. The first four episodes are up since its release on July 18.
All The Times Anne Curtis Went Twinning With Ko Moon Young From 'It's Okay To Not Be Okay'
They're undeniably two of the most fashionable leading ladies to ever grace our screens!
CONTINUE READINGKate runs on caffeine and K-drama cliffhangers. She also thrives on plot twists—on screen, on the page, and, of course, in the group chat.