A burst of colors at the SONA… and then some

Part 2

As the nation looked on for President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.'s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, another event stole the spotlight: the dazzling fashion parade on the red carpet at the House of Representatives.

Known as the one occasion where politicians can showcase their fashion flair, the event certainly lived up to expectations.

For this second part of The Manila Times Lifestyle's special fashion report, with yours truly covering the SONA runway onsite for the first time, we move on to two more batches of head-turners with the stories behind their Filipiniana outfits — and then some.

Of whites and ecrus

This batch of SONA fashion head-turners is a special one since all three of them walked the red carpet for the last time in their current elected positions.

Leading our chosen roster is the wonderfully indomitable sixth-termer Senator Nancy Binay. Fashion-wise, as in attitude- and principle-wise, we just love and admire how nothing can ever break this woman of strength and substance.

A bashing veteran — from the receiving end, to be clear — she has truly emerged triumphant year after year, after year, since her big-time fashion “hot air balloon” faux pas at the 2018 SONA. Amazingly good-natured no matter how cruel many netizens got up to back then, Senator Nancy — together with Randy Ortiz, from hot air balloon to present SONA day — held her head up high in design choices that were event-appropriate and comfortably matched her style.

Congratulating her for wearing a winning piña-callado terno — whose rice-shaped beadwork even served as a symbolic design for the nation's current rice problem — we asked her first of all why she chose ecru this year. Senator Nancy, of course, likes to pick from the color wheel before her SONA look.

That's when she acknowledged she is currently on her final term in office, thus, the natural shade of piña for a “back to basics” feel.

She also had the coolest reply when asked to assess her SONA fashion history, telling The Manila Times Lifestyle and Entertainment, “Parang it's been a fun journey — you know, the way they wait for the president's speech is like the way they wait for my outfit.”

Well, we waited, Madam Senator, and for your last one, we declare it a winner!

Winning end-termers

Over at the Lower House, our first graduating member is a noted fashionista besides her renown as an expert economist. Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo was every bit a picture of serene elegance in yet another white Micheal Leyva terno, with an electric pleated bodice and a lace skirt bearing circular patterns.

We actually had a copy of Leyva's sketch for Representative Stella's gown, and when we asked why the circles, she replied, “I just told Michael I wanted circles because I'm on my last term in the House, and circles are a symbol of completion.”

How fashionably poetic and fitting indeed.

Finally, we have the lone gentleman in this batch of winning end-termers, and it's no less than 1-Pacman Partylist Representative Michael “Mikee” Romero, who walked the SONA red carpet not with one but three pretty ladies escorting him. On his arm, of course, was his wife Sheila in a stunning emerald green terno by Mark Bumgarner — the same designer of Representatvie Mikee's Chinese-collared modern barong Tagalog, featuring a Northern Luzon weave for the fabric — and statuesque daughters Milka and Mandy.

Certainly one of the bold bursts of color on the SONA red carpet on Monday, we asked why the dark barong and emerald green number was the choice for one of Manila's perennial best-dressed couples. Shiela replied, “[It's a nod] to 1-Pacman's trademark green color because this is Mikee's third consecutive and final term.”

We had to follow up with Mikee and asked, “So, in what position do you think you'll be attending the SONA next year?”

Momentarily surprised by the question, he laughingly replied, “As Milka's dad!” Now, if that was an actual declaration of candidacy on behalf of the Romeros' firstborn, we're soon to find out. The twenty-something will certainly be one to watch out for on the red carpet in any case.

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Watch out for tomorrow's wrap up of this SONA 2024 fashion special with “Barong bests” and “The showstoppers.”