MANILA, Philippines — Talent manager Annabelle Rama had a memorable 71st birthday by celebrating it at the 2023 Opulence Halloween Ball.
The ball was co-organized by Annabelle's son, Mond Gutierrez and his collaborative partner Ash Rye, and held at Taguig's Marquis Events Place.
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The 2023 edition, bearing the theme of mythology and folklore, signaled the ball's return following its inception four years ago when the theme was "Let Them Eat Cake."
Mond himself kicked off the black carpet arrivals, donning a golden armor by Bonita Penaranda.
"I want our Halloween to be creative, not scary. I still want to lean towards the beautiful side of costumes — make it more of a fashion event, more than anything," Mond later told members of the press.
The host-entrepreneur shared his prior fascination with mythological figures, like Zeus and Athena, which led to him dressing up as if imagining he was one of the gods.
WATCH: Mond shares his favorite deity from mythology, a theme that was supposed to be staged in 2020 if not for the COVID-pandemic. @PhilstarShowbiz @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/zywnbzeL0j
— Kristofer Purnell (@kjpurneII) October 31, 2023
Mond told Philstar.com that this year's theme was supposed to be the one for 2020, if not for COVID-19 pandemic, and it was eventually decided to be brought back when the ball made its grand return.
"In 2020, I had a 40-page deck all ready to be sent out to partners, but because of COVID, we weren't able to fully realize it," Mond said. "This year we were able to look back at what we were planning and go full force."
He added there were no themes in mind yet for a possible 2024 edition, so Mond is open to suggestions, "It's still gonna fall under the umbrella of opulence, but something different naman."
About an hour later, his mother, Annabelle and her husband Eddie Gutierrez, arrived on the black carpet, showing their support for him.
Annabelle said her birthday wish was for long life, for her whole family to stay healthy, and for her twin sons, Mond and actor Richard, to find more success in their careers.
Eddie and Annabelle's only daughter, Ruffa, also walked the black carpet wearing a golden outfit inspired by the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, designed by Job Dacon.
Richard was the last person to arrive in black armor to close the black carpet arrivals. — Video by Kristofer Purnell, editing by Martin Ramos
RELATED: In photos: Celebrities as gods, goddesses at Opulence Halloween Ball