Ayala Malls BRAVO! Filipino Puts the Spotlight on Ternocon III: Ang Balintawak Ngayon

Ayala Malls brings Filipino high fashion and artistry to the forefront with the launch of Ternocon III: Ang Balintawak Ngayon exhibit. An initiative under BRAVO! Filipino, which is a mall-wide celebration designed to promote local heritage and culture, the public can finally view the winning ang most iconic looks from the recently concluded Ternocon III competition from April 12 to 16 at Greenbelt 5 Gallery, Ayala Museum, Glorietta Activity Center, and Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center. Witness the display of remarkable couture creations masterminded by the 13 Ternocon III contestants, Ternocon 2020 Gold Medalist Hannah Adrias, Ternocon Chief Mentor Inno Sotto, and Ternocon III mentors Chito Vijandre, Ricky Toledo, Dennis Lustico, and Joey Samson.

Celebrate Filipino Creativity and Ingenuity

The Ternocon III exhibit is the first event that marks the comeback of BRAVO! Filipino. Initially conceived in 2008 by Ayala Chairman Emeritus Jaime Zobel de Ayala, the program intends to discover and honor both emerging and seasoned Pinoy artists to ultimately garner national support and eventually aid their rise to international recognition. This vision is realized as Ayala Malls continues to extend its venues and facilities, thereby offering a more accessible platform that connects artists with a wider audience.

“There is a wealth of untapped world-class talent among our countrymen. Through BRAVO! Filipino, we are showing what our artists are capable of while also giving homage to our roots,” shares Ayala Malls President Christopher Maglanoc. He continues, “This year’s Ternocon III exhibit at Ayala Malls proves the rich talent that our country possesses, as well as  the vast opportunities that Filipinos have if we continue to support each other.”

In this year’s exciting edition, Ternocon puts a resplendent spin on the Philippine national dress in contemporary society, following the theme “Ang Balintawak Ngayon.” The balintawak is the country version of the Philippine terno. The provincial charm of this ensemble is most distinguished — with its iconic butterfly sleeves, tapis, and alampay pinned to the shoulder or worn on the head as a head scarf. The simplicity and grace of this everyday ensemble was what was captured in this year’s competition. And it proved to be quite the fun challenge for the designers!

A Fashion Tour Around Ayala Malls and Ayala Museum

Now, mall-goers and fashion enthusiasts can delight at an astounding 26-piece collection, getting up close and personal to revel at the detail of each as they can make their way around each Ternocon III exhibit venue.

Greenbelt 5 Gallery

At Greenbelt Gallery, discover the designs of Ternocon mentor Dennis Lustico, who worked with a sophisticated color palette executed in beaded piña cloth, point d’esprit,lace, fishnet, taffeta, duchesse satin, and silk organza. A motif conveyed in ostrich feather work,

beads, and rhinestones were inspired by a cluster of coconut trees that he had seen from one

of his travels in the Philippines.

Ayala Museum

At Ayala Museum Lobby, designer-mentors Chito Vijandre and Ricky Toledo take center stage. Their powerful design duo celebrates maximalism, multi-culturalism, and camp with their ‘70s and ‘80s homage to Pinoy pop culture. From beaded slogans to kitschy art, elements were merged with fine, vintage textiles, lacework, and classical imagery.

Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center

At Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center, discover the collections of famed designer Joey Samson and Hannah Adrias. Samson draws serious inspiration from national hero Jose Rizal and his many lovely muses, including his nine romantic partners and his mother Teodora. He masterfully fuses the languages of traditional menswear (i.e., the barong, camisa, Western suit) with womenswear (i.e., the pañuelo, alampay, tapis, enaguas, etc.).

Adrias, also Ternocon’s 2020 Gold Medalist, provides a fitting contract to Samson, with her dystopian vision of fractured and distressed materials. She uses a muted palette of amber, moss, teal, bronze, gold, and gray, with the alampay and tapis transformed into curvilinear strips that envelop and reveal the body.

Glorietta Activity Center

Witness the obra maestros of the thirteen Ternocon III contestants at Glorietta Activity Center!

Amor Albano deliberately selected an inexpensive textile and relied on skills to elevate its

appearance. The Ilocos Norte native made use of piled up and cut out multi-colored crystal organdy to bring about the hidden layers beneath. In addition, idyllic images of the bahay kubo (nipa hut), coconut tree, sampaguita blooms were rendered with a charming naiveté.

Glyn Alley Magtibay, an Oriental Mindoro native mentored by Vijandre and Toledo, innovatively played with translucent X-ray sheets to create the balintawak’s butterfly sleeves, bodice, corset, and other accessories.

Also mentored by Samson, designer Bon Hansen Reyes, from Rizal, used the language of menswear to interpret balintawak and evoke a genderless garment. The more structured suiting and shirting materials were combined with softness of tulle and hand embroidery.

Rizal-native Gabbie Sarenas, the Pura Escurdia Awardee (Silver medal), under the tutelage of Samson, astounded audiences with their subtle tweak of the traditional balintawak, which included dimensional embroidery of sampaguita flowers on the cañamazo.

Bree Esplanada from Cebu combined their graphic and fashion design skills to create ternos inspired by Philippine lore. The tikbalang and other mythical creatures of the night were printed on cloth, embroidered, beaded, and appliqued.

Karl Mark Nadales, an Iloilo native, took another visionary approach, creating balintawak-inspired pieces that revolved around his fascination for a bag lady. He used deconstructed components and upcycled materials to suggest an assemblage of garments.

Also hailing from Iloilo is Samson’s mentee, Marc Carcillar, who created beautiful, shape-shifting ensembles like an alampay that emerged from the skirt, thrown over the shoulder, and was fastened on the waist to resemble a draped tapis. He lent a playful feel as well when he creatively repurposed a bilao into a hat.

Bringing more lovely hues into the gallery, Al Rey Rosano from Negros Oriental, a mentee of Lustico, captured the sunset of his hometown by recreating the yellow to orange ombré through micro pleating. In one outfit, an overlay of brown lace suggested the alampay and tapis.

Glady Rose Pantua, a Zamboanga native and the recipient of the Ramon Valera Award (Bronze Medal), paid tribute as well with country attire that was lavished with home crafts. Aside from beaded birds, minute images of Philippine culture were lovingly hand-embroidered on the textiles.

Cheetah Rivera, a young talent from Quezon City known for her distinct feminine style, was inspired by tropical butterflies, which were alluded to in her use of pleated organza, layered ruffles for collars, and butterfly sleeves that sprung symmetrically from different areas of the bodice.

Taking inspiration from Florante and Laura, Dee Javier from Manila literally printed the passages on draped cloth to create the imagery of a tear-stained love letter. To complement the ensembles, stylized bakyas were used.

Geom Hernandez from Batangas leaned into the functionality of the balintawak, creating an tie-dyed outfit – resembling a Rorschach image – into a piece with adjustable panels with draw strings.

Finally, Pacita Longos Awardee (Gold Medal) Yssa Inumerable from Paranaque was inspired by prints of the Gibson Girls from the turn of the 20th century. Her joyous take on the balintawak included gently tweaked versions of all the traditional components, using piña, jusi, and inabel cloth from Abra. She also used colorful folk style embroidery called bordang Taal.

From Fashion to Live Ballet

“This year’s showcase was even more exceptional — the epitome of Filipino artistry and imagination! And it brings us such joy celebrating our culture and heritage in such a way that resonates more deeply with the younger generations,” shares Ayala Malls Marketing Director Lisa Yang.

Filipino talent is truly incomparable, and when challenged with a concept that inspires deep creativity, Filipino designers always deliver. Following the Ternocon III exhibit is another BRAVO! Filipino initiative: a live performance featuring the American Ballet Theatre and our very own Cecile Licad, which patrons can watch for free at Ayala Center Cebu and Ayala Malls Abreeza on April 22 and 23 respectively.

For more information and announcements, visit https://www.ayalamalls.com/ or head to Ayala Malls’ social media pages at https://www.facebook.com/AyalaMalls360/ and https://www.instagram.com/iloveayalamalls/