TernoCon 2025 Returns With New Rules

For the fourth edition of the national competition, the 12 finalists were challenged to create a capsule collection inspired by 20th-century Philippine visual arts.

After last year’s stint at the Museo Del Galeon at the SM Mall of Asia, TernoCon returned to the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay in partnership with Bench. Designed by Leandro V. Locsin, the Brutalist landmark, characterized by its concrete, geometric shapes, and varnished wood finishing, is considered one of the country’s greatest structures.

While the main building is currently under restoration, the Philippine International Convention Center is where the cultural show took place, among great Filipino masterpieces by José T. Joya, Arturo Luz, Napoleon Abueva, Hernando R. Ocampo, Abdulmari Asia Imao, Ang Kiukok, and Botong Francisco. It’s fitting for the location, as this year’s contest came with a theme to distill “the works of 20th Filipino artists, painters, sculptors, and even architects” into wearable art.

Photographed by Kim Angela Santos

Like the other editions, the finalists (Windell Madis, Geomarie Hernandez, Johnoel Marin, Patrick Lazol, Jericho Gonzales, Irene Subang, Bryan Peralta, Peach Garde, Ram Silva, Lexter Badana, Jared Palmejar, Monina Gatan), and two semi-finalists (Xioti Chiu and Jema Gamer) had to innovate the archetypal formal attire of the Philippines with a three-piece collection.

Including the Terno with a Panuelo, the Balintawak with alampay and tapis, and newly instigated for this year, the kimona (a slip-over blouse with butterfly sleeves), with an alampay and a patadyong (a wraparound skirt) with a contemporary vision. After an introduction by Ben Chan of Bench/Suyen Corporation and CCP’s Kaye Tinga, the show began with a traditional dance and set the tone for the catwalk show.

Each collection had a distinctive look through silhouette and embellishment, inspired by the modernism period with vivid colors, intricate embellishments, and geometric silhouettes while romanticizing the pastoral beauty of rural Manila. Women of all walks of life were illustrated in this fantasy world, from the upper crust dressed for Sunday mass to working women returning from the market with fruit and vegetables.

Photographed by Kim Angela Santos

Photographed by Kim Angela Santos

After all the finalists paraded with their entries, TernoCon 3 Gold Medalist Yssa Inumerable presented her collection of countryside glamour, with swaths of pearlescent fabrics and hand-painted silk gauzes in the Balintawak blueprint. Next up in the line-up were the mentors: Rhett Eala exhibited his exquisite monochrome Terno renditions, paired with opera gloves and voluminous mesh cloche hats, while Lulu Tan-Gan played around with deconstructivism using layered sheets of pina and couture-like adornments.

Before the award ceremony, Ezra Santos showed ethereal metallic body plates and heavenly mother-of-pearl detailing upon gowns, which gained him a fractional standing ovation from the crowd. To conclude the two-hour extravaganza, the judges came into the spotlight to announce the winners of this year’s competition with a cloud of gold confetti, listed below.

WINNER: Peach Garde, Gold Medal (Pacita Longos Award)

Bryan Peralta, Silver Medal (Pacita Escurdia Award)

Ram Silva, Bronze Medal, (Ramon Valera Award)

Windell Madis, Chef Mentor’s Award