DAILY TRIBUNE once had a newspaper window that read, “Cary vs. Furne,” alluding to my two separate stories about the collections of designers Cary Santiago and Furne One. Shortly after, Preview came out with a fashion editorial with a “Cary vs. Furne” theme.

Through the years, Preview, via its former online platform Style Bible, has featured some of my OOTDs (outfits of the day). It has made a few controversial covers over the course of its 30-year history. Among its covers, though, one of my favorites was KC Concepcion wearing a “vote wisely” fascinator for an issue that came out in time for the elections. Now, that is what you can call a “fashion statement”!

Although I love the “Malakas at Maganda” and the general patriotic concept of the magazine’s 30th anniversary cover with Anne Curtis as star, it looked too polished or “Photoshopped.” Anne, however, is a good choice since she has not only managed to stay in shape, like the glossy does all these years, but since she also grew up with the magazine, like many of us did.

I enjoyed flipping its pages, specifically, the fashion editorials styled by Liz Uy and conceptualized by her brother Vince, the magazine’s then creative director. I once read in an editor’s note by then editor-in-chief Pauline Juan that thanks to Liz, it had been easier to pull in Liz’s friends, the so-called “it” girls composed of Anne, Isabelle Daza, Solenn Heussaff and Georgina Wilson, for features in the magazine. Isabelle and Solenn were there at the 30th anniversary ball.

Style sisters: Anne Curtis, Jasmine Curtis-Smith

In Anne’s interview with Tim Yap at the 30th anniversary red carpet in Marriott Grand Ballroom last Tuesday, she shared that apart from running in marathons (she congratulated Tim for finishing his first marathon), her secret to staying youthful and beautiful, just like Preview, is “staying happy from the inside” because it “radiates outside” — much like the moral of Anne’s currently running, Korean-adapted series, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, which is about mental health.

“Fashion is not about showing off but about your own story as a person,” she partly told Yap at the red carpet.

Anne’s sister Jasmine was in full support of the cover girl, also wearing black like her ate. Anne told reporters at the red carpet that she binge-watched Jasmine’s movies and she is very proud of everything her sister has achieved.

In my interview with Jasmine during the pandemic, she said that their surname is really “Curtis-Smith” and Anne just uses “Curtis” as alternative since it is easier to remember among fans. Jasmine also confirmed that singer Curtismith, Leila Alcasid’s husband, got his moniker from the sisters’ family name.

Apart from the Curtis-Smith sisters, the Cruz sisters — Angelina, Sam and Chesca, daughters of actors Sunshine Cruz and Cesar Montano, also boosted sisterhood power on the red carpet.

Father-daughter bonding: Baron Geisler, Sophia Asistio

The ball indeed became a family affair when Baron and his daughter with Nadia Montenegro, Sophia, made a red carpet debut together. Nadia made the revelation about Baron and Sophia publicly known last year.

“Baron, mukhang kagalang-galang tayo ngayon ah (you look very respectable today),” red carpet host Tim Yap joked Baron in a barong. Baron retorted, “Always naman!”

Later in the interview, Yap hailed the Baron and Sophia “father and daughter coming out” as a “fashion, showbiz and pop culture moment.”

Sophia said she feels “very blessed” to have spent time with Baron.

“As you can see, just add a moustache, she already looks like me,” Baron said about Sophia partly in Filipino.

Indeed, from afar, the father and daughter looked like siblings or a romantic couple since Sophia has already grown to almost reach Baron’s height.

Why did James Reid seem overprotective of Issa Pressman?

Speaking of fatherhood, is James on that path? That was because the singer-actor was spotted rushing to the ball, evading the press on the red carpet, and seemingly did not let his ladylove Issa Pressman out of his sight (and speaking of sight, they wore matching eyewear).

Adding to speculations that she might be expecting James’ firstborn was that the usually abs-showing Issa was wearing a white dress with an extra layer of cloth on the tummy at the ball.

Pia Wurtzbach + glam team = No Heart Evangelista?

Also evading the catwalk interviews was Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, who came with her glam team, part of which was Justin Soriano, who used to be the photographer/makeup artist of Heart Evangelista.

The ball named its best-dressed honorees, and while it did not make sense that Heart was not made “best dressed” or was even present in a major local fashion soiree, oh well, we understand.

Also present at the ball was Heart’s former “BFF” designer Mark Bumgarner, who churned out an oversized barong draped into an asymmetrical gown for the night’s Best Dressed winner Michelle Dee.

Michelle, who had been collaborating with Mark since joining and winning Miss Universe Philippines, also wore a unique chain earring that wrapped around her neck as a necklace.

Abi Marquez steals the show

Michelle might be Best Dressed, but it was food vlogger Abi who turned heads in her ube (purple yam) terno by Happy Andrada that Abi rocked while riding a scooter — not for statement, but because she has a cast and was still recuperating from a leg injury.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Christmas is just approaching, but already, it felt like Valentine’s as BreKa or MikBrent, the love team of Pinoy Big Brother: Collab Edition big winners Mika Salamanca and Brent Manalo, sent red carpet “kilig,” as did the FranSeth love team of Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin.

Coming in like newlyweds were real-life couples Carlos Yulo and Chloe San Jose; doctors Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho Jr.; and Janine Gutierrez and Jericho Rosales.

Reportedly after someone advised Yulo that a crop top makes him look taller, the crop top has sort of become his signature. This time, the two-time Olympic gold medalist wore it over a barong.

Belo and Kho, meanwhile, wore Filipiniana outfits with matching prints to mark their 8th wedding anniversary at the ball.

On the other hand, Janine and Jericho “hard-launched,” or as ABS-CBN reporter MJ Felipe put it, they made their relationship “red carpet official” by gracing the catwalk together. Janine was in a sexy all-white ensemble from Vania Romoff’s latest collection. It bared Janine’s abs, which Jericho or Echo described as “kakainggit” (enviable).

“We eat the same food naman!” complained Jericho, who wore a sampaguita-embroidered barong by DAILY TRIBUNE The Vanguards collaborator Jor-el Espina. Jericho also had gray hair as part of being in-character for his upcoming epic film Quezon.

“I’m so excited to watch it! Kahit sa’n kami magpunta, tawag sa kanya, presidente or Quezon (Everywhere we go, they call him president or Quezon),” Janine shared.

Apart from Quezon’s charm and charisma, Jericho said he picked up a thing or two about style for portraying the Philippines’ second president. Even the way Quezon walked, Jericho said, was a statement in itself.

“No, it’s not for me,” Jericho humbly said when asked if he could be the country’s president. The film, however, taught him to be prouder to become a Filipino.

What I wore at the ball

True to the ball’s “creative Filipino formal” dress code, I came in a modern Filipiniana composed of a baro with shredded fabric from now-defunct Filipino lifestyle brand Apostrophe; sneakers made by Filipino brand Lakat made using upcycled piña leaves and in collaboration with contemporary artist Dex Fernandez of Garapata fame; earrings made of upcycled horns from dead carabaos; and an authentic Moriones festival mask I bought from a Paete wood and paper crafts shop. A nipa hut bag by R. Filart, made of woven indigenous material nito and upcycled plastic straws for the roof, completed the look.