Long live the terno
CCP and Bench continue the tale of the terno with a new roster of design visionaries for Ternocon 2020
On the pages of his novel Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Philippine national hero Jose Rizal described the classic Filipina best through the image of Maria Clara. From Segunda Katigbak to Leonor Rivera, Rizal was beguiled by their intelligence, charm, and wit, dressed in elegance of traditional Filipino wear, as did even his supposed wife, Irish-Hong Kongese Josephine Bracken, who was photographed on occasion in Filipino attire.
Adding a contemporary chapter to the long history of Philippine fashion, Ternocon 2020 has unveiled its latest roster of designers for the second edition of the terno-making convention and competition.
Initiated by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), through its Cultural Exchange Department, and Bench (Suyen Corporation), Ternocon aims to encourage the use of the terno as formal dress, to inspire a new generation of Filipino designers to make ternos that are grounded in the history of the Philippine national dress, and to motivate regional designers to create works that are at par with the construction techniques of master designers such as Patis
Tesoro and National Artist for Fashion Ramon Valera. “The essence of our ‘love local’ advocacy is focused on the community,” says Ben Chan, chairman and CEO of Suyen Corporation. “Community reinforces identity. When we say love local, it means to love ourselves, to love our identity, to love who we are—that’s culture.” Together with Chan on the Ternocon passion project are noted fashion designers Philip Rodriguez, Ivarluski Aseron, Lesley Mobo, and past Ternocon 2018 gold medalist Marlon Tuazon while Inno Sotto stands as chief mentor to the new design visionaries of Filipino traditional wear.
“I made so many of these ternos for many women, and when they wear it, automatically they stand out and they look different,” says Sotto. “If you’re from here, you’ll wear it and walk differently. It’s not just the women.
Filipino men wearing barongs really look good. Hands down they look really handsome in a barong.”
The word Ternocon was coined from the book Fashionable Filipinas
by Mark Lewis Higgins and Gino Gonzales, who is also Ternocon’s project director.
Happening on Jan. 26, 2020, the 14 finalists will present their three-piece collections at the CCP after months of workshops and studies on the art of terno-making.
“What’s interesting about this year’s batch is that we have fewer finalists. They are required to do three pieces but they are all skilled and innovative,” says Sotto. “What we look for in these designers is the appreciation of and curiosity about many things outside fashion. You can’t just be in fashion. We want someone who has an interest in theater, art, and film, anything that exposes their eyes to changes. See interpretations of things then and now.”
The 14 designers to showcase their works next year are Hannah Adrias, Hanz Coquilla, Dinnes Obusan, Xernan Orticio, June Pugat, Renz Reyes, Gavin Ruffy, Toping, Zamora, Windell Madis, C.J. Martin, Jaggy Glarino, Krizia Jimenez, Jean Dee, and Abdul
Dianalan.
To give a glimpse of what’s to come, the men- tors of Ternocon 2020 gave a preview by hold- ing a mini terno fash- ion presentation at The Playground of Bench
Tower in BGC, Taguig. Tuazon presented a terno inspired by a melting sapphire while Aseron took a clinical and modernist approach to his design. Fiery with a Spanish flair was Rodriguez’s terno that conjured up the matadors, flamenco dancers, and Catholic imagery. Mobo’s was virginal white with drapes of mantones de Manila.
“This is the only way we can assure the preservation, appreciation, and promotion of the Philippine national dress,” says Margie MoranFloirendo, CCP chair. “It sets us apart and mirrors the country’s history and art in many ways. Let’s all keep the terno alive!”
‘We want someone who has an interest in theater, art, and film, anything that exposes their eyes to changes.’