No red carpet, celebrities, but guests still make fashion statements at Sona

There may have been only a few to no celebrities present at the fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President “Bongbong” Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, July 27, but the House of Representatives’ plenary session hall was not wanting of a glittering assemblage.

Fashion once again took a back seat for the second year as attendees largely embraced Malacañang’s directive to forgo the traditional red carpet and long gowns in favor of simpler attire. The memo likewise stated that there would be no celebrities or A-listers in this year’s program.

Weeks before the annual address, House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil announced that there would be no ceremonial red carpet similar to last year, and that guests are encouraged to wear “simple but dignified” clothing, with invitations specifically discouraging long gowns.

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Despite the colorful gowns here and there, many female guests followed the memo and opted for simple, modern Filipiniana dresses in white and neutral colors, while men largely stuck to barong Tagalog.

First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos donned a Michael Leyva Filipiniana dress in soft pink, featuring delicate callado details, an overlapping pencil skirt silhouette, and intricate lace appliqué, as described by the designer himself. Leyva said that the gown was exclusively designed for this year’s Sona.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, wore an ivory silk terno by Filipino designer Jo Rubio as her usual way of “supporting locals”.

Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez was one of the standouts as she defined elegance in a soft powder blue archival piece by Mark Bumgarner. The piece is defined by clean lines, sculpted butterfly sleeves, and “palay” pattern in fine hand embellishments.

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Jocelyn Tulfo, the wife of Senator Raffy Tulfo, who in previous year appeared to have missed the memo steal the show for wearing her luxurious jewelry set, toned down her ensemble this year with a tasseled mustard yellow Filipiniana by Michael Leyva and statement emerald earrings.

Kabataan partylist Rep. Renee Co, on the other hand, found ways to inject a bold statement into her otherwise restrained looks through a fiery illustration that gave a nod to the appeal of the youth in relation to corruption.

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Unlike previous years, celebrities like Heart Evangelista, wife of Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, whose outfits were always worth looking out for, were a no-show at this year’s SONA.

Meanwhile, Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano alongside Sen. Imee Marcos chose to wear black ensembles as their way of protesting today’s event. Some of the minority bloc senators said they decided to skip the President’s fifth Sona. /edv

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