PO‘IPU — Cinderella, or more accurately, the winner of The Cinderella Project is going to the 57th annual Terno Ball presented by the Kaua‘i Filipino Women’s Club on Sept. 23 at Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa.
“This year, we are doing a ‘Cinderella Project’ that involves an essay contest,” said Kaua‘i Filipino Women’s Club President Barbara Green. “A woman will be chosen to have a complimentary ball gown, a professional hair and makeup session, and a ticket to the ball that is a major fundraiser for scholarships.”
The deadline for essay submissions is Sept. 2.
Pre-judging for the evening’s contests, including Best Terno, Barong, cocktails and more starts at 5:30 p.m. The program starts at 6 p.m.
“The beauty in the Terno Ball for me is the process,” Green said. “Leading up to this special event, the women of our organization get together regularly, contributing their individual talents and abilities. It is pure joy to witness their sense of accomplishment and purpose in the grand scheme of the event.”
Tickets and a limited number of VIP Wine and Champagne Tables are available now by contacting Green at 818-383-1155 or Charlmaine Bulosan at 808-652-3667. They also has more information on the Cinderella Project.
“Much like the celebrations of bon dance festivals, Heiva I Kaua‘i, and hula ho‘ike, the Terno Ball is a celebration festooned with cultural costumes and dances,” Green said. “The bonus of the event is that it enables us to award scholarships to graduating high school seniors all over Kaua‘i.”
“Terno” is a term derived from the Spanish word meaning “matched.” Terno was used to refer not to a continuous garment, but to the matching set of camisa or blouse, saya or skirt, panuelo or kerchief, and sobrefalda or overskirt that made up later styles of the traje de mestiza ensemble.
The terno is a Filipino national costume top typified by its butterfly sleeves that usually comes with a matching skirt. It enjoyed international recognition because it was “Queen” Imelda’s uniform, deeming it a symbol of wealth and social status in the Philippines.
Terno dresses and outfits worn by women were accompanied by men dressed in Barong tagalog, an embroidered long-sleeved formal shirt for men and a national dress of the Philippines.
