Modelling memories may be beautiful and yet...
MANILA, Philippines - REWIND: 1968. Never was a cup of hot tea so appreciated to calm the butterflies that I felt in my stomach. I could sense that the two elegant ladies I was dining with were watching my every move. They were sizing me up — Miss Conchita Sunico, executive director of Karilagan International and Manila’s top high society hostess, and Señora Marta Rodriguez, daughter-in-law of Spain’s haute couturier, Don Pedro Rodriguez. I was a freshman student of St. Theresa’s College then and all I wanted was to get the hell out of Port Orient, Manila Hilton’s Asian restaurant, before I suffered from indigestion.
“Yes, she will do,” Señora Rodriguez said in rapid-fire Spanish. “I want only tall models for the show.” Before I knew it, I was walking down the ramp at the Top of the Hilton with my fashion icons, traveling abroad to promote Philippine fashion and gracing the cover of fashion magazines. Karilagan was one closely knit “family” of fashion designers and models in the early ‘60s to the late ‘80s. Miss Sunico (or Tita Conching to her Karilagan group) was its moving spirit. She conceptualized and produced both fashion and theater presentations with the aid of a committee of close friends for charitable and tourism purposes. One never applied for membership. One was invited to join the Karilagan roster of models and designers by Miss Sunico. We all feared her because she was strict and exacting, but we all loved her because she genuinely cared and was fiercely protective of us.
Her influence was far-reaching, almost osmotic. Miss Caltex ’63 and Karilagan model, Elsa Payumo, narrates doing the same thing when she became a top executive of Baron Travel. She asked the then newly chosen Miss Baron Travel, Charo Santos, to lunch and closely observed her every move, making sure that her table and social manners were impeccable. Charo, now the first female president of the giant ABS-CBN television network, told Elsa years later that she was so nervous that she hardly ate during that first lunch with her.
FAST-FORWARD: 2010. Last week’s big reunion of Karilagan members and friends gave me the opportunity to touch base not only with my batch but with those who came before and after my time. Still looking fabulous with a shapely flab-free body was Eva Reyes, former Miss Republic of the Philippines ’72, model and movie actress. Daily gym workouts, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and a carbohydrate-free diet is her secret, says US-based Eva. Almost just as slim is exotic Dayang-Dayang who flew in from London for the occasion. Still in possession of her catwalk flair, she deftly showed off an Aureo Alonzo creation consisting of a light ruffled cape and figure-hugging fringed long gown which was purchased on the spot by a bride-to-be who also asked Aureo to design her wedding dress. The ever-affable Aureo recounted the time when he, along with a group of fellow designers, flew to Seattle for the Karilagan fashion show at the World’s Fair; he always ended up pressing not only his clothes but also those of the others because he wanted everything to be perfect for the Philippines.
Miss Universe ’73, Margie Moran, says that she never modeled for Karilagan. “I was a dancer in Tita Conching’s Broadway productions. She told me that she would produce Peter Pan and give me the lead role. But before she could do so, I joined Bb. Pilipinas and went on to win the Miss Universe title.” As Miss Universe Margie met the famous Spanish Catalan surrealist painter, Salvador Dali, who wanted to do her portrait coming out from a wall. At 19, Margie was unimpressed. Her idea of a beautiful painting then was along more classic lines, like Betsy Westendorp’s work. Years later, she would realize the missed opportunity when she saw his paintings in some of the world’s important museums. “I was so young then. I would be sitting beside celebrities like Tony Bennett and I would ask myself who all these ‘old’ men were.”
Philippine Maid of Cotton ’73 finalist and Bb. Pilipinas Universe ’74 Guada Sanchez chimes in that she used to stay with Margie, then the reigning Miss Universe, in her expensive New York hotel suite and join her for limousine rides. “It was a case of ‘too much, too soon’ for me according to Pitoy Moreno,” says Guada who was only 17 that time. She flew in for the reunion from her base city, Shanghai.
Frannie Aguinaldo-Jacinto, a member of the reunion working committee, floats into the room in a lovely caftan by Ben Farrales. She tells me that Pitoy and Ben, who are not exactly the best of friends, found themselves standing next to each other at the party. Pitoy started to talk to Ben who seemed not too keen to carry on a conversation. “Ben, talk to him,” Frannie chided, “He has already forgotten that you are not on speaking terms.”
Ramp diva and former president of the John Robert Powers School in Manila, Ping Valencia, had a funny story to tell. During a fashion tour of Europe while driving from Paris to Berlin, she and her co-models felt the need to go to the restroom but none was in sight. Unable to wait any longer, she asked the driver to stop. Finding a secluded spot by the roadside, the girls used Ping’s flowing woolen cape as a shield and answered the call of nature prompting Tita Conching to exclaim “sin verguenza” (shameless)!
For Rosky Balahadia, a Miss Caltex finalist and Bayanihan dancer, her first show with Karilagan was in 1966 when she, Toni Serrano, Cristy Flores and Pearlie Arcache modeled together with four Australian models of June Daly Watkins. Years later, Tita Conching would ask her to direct and choreograph Charisma Filipina, a fashion and dance presentation that earned good reviews here and abroad.
Mario Locsin, a former Karilagan male model and now an architect specializing in church restorations, reminded me of the time when Tita Conching allowed him, Maritess Alava, Tech Lopez, Ana Arambulo, Bubut Guevara, Tisha Dominguez and me to produce a monthly fashion show for the Top of the Hilton. We chose a still unknown designer, Joe Salazar, to do the collection of travel, sports and evening wear for us. Joe at that time used to make our personal clothes and each time we wore them to receptions after our shows abroad, guests would practically buy them off our backs. During a publicity pictorial for our show at the Manila Bay reclamation area, I asked Mario if his schoolboy-looking friend really knew how to take pictures. He assured me that his friend did. Our neophyte photographer would in a few years’ time become a multi-awarded cinematographer by the name of Manolo Abaya.
Also present at the reunion and looking beautiful as ever were former Queen of the Pacific ’70 Baby Santiago and Cynthia Cruz. Baby, who used to be married to the late Richard Handl, president of Hilton Hotels for Asia Pacific, is now living in Honolulu while Cynthia, the widow of former Manila Hilton general manager Darrell Conine, divides her time between Manila and the US where her children reside. It was Baby and former top model Monina Arnaldo-Lacson who taught Cynthia and me the basics of modeling. Monina that night wore a short Tente Wilwayco cocktail dress that showed off her still lovely legs even without the requisite stockings.
Bambi Lammoglia-Harper, the first Philippine Maid of Cotton and one of the Karilagan models at the Seattle World’s Fair, likewise showed up and so did Trina Yujuico-Kalaw and Suzie Moya-Benitez. Yes, there is life after modeling. Bambi went on to be a newspaper columnist, former president of the Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines, and current head of the Intramuros Administration. Trina is a stockbroker who was chairperson of the Philippine Stock Exchange for 10 years. Suzie, after helping Tita Conching administer the Manila Metropolitan Theater until the end, is now the executive director of the Bayanihan National Folk Dance Company.
Luz Policarpio, Philippine Maid of Cotton ’75 and former Bb. Pilipinas, cannot forget the time that she kept her fellow models waiting during a trip abroad because she overslept. To make up for it, she woke up very early the next time and slept on the hotel lobby sofa until it was time for them to depart. For Techie Ysmael and Ana Tuason, who also flew in from abroad just for the reunion, Nancy Howel-Cu-Unjieng, Marilyn Recio, Nilda Fortaleza, Emily Relucio, Bb Pilipinas International ’74 Erlynn Bernardez-Campos, Carol Caballero, Monette Garcia, Mennen Eddun, Merlita Antonio, Marian Dominguez, Myrna Anson, Mia Syquia, Veda Bañez, Sapphire, Tess Galang and Chiqui Veneracion, what stands out in their minds about their Karilagan days are the close camaraderie and Tita Conching’s protectiveness. “We were like her children,” Techie says.
Going out of their way to buy flowers at the Dangwa Market for the party and doing the table arrangements themselves were Bb. Pilipinas International ’72 Yogi Dominguez and Via Marquez. Giving them a helping hand for the final touches was Marilyn Vinluan. Ensuring that everyone had a gown to wear for the “fashion walk” was Betchay Santos.
Other Karilagan designers who came were Boysie Villavicencio, Oskar Peralta and Eddie Ocampo, who started his designing career at age 15 thus earning the moniker of “Boy Wonder of Philippine Fashion.” At 18 he was one of the Karilagan designers at the 1964 New York World’s Fair with Jo Hilado, Nancy Howell, Triccie Cepeda, Marilen Heredia and Juliet Pardo as their models. The late fashion designer, Salvacion Lim-Higgins (Slims), who was his mentor, wanted to groom him to take over the House of Slims but Eddie opted to go abroad instead.
It was a wonderful night filled with nostalgia and happiness at seeing old familiar faces. Even former Manila Hilton staff like Rita Dy, Maurita Arce, Betty Nelle and Letty Jacinto-Lopez came to join in the revelry. Everyone gamely did the “fashion walk” not to hang on to the glory days but in the spirit of fun. Former Karilagan models in the audience like Miss International ’70 Aurora Pijuan, Emily Relucio-Lopez, Jo Hilado, Jojo Kierulf, Philippine Maid of Cotton ‘73 Benjie Diaz and Charito Aguilar were asked to join the group for a final bow and a souvenir photo. Colleagues abroad who could not make it to the reunion all sent their love and best wishes. Sisters Anda and Zen Carmona even asked their kid sister Charo to represent them.
Chinggay Diaz-Lagdameo thanked one and all on behalf of the Sunico family for making the reunion a reality. Her cousins Charlie and Cary Sunico Rufino were just as appreciative as they listened to Karilagan stories recounted through the night; they will make good material for a book about their aunt that the family will be publishing. The upbeat music was too good to resist and soon everyone was dancing like there was no tomorrow and toasting friendships renewed and made that night. Thanks God, all those intrigues and professional rivalries have been forgotten.
For one magical night, time stood still and transported us all to some of the happiest moments of our lives.
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The Karilagan models would like to thank Chanel, Dior, Laura Mercier, and Nars, all exclusively available at Rustan’s, for their makeup and Mary Madrigal de Leon for the reunion party venue.
