The year 2018 was indeed monumental for many Kapamilyas, since this was when the ABS-CBN Ball was held for the first time. And compared to its predecessor – the Star Magic Ball – it was relatively larger and grander as not only artists of the premier talent development and management center could attend, but there were special guests, too!
Since it was the inaugural staging, the attendees made sure to dress up to the nines. While women were expected to sashay in gowns of different silhouettes and lengths, we were indeed surprised to see a few men who deviated from the usual formal attires and strutted down the red carpet in trendy outfits.
Heartthrobs JM de Guzman, Piolo Pascual, Robi Domingo, John Prats, Carlo Aquino, Ejay Falcon, Markus Paterson, Richard Gutierrez, and Coco Martin proved that the classic tuxedo indeed never goes out of style. And so were veterans Martin Nievera, John Arcilla, and Ian Veneracion, who all looked debonair in the go-to ensemble.
There were also others who opted for the aforementioned look, yet put a dash of nonconformity by either wearing a suit jacket or bowtie (or even both!) in different colors aside from black. Among them were Arjo Atayde, who had a patterned red blazer; Jake Cuenca, who put on a black and white coat; Jericho Rosales, who looked youthful in a pink blazer; Joshua Garcia, who was dashing in a velvet black suit jacket and beige bowtie; Patrick Garcia, who seemed to have not aged in a velvet blue jacket; Erik Santos, who appeared regal in a velvet blazer and spectacles; RK Bagatsing, who looked cool in a red velvet blazer; and Jameson Blake, who made us gush in his houndstooth black and white coat.
Meanwhile, there were also male celebrities who opted for tuxedos that were in totally different hues – Donny Pangilinan was in dark green, McCoy de Leon was in navy blue, Luis Manzano was in a blue suit with pink bowtie and pocket square, Sam Milby was in midnight blue and gray, while Darren Espanto was in blue suit accentuated with a polka-dotted bowtie
On the other hand, there were others who to have a necktie instead of a bowtie. JC de Vera punctuated his green suit with a quirky yellow tie, while comedian Bayani Agbayani was in black suit with a blue polka-dotted tie.
Veteran actors Albert Martinez and Dominic Ochoa both kept their looks simple by wearing the classic suit and tie, with the former donning it over a black button-down, while the latter over a white one.
Supreme Idol Daniel Padilla, meanwhile, chose to have a gold button-down shirt under his textured black blazer and plain black necktie. Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano also put a little tweak on the traditional suit and tie by putting on a double-breasted blue suit.
Enrique Gil, Zanjoe Marudo, and Marlo Mortel, on the other hand, opted for ensembles that were less formal by not wearing neither a necktie nor bowtie, giving off dashing yet more laid-back looks.
Among those who hyped up the first ABS-CBN charity gala with their trendy outfits were James Reid, who sported a leather chest harness over his bedazzled black suit; Diego Loyzaga, who wore a velvet maroon suit over a long-sleeved plain black turtleneck shirt; Inigo Pascual, who looked awesome in a coordinating patterned white suit that he elevated with chunky white sneakers and a harness; Sam Concepcion, who made a statement in his sparkling cropped jacket and fitted black shirt with a quirky ribbon around the neck; and Albie Casiño, who wore a plaid red violet suit over a plain black crewneck shirt.
These handsome and talented gentlemen might have sported different styles and colors, but all of them could be seen wearing blue ribbons on their chests. Those signified their staunch support not only for the relaunching of Bantay Bata 163 Children’s Village, which was that year’s beneficiary, but also for the advocacy of the organization and for the fight against child abuse.
Who among these male celebrities stood out for you the most at the ABS-CBN Ball 2018, Kapamilya?
Apart from being a star-studded night of glitz and glamour, the upcoming ABS-CBN Ball 2023 will also put the spotlight on the stories of thanksgiving, togetherness, and hope shared by Kapamilya artists, employees, partners, and collaborators, who all share the vision of delivering stories that promote human good to our dear audiences. Moreover, it will also aim to raise funds for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Foundation.