One of the country’s leading malls, in partnership with homegrown global retail brand Bench, launches the return of the annual BRAVO! Filipino by focusing on this year’s featured ternos at Ternocon III. Dubbed as “Ternocon III: Ang Balintawak Ngayon,” the ongoing exhibit puts emphasis on modern-day versions of the balintawak displayed in four venues—from Greenbelt 5 Gallery to Glorietta Activity Center.
(FROM LEFT) Ben Chan, Bench founder and Suyen Corp. CEO; Bobby Dy, Ayala Land president and CEO; Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Land advisor to the board, Honorable Abby Binay, Mayor of Makati City, Bianca Zobel, presidential social secretary, and Dennis Marasigan, vice president and artistic director, Cultural Center of the Philippines cut ceremonial ribbon formally opening BRAVO! Filipino exhibit at Glorietta Activity Center.
Text and photos by Alex Y. Vergara
Happy days are here again with the return of two annual events that celebrate Filipino talent and artistry while pushing the boundaries of fashion design and commerce.
Ayala Malls, in partnership with Suyen Corp.’s flagship brand Bench, 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 Bench’s recently concluded Ternocon III competition until this Sunday, April 16 at Greenbelt 5 Gallery, Ayala Museum, Glorietta Activity Center, and Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center.
Witness the display of inspiring and ingenious couture creations from 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.
Joining these designers during the event’s launch last April 12 were head honchos of Ayala Corp., including Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Patricia Zobel de Ayala and Mariana Zobel de Ayala-Aboitiz, and Suyen Corp., led by Ben Chan and Brian Lim. The series of launches began at the Greenbelt 5 Gallery before proceeding to the Ayala Museum, Glorietta Activity Center and Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center.
The public can feast on not one, but four exhibits, all within walking distance of each other. Fans of Lustico’s colorful and exquisite takes on the balintawak, the country version of the iconic terno, can start their walking tour of the Ayala shopping complex at the Greenbelt 5 Gallery. Meanwhile, Vijandre and Toledo’s avant-garde balintawak creations have found a temporary home at the lobby of the newly refurbished Ayala Museum. Samson’s elegant but painstaking works, mostly in neutral ecru, take centerstage at the Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center. There, the public can also marvel at master designer Sotto, who did two versions of the terno, as well as Adrias’ deconstructed pieces using modern techniques and fabrics.
The experience won’t be complete without a glimpse into the future of Philippine fashion design, as the entries of this year’s finalist in the Bench-initiated Ternocon III, led by grand prize winner Yssa Innumerable, are on display at Glorietta’s main Activity Center.
Nearly all of these pieces debuted at the Ternocon III finals night held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines a few months ago. This time, the public can linger and marvel at them up close during mall hours.
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!–with publicity materials provided by Ayala Corporation
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/
