The night of the terno

It was a night that made us smile, laugh, cry and ponder. No event in the history of Philippine fashion was ever like this one night.

For one special night, women left their Guccis and Miyakes at home and went all-Filipino. The men wore their best barongs and the women wore the terno. That’s right, the terno. From the glamorous Imelda Cojuangco to the lovely Lucy Torres Gomez to the uber chic Celine Lopez. Why, even super eventologist Tim Yap wore a terno! It was heartwarming, it was beautiful, it was fun!

If Ramon Valera were alive and present that night, how would he have reacted? "Why, Valera could have swiftly died again of high blood, seeing how the terno was desecrated and mini-fied," said one matron. "Of course, Valera would have been so touched and happy that the terno that he propagated all his life continues to be part of the Filipino sosyal scene," said a socialite. "Why, if Valera saw all the creative and ingenious creations of today’s young designers, he would have freaked out with envy," said a designer.

Dubbed as the "Timeless Terno: A Tribute to Joe Salazar," it was an art-meets-fashion event organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Manila with Bea Zobel Jr., Luli Macapagal Arroyo, and Ino Manalo, as top provocateurs together with Ben Chan, Butch Campos, the Congressional Spouses Foundation headed by Lovely Romulo, Karen Santos, Celia Silang Cruz, Pili Aquino and Raul Manzano.

The event celebrated the works of fashion icon and couture king Joe Salazar, a Ramon Valera Awardee who himself revolutionized the terno from the ’70s to the present. So touching was the tribute, many a tear fell as Joe’s friends extolled his genius and his humility. The visuals and the music blended in lyrical fashion. Such a beautiful concept by master director Ariel Lozada is unparalleled.

Hoping to make the terno forever in the Filipino lifestyle, the Met organized a fashion competition among young designers nationwide. From hundreds of entries, 10 finalists were chosen, all so fearless, so modern, so innovative. The winner – Joel Escober, 27, received the Joe Salazar Award for his terno made from denim sintureros. What a clever way of making the terno look so cool for the denim generation.

Twelve top young designers likewise paid tribute to Joe Salazar by presenting their own version of the terno. Handpicked by Salazar himself were Jojie Lloren, Rhett Eala, Rajo Laurel, Randy Ortiz, Patrice Ramos Diaz, Len Nepomuceno-Guiao, Dong Omaga Diaz, Paul Cabral, JC Buendia, Dennis Lustico, Arcy Gayalin and Tippi Ocampo.

"This is really a heartwarming sight, seeing young and old in ternos. It reminds me of my lola who said she proudly wore ternos to parties and weddings," sighed a lady in a recycled vintage terno.

"Cool! Let’s have more terno parties," shrieked the mini-skirted bunch.

Yes, Let’s have the terno mentality, but redefine it. Not to mean the urge to wear matching outfits, but the thinking to try wearing the terno because it matches our true identity. For such a long time, we have been losing it.