TERNOCON 2027 opens first workshop for 15 emerging Filipino designers

TernoCon’s Joe Salazar Awardee Amor Albano layered organza in shades of green for her interpretation of the Balintawak. Handout

MANILA — Fifteen aspiring Filipino fashion designers have begun their journey to TERNOCON 2027, the terno-making convention and competition aimed at preserving and promoting the country's national dress.

The first lock-in mentoring workshop runs from August 4 to 8 at the Clark Events and Conference Center in Pampanga, bringing together participants selected from 52 applicants nationwide.

Organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Bench/Suyen Corporation, TERNOCON seeks to encourage a new generation of designers to reinterpret the terno while preserving its craftsmanship and cultural significance.

This year's participants come from Laguna, Oriental Mindoro, Tarlac, Makati, Taguig, Cebu, Mandaue, Roxas, Silay, Iloilo, Zamboanga City, Maguindanao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Iligan and Koronadal.

Before advancing to the competition, applicants completed regional workshops and an online lecture led by National Artist for Theater Nicanor G. Tiongson, fashion designers Len Cabili and Gino Gonzales.

The finalists will be mentored by some of the country's leading fashion designers, headed by Inno Sotto, who has served as TERNOCON's chief mentor since 2018. Joining him are Josie Natori, Randy Ortiz, Jojie Lloren, Gonzales and current artistic director Ricardo Eric Cruz.

Marking the program's 10th anniversary, the fifth edition of TERNOCON carries the theme "An Ode to Nature," highlighting the enduring relevance of the terno while encouraging designers to draw inspiration from the natural world.

The second lock-in workshop is scheduled for January 27 to 31, 2027, while the final competition and cultural fashion show will be held on March 14, 2027.