#MetroStyleWatch: These Celebrities Are Encouraging Filipinos To Make The Terno In Vogue Again!
For most of us, formal attire means embroidered ball gowns, tulle dresses, edgy minimalist pieces, and even androgynous pantsuits. But how about the terno? Does it even enter the mind?
The Cultural Center of the Philippines and local fashion brand Bench is starting a movement: to encourage more Filipinos to patronize the terno. After all, if the Japanese and the Koreans can wear the kimono and the hanbok with pride—then why not promote this attitude among Pinoys, too?
To keep a century of culture and local craftmanship alive, the two organizations have joined forces in promoting the terno to the next generation of fashion enthusiasts. They've done it all—from publishing a book on the evolution of Philippine national dresses (written by costume designer Gino Gonzales and Slim's Fashion and Arts School co-director Mark Lewis Higgins), to hosting terno-making competitions, and recently, to concluding a terno-making mentorship program across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
For the regional designers who participated in the program under veteran Pinoy designers JC Buendia, Cary Santiago, and Len Cabili, months of learning and hard work finally lead to last night's big culminating event—the TernoCon.
Competing for two categories—the Balintawak Cocktail Terno and the Formal Terno—were 28 finalists from 17 provinces nationwide, whose works were judged according to craftsmanship, creativity, and functionality.
Aside from the competition, the TernoCon also presented a show of couture terno creations by the program mentors.
Celebrities, designers, and society personalities supported the advocacy, gracing the iconic halls of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in their own statement-making terno. From classic, Maria Clara-inspired dresses to modern, avant garde interpretations, the evening's guests shone in their proudly local ensembles.
The butterfly-sleeved dress is indeed one of the uniquely Filipino costumes we can truly call ours. And with passionate Pinoys fighting to keep it relevant in the fast-paced industry of fashion, we're hopeful to see that it's thriving—and here to stay.
For our list of #MetroStyleWatch best-dressed guests at the TernoCon 2018, scroll ahead!
Gabbi Garcia in Dinnes Obusan
Solenn Heussaff in Cary Santiago
Ariella Arida in Michael Leyva
Kai Lim in a Ramon Valera bib and a Joey Samson terno
Sharina Gutierrez in Rajo Laurel
Armina Aranaz in Rajo Laurel
Dra. Aivee Teo in Inno Sotto
Metro Magazine's Kat Cruz-Villanueva in Mark Bumgarner
Trickie Lopa in Carl Jan Cruz
Tessa Prieto Valdes in Dennis Lustico
Juliana Gomez in JC Buendia
Designer Milka Quin in her own creation
Designer Tracy Dizon in her own creation
Lovi Poe in Albert Andrada
Megan Young in Niv De Leon
For more interesting terno creations, swipe through this gallery!
[photos]
Photography by Daniel Soriano
