The iconic butterfly sleeves of the Philippine terno are getting a major international spotlight as global art and fashion publisher Rizzoli partners with Filipino retail and lifestyle brand Bench to release a landmark book documenting a century of Filipino dress.
Titled The Terno: A Century of the Philippine Dress, the richly illustrated publication is more than a celebration of an elegant national fashion symbol. It is an extensive visual record of Filipino craftsmanship, cultural identity and the designers who transformed the terno across generations.
With 392 pages and more than 300 archival and newly commissioned photographs, the book traces the evolution of the garment from the 1920s through the 2020s. Its research and historical narrative are written by scenographer and fashion historian Gino Gonzales and curator Sandra Castro.
The publication also features the work of more than 100 couturiers, including National Artists Ramon Valera and Salvacion “Slim” Lim Higgins, alongside contemporary Filipino designers who continue to reinterpret the traditional silhouette.
For the Philippines, the international release represents an important opportunity to bring a distinctive part of its fashion history to readers beyond the country.
A Century of Filipino Fashion Captured in One Landmark Publication
The terno is instantly recognisable for its sculptural butterfly sleeves, fitted bodice and coordinated skirt. But its history is considerably more complex than its familiar silhouette suggests.
The garment developed through centuries of cultural exchange, changing social expectations and evolving fashion techniques.
The book examines this transformation decade by decade, using historical photographs, restored portraits, surviving garments and contemporary designs to show how Filipino women’s clothing changed alongside the country’s history.
Its visual documentation includes rare pieces from private collections and important examples of Filipino couture. These garments are not simply presented as beautiful objects. Their materials, construction methods and design details help explain how the terno became a defining expression of Filipino creativity.
Rizzoli’s international edition is listed as a hardcover publication with a November 3, 2026 release date and a US retail price of $85.
The project is particularly significant because published documentation on Philippine dress remains relatively limited compared with the extensive fashion histories available for better-known international traditions.
From the Baro’t Saya to the Iconic Butterfly Sleeves
The modern terno did not emerge overnight.
Its roots can be traced to the baro’t saya, a traditional ensemble consisting of a blouse and skirt worn by Filipino women during the Spanish colonial period.
Over time, the clothing evolved through different forms, including the Maria Clara and traje de mestiza. These styles incorporated changing silhouettes, textiles and decorative techniques influenced by both local traditions and foreign fashion.
The word “terno” comes from the Spanish term associated with matching garments. Its familiar modern form developed as the blouse and skirt became a coordinated, increasingly unified dress.
The butterfly sleeves became its most recognisable feature during the 1920s, when the silhouette underwent significant changes influenced by modern fashion and international design trends.
By the 1930s, the garment had become more streamlined, with one-piece construction and practical dressmaking innovations helping shape its modern appearance.
The terno continued to evolve through the decades, reflecting changing ideas about femininity, public life and national identity.
The Philippine Folklife Museum Foundation also documents the garment’s development from the baro’t saya through the Maria Clara and traje de mestiza, providing important context for understanding why the terno remains such a distinctive part of Philippine dress history.
The 1950s Golden Age and the Designers Who Shaped the Terno
One of the most important periods in the terno’s history was the 1950s, when Filipino couture reached a celebrated period of sophistication.
Designers refined the garment’s structure, experimented with fabrics and incorporated techniques associated with international haute couture.
Salvacion “Slim” Lim Higgins became one of the defining figures of this era. Her creations helped establish the terno as a sculptural fashion statement, with carefully constructed sleeves and sophisticated silhouettes.
National Artist Ramon Valera also played a major role in shaping Philippine couture. His work demonstrated how the traditional dress could be transformed through technical skill, proportion and refined construction.
The book brings these designers into a wider historical conversation, showing how their contributions helped establish a distinctly Filipino fashion language.
It also documents ternos worn by prominent personalities, including First Ladies, society figures and beauty queens.
Among the notable historical examples is Miss Universe 1973 Margie Moran wearing a terno created by Pitoy Moreno, another important name in Philippine fashion history.
These garments demonstrate how the terno became associated not only with formal occasions but also with national representation and international visibility.
How Politics and Changing Fashion Trends Challenged the Terno
The terno’s history has not been a continuous rise in popularity.
During the 1960s, changing youth culture and the growing influence of Western fashion challenged traditional formal clothing. The terno gradually became less common in everyday fashion.
Its political associations also became more complicated during the Marcos era, when former First Lady Imelda Marcos frequently wore elaborate ternos as part of her public image.
After the 1986 People Power Revolution, the garment faced a period of declining popularity, partly because of its association with the previous political administration.
Yet the terno did not disappear.
Cultural advocates, designers and institutions continued to revisit its construction and historical importance. By the 1990s and early 2000s, renewed interest in Filipino heritage helped bring the garment back into fashion conversations.
Its modern revival has been driven by designers who understand that preserving tradition does not mean reproducing historical garments without change.
Instead, the challenge is to retain the terno’s distinctive identity while making it relevant to contemporary women.
Bench’s Ternocon Initiative Is Helping Train the Next Generation of Filipino Designers
The Rizzoli partnership is part of a broader effort by Bench founder Ben Chan to promote the terno as a living tradition rather than a garment reserved for museums and historical occasions.
Bench has worked with the Cultural Center of the Philippines to develop Ternocon, a national convention and design competition that encourages Filipino designers to study, construct and reinterpret the traditional dress.
The programme includes workshops, lectures and practical training intended to strengthen the technical skills needed to create well-constructed ternos.
The initiative has also expanded beyond Metro Manila.
In 2025 and 2026, the CCP and Bench supported regional Fashioning the Terno workshops, bringing training and exhibitions to different parts of the country.
A May 2026 programme in Biñan, Laguna, for example, brought together 24 designers from the National Capital Region and several Luzon provinces for intensive terno-making instruction.
The workshops form part of a wider effort to make traditional fashion knowledge accessible to emerging designers and communities outside the country’s established fashion centres.
This is important because the terno depends on more than creative inspiration. Its construction requires specialised knowledge of fabric, structure, proportion, sleeve shaping and embellishment.
By supporting training and competitions, the programme helps ensure that these skills can be passed on to future generations.
Why the Philippine Edition Comes in Two Volumes
The international Rizzoli publication is accompanied by a special Philippine edition commissioned by Bench.
Instead of simply reproducing the international book, the local release adds a companion volume titled The Terno: A History of Philippine Dress.
The two books are presented together in a bespoke hardcover slipcase, creating a more extensive reference collection for readers interested in Philippine fashion and material culture.
The international volume introduces the terno’s history and visual evolution to a global readership. The companion edition provides additional historical and garment-focused documentation, including detailed presentations of individual pieces.
The project reflects the need to preserve not only the appearance of traditional clothing but also the knowledge behind its creation.
Fabrics, embroidery, construction methods and the skills of artisans are all part of the story.
Filipino Craftsmanship Is Becoming a Bigger Part of the Global Design Conversation
The Rizzoli and Bench partnership also arrives as Filipino designers and artisans increasingly seek international recognition for local materials, techniques and creative traditions.
The country’s design identity is not limited to fashion. Filipino craftsmanship is also finding new audiences through furniture, lighting, textiles, interiors and contemporary product design.
Read how Filipino designer Jaime Brias is bringing traditional materials and local craftsmanship to international design audiences:
https://wwconemedia.com/from-mindanao-to-london-filipino-designer-jaime-brias-takes-local-craftsmanship-global/
The same push for international visibility can be seen in major design platforms that connect Filipino producers with global buyers.
Fashion is another important part of that movement. Recent runway presentations have shown how Filipino designers are increasingly confident in developing collections rooted in their own experiences, cultural references and creative identities.
Established designers and cultural advocates also continue to protect traditional techniques while finding ways to make them relevant to contemporary audiences.
Together, these developments point to a larger opportunity: Filipino heritage can become a source of contemporary creative innovation rather than something remembered only through historical exhibitions.
The Terno’s Future Depends on Keeping Its Heritage Alive
The publication’s significance goes beyond its photographs, designers and historical timeline.
It documents a garment that has repeatedly adapted to changing generations while retaining a recognisable identity.
The terno has moved from colonial-era clothing traditions to the couture salons of the 1950s, through political controversy and periods of declining popularity, and into the hands of contemporary designers exploring new materials and silhouettes.
That ability to evolve is central to its survival.
For Ben Chan and the wider Bench advocacy, the goal is to give the terno the same kind of international cultural recognition enjoyed by other iconic national garments, such as Japan’s kimono and South Korea’s hanbok.
But international recognition alone is not enough.
The dress must continue to be studied, worn, designed and taught. The artisans and communities who preserve its materials and techniques must also remain part of the story.
With The Terno: A Century of the Philippine Dress, Rizzoli and Bench are giving Filipino fashion history a major new platform.
More importantly, they are helping ensure that the story of the butterfly sleeves is not confined to the past.
It is a story that Filipino designers, artisans and future generations can continue to write.
