WATCH: Fernando Zobel de Ayala opens Ternocon 3
MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Fernando Zóbel de Ayala led last Wednesday’s opening of Ternocon III: Ang Balintawak Ngayon exhibit, an initiative under BRAVO! Filipino, a mall-wide celebration designed to promote local heritage and culture.
The public can view the winning and most iconic looks from the recently concluded Ternocon III competition until April 16 in Greenbelt 5 Gallery, Ayala Museum, Glorietta Activity Center, and Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center, Makati City.
“In 2008, our Chairman Emeritus Jaime Zobel de Ayala envisioned a grand cultural event – a series of events that celebrated and honored the very best of Filipino talents in the various areas of the performing and the visual arts – food, fashion and more. Fueled with this passion and deep love for the arts, Bravo! Filipino came to life,” Zobel de Ayala said in his opening speech.
Dennis Marasigan, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Vice President and Artistic Director, added in his speech at the exhibit opening that the Ternocon’s mission is to preserve the Philippine dress as part of CCP’s efforts to champion Filipino creativity through fashion design.
Like the two previous editions, the results of Ternocon III have been “outstanding,” said Marasigan.
“Since then, we’ve seen breakthroughs as we’ve seen in the increase in the awareness, appreciation and the use of the Terno especially among the younger generation,” he enthused, announcing that after Ayala Malls, Ternocon exhibits will tour other parts of the country since the CCP main building is undergoing a major renovation, and a new series of Ternocon workshops will be held from this year to the next.
“Five or seven years ago, when you go to Instagram and put hashtag Terno, Philippine Terno, you won’t find a single thing,” Ternocon Artistic Director Gino Gonzales told Philstar.com in an interview at the exhibit opening.
“But now if you do that, you’d see many young people wearing the costume. We see more people wearing it. I must admit, it could still be better, but within those five years, there’s been better awareness regarding the Terno.”
The exhibit displays the couture creations of the 13 Ternocon III contestants, Ternocon 2020 Gold Medalist Hannah Adrias, Ternocon Chief Mentor Inno Sotto, and Ternocon III mentors Chito Vijandre, Ricky Toledo, Dennis Lustico and Joey Samson.
In Greenbelt Gallery, discover the designs of Lustico, who worked with a sophisticated color palette executed in beaded piña cloth, point d’esprit lace, fishnet, taffeta, duchesse satin, and silk organza. A motif conveyed in ostrich feather work, beads, and rhinestones were inspired by a cluster of coconut trees that he had seen from one of his travels in the Philippines.
Related: WATCH: Filipiniana historian explains difference between Terno, Balintawak
In Ayala Museum lobby, designer-mentors Chito Vijandre and Ricky Toledo take center stage. Their powerful design duo celebrates maximalism, multi-culturalism, and camp with their ‘70s and ‘80s homage to Pinoy pop culture. From beaded slogans to kitschy art, elements were merged with fine, vintage textiles, lacework, and classical imagery.
In Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center, discover the collections of Samson and Adrias. Samson draws serious inspiration from national hero Jose Rizal and his many lovely muses, including his nine romantic partners and his mother Teodora. He masterfully fuses the languages of traditional menswear (i.e., the barong, camisa, Western suit) with womenswear (i.e., the pañuelo, alampay, tapis, enaguas, etc.).
Adrias, also Ternocon’s 2020 Gold Medalist, provides a fitting contract to Samson, with her dystopian vision of fractured and distressed materials. She uses a muted palette of amber, moss, teal, bronze, gold, and gray, with the alampay and tapis transformed into curvilinear strips that envelop and reveal the body.
In Glorietta Activity Center, Ternocon contestants’ works can be seen. Amor Albano deliberately selected an inexpensive textile and relied on skills to elevate its appearance. The Ilocos Norte native made use of piled up and cut out multi-colored crystal organdy to bring about the hidden layers beneath. In addition, idyllic images of the bahay kubo (nipa hut), coconut tree, sampaguita blooms were rendered with a charming naiveté.
Glyn Alley Magtibay, an Oriental Mindoro native mentored by Vijandre and Toledo, innovatively played with translucent X-ray sheets to create the balintawak’s butterfly sleeves, bodice, corset, and other accessories.
Also mentored by Samson, designer Bon Hansen Reyes, from Rizal, used the language of menswear to interpret balintawak and evoke a genderless garment. The more structured suiting and shirting materials were combined with softness of tulle and hand embroidery.
Rizal-native Gabbie Sarenas, the Pura Escurdia Awardee (Silver medal), under the tutelage of Samson, astounded audiences with their subtle tweak of the traditional balintawak, which included dimensional embroidery of sampaguita flowers on the cañamazo.
Bree Esplanada from Cebu combined their graphic and fashion design skills to create ternos inspired by Philippine lore. The tikbalang and other mythical creatures of the night were printed on cloth, embroidered, beaded, and appliqued.
Karl Mark Nadales, an Iloilo native, took another visionary approach, creating balintawak-inspired pieces that revolved around his fascination for a bag lady. He used deconstructed components and upcycled materials to suggest an assemblage of garments.
Also hailing from Iloilo is Samson’s mentee, Marc Carcillar, who created beautiful, shape-shifting ensembles like an alampay that emerged from the skirt, thrown over the shoulder, and was fastened on the waist to resemble a draped tapis. He lent a playful feel as well when he creatively repurposed a bilao into a hat.
Bringing more lovely hues into the gallery, Al Rey Rosano from Negros Oriental, a mentee of Lustico, captured the sunset of his hometown by recreating the yellow to orange ombré through micro pleating. In one outfit, an overlay of brown lace suggested the alampay and tapis.
Glady Rose Pantua, a Zamboanga native and the recipient of the Ramon Valera Award (Bronze Medal), paid tribute as well with country attire that was lavished with home crafts. Aside from beaded birds, minute images of Philippine culture were lovingly hand-embroidered on the textiles.
Cheetah Rivera, a young talent from Quezon City known for her distinct feminine style, was inspired by tropical butterflies, which were alluded to in her use of pleated organza, layered ruffles for collars, and butterfly sleeves that sprung symmetrically from different areas of the bodice.
Taking inspiration from “Florante and Laura,” Dee Javier from Manila literally printed the passages on draped cloth to create the imagery of a tear-stained love letter. To complement the ensembles, stylized bakyas were used.
Geom Hernandez from Batangas leaned into the functionality of the Balintawak, creating an tie-dyed outfit – resembling a Rorschach image – into a piece with adjustable panels with draw strings.
Finally, Pacita Longos Awardee (Gold Medal) Yssa Inumerable from Paranaque was inspired by prints of the Gibson Girls from the turn of the 20th century. Her joyous take on the Balintawak included gently tweaked versions of all the traditional components, using Piña, jusi, and Inabel cloth from Abra. She also used colorful folk style embroidery called Bordang Taal.
Following the Ternocon III exhibit is another Bravo! Filipino initiative: a live performance featuring the American Ballet Theatre and our very own Cecile Licad, which patrons can watch for free in Ayala Center Cebu and Ayala Malls Abreeza on April 22 and 23 respectively.
