THE KARILAGAN MODELS? homecoming mega-bash last Friday, held to mark the birthday of the late Conching Sunico, was unlike any party Manila had seen in decades.

For starters, everyone was so beautiful, dressed to the nines, with everyone checking each other out. Legendary faces and names, now many of them grandmothers or cougar moms, were mostly still as svelte, while others have gracefully embraced their Rubenesque maturity.

For the one-night-only gathering of some former 200 fashion models, dancers and singers who came under the tutelage and patronage of society doyenne Conching Sunico, her legacy includes saving and refurbishing the Manila Metropolitan Theater, reigning as social directress of Manila Hilton when it was owned by the Delgados, and creating the first OFW cultural dance and fashion presentation.

Sunico brought to the world?s attention the grace and distinctive Hispanic-Asian beauty of the Filipina, thus paving the way for Gloria Diaz, Gemma Cruz, Au-Au Pijuan, Margie Moran to bag international beauty titles back then.

At this party, Emily Relucio led the high-energy party of models who had not seen each other or walked down the ramp in three decades. Choreographer and ?Tita Conching?s? protege Veda Bañez mentored and whipped the women into shape. Their equally handsome husbands and escorts came in tuxedos or barongs, drinking Red Bull vodka.

A memorable fashion show was held after dinner, with around 30 top supermodels of the ?70s. These glamazons, many of them daughters of society matriarchs, would parade daily in the ?70s at the Top of the Hilton on UN Ave., where luncheon fashion shows by Joe Salazar, Rusty Lopez, Ben Farrales, Pitoy Moreno, the late Arturo Cruz, Ernie Arandia, Rudy Seranilla, Emil Valdez, Eddie Ocampo, Tente Wilwayco, Oskar Peralta, and Bobby Novenario were top draws.

At the finale, doing their iconic posing were six-ft-tall Dayang Dayang, with beauty queen friends Margie Moran, Guada Sanchez, Yogi Dominguez, Jennifer Pena, Monnete Garcia, Baby Santiago, Ping Valencia, Frannie Aguinaldo, Monina Arnaldo, Merlita Antonio and the devastatingly seductive Charo Carmona Buencamino, and Linda Day. It was a heart-stopping sight.