The clothes screamed local and many made a statement not only on the state of the nation, but also on the state of traditional crafts, indigenous art, and the livelihood of our tribes.
What did we dress for at the SONA?
At last Monday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the clothes screamed local and many made a statement not only on the state of the nation, but also on the state of traditional crafts, indigenous art, and the livelihood of our tribes.
Jul 25, 2023 09:35 AM
At a glance
Fashion is inherently political, according to Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu curator in charge of The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Fashion functions as a mirror to our times,” he said.
Vice President Sara Duterte and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos (IG)
At last Monday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the clothes screamed local and many made a statement not only on the state of the nation, but also on the state of traditional crafts, indigenous art, and the livelihood of our tribes.
The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has from the start recognized the power of fashion, a turnaround from the administration of his predecessor Rodrigo R. Duterte, who imposed austerity on the dress code of government-led events, limiting the options to business attire.
At the traditional vin d’honneur hosted by Malacañan Palace on June 12, Independence Day, this year for the diplomatic corps, President Marcos even began his official toast by commenting on the looks of the lady envoys dressed in their Filipino designer best like French Ambassador Michelle Boccoz in Puey Quiñones, German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel Geb. Oettler in Jun Escario, Nigerian Ambassador Folakemi Ibidunni Akinleye in Joey Samson, Hungarian Ambassador Titanilla Toth in Dennis Lustico, and Brunei Ambassador Megawati Dato Paduka Haji Manan in Lulu Tan Gan.
Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Imee Marcos (FB)
“And may I say that the ladies of the diplomatic corps have put a new spin on our national costume and, I think, with the help of some of our local designers, have created a wonderful spectacle,” he said.
At the SONA last Monday, I personally think that restraint remains in style, whether as a lingering trace of the previous administration’s aversion to pomp and excess or as a call for sobriety given the challenges of the times, particularly on the road to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Either that, or Filipiniana, in its predominant wash of whites, cream, beiges, and ecru, is simplicity made grand, in which the likes of Senator Chiz Escudero’s wife Heart Evangelista, Biñan City Rep. Len Alonte, Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, Senator Mark Villar’s wife Em Aglipay-Villar, and Cavite 1st District Rep. Jolo Revilla’s wife Angelica Alita Revilla looked elegantly resplendent on the SONA red carpet. Even the orange of Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman’s terno by Paul Cabral seemed muted.
Senator Cynthia Villar, DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman
Senator Nancy Binay, Senator Risa Hontiveros, Atty. Harry Roque
If we did see pops of colors, such as the yellow hand-embroidered Lesley Mobo gown worn by first lady Liza Araneta Marcos or the blue drape on the otherwise white Michael Leyva terno of Senator Koko Pimentel’s wife Kath Yu-Pimentel, they were after all unmistakably Filipino, drawn at the very least from the colors of the Philippine flag. Senator Migz Zuburi’s wife Audrey Tan Zubiri wore a profusion of floral appliques on her embroidered garden terno by Rajo Laurel as a tribute to the gems of nature lush in the Philippines. Senator Imee Marcos’ colorful outfit, replete with tattoos, was a nod to the Cordilleras. Vice President Sara Duterte was dressed in Maguindanaon gold and yellow, what a statement from her office described as “a Bangala paired with a trouser and a flowing inaul or malong” in colors and accessories symbolic of the wealth of Mindanao’s natural resources.
From left, clockwise: Heart Evangelista, Senator Chiz Escudero, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Luis Campos, Bernadette de Leon, Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon, Senator Bato dela Rosa, and Nancy Comandante
I do like this ongoing torrid affair of ours with the national dress. While it does say a lot about how strongly we still feel about identity, an issue we continue to struggle with as a people 125 years since we declared ourselves an independent nation, it is also a breakthrough, I think, that we are about to make, as we begin to see more and more of ourselves from beneath the rubble of our centuries-long colonial past.
What did the clothes tell you about the state of our nation?
From left, clockwise: Em Aglipay-Villar, Senator Mark Villar, Senator Win Gatchalian, Bianca Manalo, Senator Koko Pimentel, Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, Gladys Cruz-Villanueva, Senator Joel Villanueva, Ormoc Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano
Former President Joseph Estrada and Senator Jinggoy Estrada
