Members of the diplomatic community – ambassadors, their wives, and officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the International Bazaar Foundation – walked the fashion runway for a cause during the recent Global Fashion Flair II at the New World Hotel.
This was the second collaboration of the IBF and the Spouses for the Heads of Mission with the SM Store and Kultura.
Led by IBF overall chair Gretchen del Rosario – wife of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario – the lady ambassadors, consuls, SHOM and IBF members sashayed on the runway in pretty cocktail dresses and floor-skimming gowns from the Fashion Forum of the SM Store.
Kultura showcased uniquely Filipino fashion – the Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana with intricate embroidery and hand painted designs by Raffaella, Nuevo Ystilo and Barong Filipino. The event proved that Kultura is not just a handicraft store but also a local fashion hub with collections of beautiful, elegant, and detailed pieces. (You may check these out at selected Kultura stores, and at www.kulturafilipino.com.)
The ladies were dazzling in gowns by Fashion Forum, a multi-brand boutique showcasing contemporary labels from the US that include Adrianna Papell, David Meister, Julia Jordan, Donna Morgan, Maggy London, Muse, Ivy+Blu, Ali Ro, Miss Couture and many others in SM Makati and select SM Stores.
The male dignitaries walked the catwalk in exquisite barongs from Kultura and casual wear from The SM Store, some styled with their own favorite casual pieces. Austria Consul General Washington Sycip got a standing ovation as he made a special appearance during thr show. Other guest models included DFA Undersecretary Evan P. Garcia, Assistant Secretary Jesus S. Domingo, and New World Makati Hotel general manager Farid Schoucair.
Global Fashion Flair II is the brainchild of IBF and SHOM, spearheaded by Gretchen del Rosario and Agnes Roscigno, spouse of Italian Ambassador Massimo Roscigno with Monaco Consul General and event chair Fortune A. Ledesma. The fashion event served as a successful follow up to the well-received and much acclaimed Global Fashion Flair held two years ago. Proceeds of the show will go to the rehabilitation of houses devastated by super typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban, Leyte, and typhoon Ruby in Eastern Samar, with so many families still struggling to recover and rebuild their lives and spirit.