The moment I got that ginormous invitation to the 3rd Philippine Fashion Ball, I have to admit, as usual, I got so giddy about the event. Of course, the first agenda was to find the most gorgeous dress to wear to the black, white, or black-and-white gathering. It was everything a Fashion Night Out or an Academy Awards baby would be. Marry the two and you get a fabulous gathering of the biggest names who matter in the industry.
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| Love this gigantic invitation! One of a kind! |
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| Snow blizzard at the grand finale! |
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| Take your picks, ladies! |
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| Albert Andrada |
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| Jerome Ang |
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| Jerome Lorico |
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| Sassa Jimenez |
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| Dennis Lustico |
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| Ivarluski Aseron |
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| Chris Jasler |
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| Joey Samson |
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| Rajo Laurel |
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| Ezra Santos |
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| Gian Romano |
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| Randy Ortiz |
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| Michael Cinco |
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| Couldn't miss this glamorous night! |
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| In our fab black outfits: Anton, me in Joey Samson and Angelette in Paolo Basa. |
Hosts Bianca Valerio and Michael Carandang led the occasion, dressed impeccably in black. The ladies? Super elegant! And the men, all dapper and appealing in their chosen suits. Before the dashing celebration, the tradition of handing fashion citations started the show. Among last night’s awardees were Tina Maristela-Ocampo for her excellence in Global Design handed by O+ Marketing Director Aveline Siy; Robby Carmona in Fashion Direction handed to him by Wilma Doesnt and their colleagues from SAGA; Apples Aberin for Fashion Modeling given by equally lovely Tweetie de Leon, Rissa Mananquil-Trillo & Phoemela Baranda; Ariel Lozada, Rajo Laurel & Dennis Lustico presented the plaque of excellence in Fashion Advocacy to the dynamic duo Tessa Prieto-Valdes & Kaye Tinga; and the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ben Chan, handed by Bench endorsers Enchong Dee & Joseph Marco, for providing a venue for Filipino talent here and abroad.
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| Hosts Bianca Valerio in Cary Santiago and Michael Carandang in Francis Libiran. |
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| Fashion Modeling Awardee Apples Aberin with the former and present presidents of the PMAP Rissa Mananquil-Trillo, Tweetie De Leon, and Phoemela Baranda. |
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| Fashion Direction Awardee Robby Carmona with Wilma Doesnt and SAGA Events, Inc. team. |
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| Global Design awardee Tina Maristela-Ocampo in Prada with O+ Marketing Director Aveline Siy in Joey Samson. |
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| Fashion Advocacy Awardee Kaye Tinga and Tessa Prieto-Valdes with Dennis Lustico and Rajo Laurel. |
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| Lifetime Achievement Awardee Ben Chan with Bench celebrity endorsers Joseph Marco and Enchong Dee. |
After the cheers and the speeches (quick but heartwarming, at that), of course, the centerpiece of the occasion came. And this time, Ariel Lozada brought the male fashion exhibition showcasing the spring/summer collections of 13 noted designers with the help of more than 50 dashing male models. Among these designers were Albert Andrada, Jerome Ang, Ivar Aseron, Michael Cinco, Chris Jasler, Sassa Jimenez, Rajo Laurel, Jerome Lorico, Dennis Lustico, Randy Ortiz, Gian Romano, Joey Samson, and Ezra Santos.
What was shown was an incredible display of talent, designers’ vision with execution perfected by Ariel’s innate taste and artistry as a director—definitely one for the books. And not to mention the number of male mannequins who rendered their services wearing the best creations of our best minds in design.
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| Joseph Marco in Marc Jacobs. |
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| O+ live human installations! |
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| Mega Magazine’s Suki Salvador looking at PFB designers’ past collections via the newest O+ 8.12. |
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| Jack De Mesa, Izza Agana, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, and The Peninsula Hotel Manila’s Director of Events Steph Chong taking notes from the O+ troopers. |
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| Another group pic with our good friend Ipe Cruz. |
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| Liz Uy in Thai designer Wonder Anatomie & Givenchy |
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| Kai Lim in Vania Romoff |
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| Raymond Gutierrez in Alexander Wang. |
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| Vince Uy in Balenciaga and Izzue mix. |
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| Stylist Sidney Yap in Zara |
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| Enchong Dee with a suit from Opening Ceremony |
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| Lifetime Achievement awardee Ben Chan in Dior Homme. |
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| Couple Paolo & Rissa Mananquil-Trillo in Randy Ortiz |
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| Joey Mead in Rajo Laurel & Phoemela Baranda in Charina Sarte. |
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| Cosmpolitan Magazine's Donna Cuna-Pita & Myrza Sison |
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| Metro Magazine's Patrick Ty & Michealle Torres |
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| Metro Magazine's Ria Gamboa & Katrina Angco |
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| Aurelio Icasiano III & Metro Magazine's Geolette Esguerra |
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| Designer Martin Bautista & Chalk Magazine's Toff de Venecia. |
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| Mega Magazine's Patrick Galang, Suki Salvador and Jed Velasco. |
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| Fashion Photographer Raymund Isaac & Manila Bulletin's Liza Ilarde |
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| Senior PMAP members Issa Agana, Jack De Mesa and The Peninsula Hotel Manila Director of Events Stephanie Chong |
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| Men’s Show Director Ariel Lozada, Global Design awardee Tina Maristela-Ocampo, husband Ricco Ocampo, and Tessa Prieto-Valdes. |
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| PFB Style and Creative Director Noel Manapat. |
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| Trishan Cuaso & participating designer Randy Ortiz. |
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| JM Rodriguez & Nix Alanon |
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| Participating designer Albert Andrada. |
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| Designer Frederick Peralta |
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| Tim Walters & wife Giselle Toengi |
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| Niccolo Cosme, Gilmarie Pacamarra & Leo Valdez |
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| Philippine Fashion Week's Joey Espino & Kaye Tinga |
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| O+'s Aveline Siy, John Paul Palileo & Felyn Ong |
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| O+ Executive Distributor Michael Tan. |
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| Samantha Lewis & Marc Nelson |
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| Allan Vianzon, Jing Monis & F&H CEO Ronald Pineda |
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| Jo Ann Bitagcol in Joey Samson. |
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| Tim Yap in Rajo Laurel & Dries Van Noten. |
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| Ruffa Gutierrez in Cary Santiago. |
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| Cristalle Belo in YSL. |
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| Sisters Carla and Sam Humphries in Charina Sarte and John Herrera respectively. |
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| Tim Yap, Enchong Dee, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Joseph Marco, Luisito Rabat & David Chua |
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| Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs's Dick Carmeling, Sander Timmers, and stylist Steven Doloso. |
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| PMAP models Riana Matera in Randy Ortiz, Nikita McElroy in Chris Jasler and Kylie Versoza in Chery Veric. |
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| PMAP's Natasha Bautista in Cherry Veric. |
Many have said, coming up with a showstopping gathering as grand as this is next to impossible. So I give it up to the organizers of the event, my good friends, who have gone leaps and bounds in making this a spectacle that everyone enjoyed and dropped jaws at. And dare I say, three isn’t enough. TO MORE YEARS, Philippine Fashion Ball!
