Evolution of Style

The highly anticipated annual Tatler Ball has become a pivotal stage where prominent personalities showcase their evolving fashion sense

- By Marge C Enriquez

For more than two decades, the Tatler Ball has been Manila's most-watched stage for fashion, where regulars test their limits, shape identities and sometimes quietly rewrite the rules of evening wear. Each gown and suit reveal not only a designer's vision but also the wearer's evolution.

DR VICKI BELO

In the early years, Dr Vicki Belo leaned into opulence: elaborate, colourful gowns that telegraphed extravagance. She gravitated toward Monique Lhuillier's fairy-tale silhouettes and Oscar de la Renta's jewel-toned creations. "I love floral details and colour accents," she says. Bulgari jewels, then under her friend, Mario Katigbak, were her finishing touch. Last year marked a turning point. She arrived in a black Louis Vuitton double-zippered gown, a daring riff on Zendaya's Paris Fashion Week look. Its sharp tailoring and exposed hardware sculpted her silhouette, celebrating her curves with new confidence.

For more than two decades, Belo bought gowns off the rack, but this year nothing from luxury houses excited her. On an editor's tip, she turned to Filipino designer Ivar Aseron, known for architectural precision, clean lines and fabric manipulation. For the first time, she plans to wear a custom Filipino gown on the Tatler Ball carpet.

Stilettos are gone. "I will no longer suffer for beauty," she says, favouring 60-plus pairs of Fendi heels, graceful enough for the ballroom yet comfortable enough to last the night. Her designer bags stay home, since assistants often carried them. Belo, ever fearless in fashion, insists each look reflects the joy she brings into every room.

DR HAYDEN KHO, JR