Set Designer Robert Blancaflor Expressed Excitement For The ABS-CBN Ball 2023

“The inspiration was really from the tagline 'ABS-CBN Ball is back,'” event stylist and set designer Robert Blancaflor declared, when asked what his wellspring of inspiration was for the set of Metro’s Road to the Ball cover shoot. He incorporated elements that shouts transformation, picking up from where the party left off. “It’s like a rebirth,” he laid down, citing the decorative components of his set design. 

He served fresh and tip-top flowers, suggesting that something just blossomed. Truth be told, there’s joy in new beginnings and navigating such is a breath of fresh air. He framed the bits and slices into one cohesive overall idea that tells tales of awakening—the likes of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, for instance. He least aspired for the non-natural as well, working only on props that are the polar opposite of pretend play. 

“As you are aware,” Robert began, “we don’t use plastic or artificial flowers.” His basic instinct in terms of imagined spaces demands sustainability, too. “Well, we basically used all the important flowers. They were all shipped from Holland and Ecuador,” the UP Alumni 2023 Outstanding Professional Awardee told Metro.Style. “We really look at sustainability as one of our ways that we do things—something that’s raw, something that’s organic.”

Hanging lights, hedges, candelabras, golden chairs, vines, statement vases, and floral adornments are featured in his dreamy design, which paints a palette of pink, red, and white. “We’re known for our look to be very elegant. We’re not the type that put everything in one basket,” Robert shared, emphasizing that elegance should be the big star of the show. “We make sure that everything is selected very well.”

Classic and realistic is how Robert would describe his rendering when it comes to styling sets. He sees beauty in the untamed, which best suits his concepts and creative constructs. However, apart from class, considering the client’s aspirations is also a priority in the agenda. “At the end of the day, it’s really the client’s event. You need to make sure that your styling matches the client’s personality.”

“If you’re given the freedom [to do what you want], I think you should try to talk and basically create a rapport with the client, [but] you also have to learn that it’s not your event,” he added. “It’s about personality, unless the client wants something else, right? That’s why for me, it’s very important that you make it personalized as much as possible.” Above everything else, Robert respects client recommendations as well.

Robert’s work has to be in sync with the bigger picture that the client prefers, so he makes sure that every expectation is taken into account without compromising the aesthetic interests of both parties and the budget of the client. “The important elements of event styling are number one, you need to look at the client’s personality. [Number two] you need to look at the tangible one, which is the budget. ’Yun ’yung tangible and intangible elements of styling.”

With over 20 years in the event circuit, Robert Blancaflor has opened his services overseas, finding footing in New York and Los Angeles, USA. In 2017, also, he was awarded as a finalist in the esteemed Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” and is the founder of 18th Floristry and Event Rentals Company. Robert had an earlier corporate career in the banking industry, but he left that lane to prioritize his creative pursuits. 

Lead photos from www.apea.asia and @robblancaflor