The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Curiously, it’s a one-way ticket.
Professional ramp models are mostly confined to walking the runway and wearing the latest collection of designers.
Rarely are they appearing or have appeared however short-lived onscreen as movie and television stars or as theater performers except perhaps for beauty queen-models like Michelle Dee, Melanie Marquez, Maria Isabel Lopez, Pia Wurtzbach, Pilar Pilapil, Evangeline Pascual, Catriona Gray, Elizabeth Oropesa to name only a few–all of them tall and regal bearing who have endured in the celluloid world.
Most of these catwalk queens, anyway, have exotic if not beautiful faces apart from their statuesque height who could pass for screen tests or eventually offer unique acting chops they could very well portray with realism the real psyche and environment of Filipino womanhood.
Whereas movie, TV and stage thespians could wear the latest fashion and still tread the walkway if not the fashion floor anytime even many of them are just in their regular, standard height. Still, in some cases, they are flat-five feet or a little higher by two or three inches.
Take for instance the recently concluded 2025 ABS-CBN Ball held at the Solaire North ballroom.
In their spring formal, these glitzy and glamorous stars once again paraded confidently on the red carpet not in their usual mannequin sashay but more of the actors’ distinct fashion walk.
They may not be a Miss Universe material or a Miss World wannabe but they are delightfully lookers onstage just as well.
Anne Curtis in Nicole + Felicia was queenly in her every turn. Nadine Lustre in her Rajo Laurel was just as stunning as her. Kathryn Barnardo in her Anthony Ramirez was classic. Janine Gutierrez in her Mark Bumgarner was sharp yet calm.
We may not enumerate them all but these actresses are enough representations of showbiz celebs who can carry a gown or two with elan no matter the likes or the bashings.