By Dara Clariza Evangelista
Who says fashion only belongs on glossy catwalks or ornate theaters? This year, Ternocon proved that style can sprint, leap, and score goals, literally. The 2025 edition of the celebrated Filipino fashion showcase took place not in a ballroom or a museum, but on the FIFA-certified MOA Sky Football Pitch, transforming a sports arena into a spectacular open-air runway where heritage and high fashion collided with the energy of a championship match.
Now on its third staging with SM Supermalls, Ternocon: Palaro was more than a fashion show, it was a statement. Staged in partnership with Bench and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the event championed contemporary Filipiniana (from kimona and terno to barong) while challenging expectations about where culture and creativity can come to life. “SM has always been about creating spaces where culture comes alive, and Ternocon 2025 at the MOA Sky Pitch is the perfect stage for that,” said SM Supermalls President Steven Tan. “Our continued partnership with Bench and CCP shows SM’s commitment to evolving local artistry and bringing it closer to the public.”
The bold theme of the year, Palaro, centered on movement, diversity, and the joy of creative expression. By reimagining the runway as a playing field, the show asked a simple question: What happens when tradition starts to play?
Six visionary Filipino designers brought their A-game, merging cultural heritage with modern energy. Hannah Adrias took inspiration from the 1980s, crafting bold silhouettes that felt both nostalgic and new. Glyn Alley Magtibay’s Intramurals explored the textures and dynamics of school sports, while Jo Ann Bitagcol’s Liga captured an effortless, nostalgic vibe. Len Cabili of Filip+Inna paid tribute to the Philippines’ national obsession in Basketball Parabola, and Renz Reyes transformed traditional silhouettes into sleek, sport-inspired looks. Finally, Carl Jan Cruz turned found materials and archival Bench shirts into a collage of creativity that embodied the playful Filipino spirit.
Together, their collections showed that Filipiniana can be both elegant and kinetic, timeless yet forward-looking, proof that cultural pride has a place even in the most unexpected arenas.
The MOA Sky Football Pitch itself became a character in the story of Palaro. As the first FIFA-certified football field built atop a retail complex in the Philippines, its transformation into a fashion venue reflected SM’s ongoing mission to innovate and inspire. “It’s the only place where you can watch fashion walk on the same ground where athletes play,” Tan added. “That’s the kind of creativity and versatility we celebrate at SM.”
With athletic-inspired ternos gliding across turf usually reserved for cleats, Ternocon 2025 celebrated the strength, adaptability, and playfulness of Filipino creativity. It was fashion in motion, literally, and a vibrant expression of how heritage can evolve while staying rooted in pride and tradition.
From Paskong Ternocon at SM Aura to Kasarinlan, Kultura, Kasuotan at Museo del Galeón, and now Palaro at the MOA Sky Pitch, SM Supermalls continues to raise the bar for how we experience Filipino design. “Filipino creativity deserves the biggest stage,” Tan concluded. “And at SM, that stage is always ready.”
———————————————————–
Jasmine Curtis-Smith is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine right now, as she shares her thoughts on good storytelling in films, as she’s set to star in upcoming movies Open Night, a 2025 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival sapphic film entry; and Manila’s Finest, an upcoming 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) crime drama movie.
Read the Stylish Magazine September-October 2025 cover story here.
Watch out for a new #StylishPodcast episode featuring our cover girl Jasmine Curtis-Smith, dropping soon on Facebook and YouTube.
Stylish Magazine is “your source of self-love, style & inspiration” first introduced in June 2020. Our television series format, Stylish TV, once ranked one of the Top 50 Most Watched Multicultural Shows in the USA, can be streamed on iWantTFC and be watched on TFC (The Filipino Channel) in more than 50 countries. Watch it online here.
Style Visionary Network is a lifestyle-business online platform where #WeCreateVisionaries. Also introduced in June 2020, Style Visionary Network is also the digital home channel of media brands Stylish Magazine and Stylish TV.