Everyone on this planet at one time in their lives must have had the fantasy to walk down a runway as a fashion model. And why not? To strut and strike

a pose like a supermodel seems like fun, even for one night.

 

So, for more than a dozen foreign ambassadors and their glamorous wives, it was a stylish dream come true at the Marriott’s Grand Ballroom recently.

 

Attired in SM cocktail dresses, long gowns, Kultura’s Barong Tagalogs and Filipinianas, they gamely took to the ramp like seasoned professionals. Many of them knew how to tickle the audience’s fancy with either supermodel moves or  striking diva poses at the end of the runway.

 

It was a totally fun evening for Manila’s expatriate community, who rewarded the ambassadors and their wives with hearty applause.

 

This was all done for a charitable cause. The Spouses of Heads of Mission and the International Bazaar Foundation funds relief efforts for the elderly and for victims of national disasters; it also provides educational scholarships to deserving indigent students.

 

“Our distinguished models are indeed our ambassadors of goodwill, for how best to promote our fashion industry if not by showing local couture?” wrote Tessie Sy-Coson in the evening’s program. Exactly my feelings as I cheered them on, with seatmates Bobby Caballero and Ping Valencia.

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTOS BY ANDREW TADALAN