MANILA — The annual Red Charity Gala offered a measure of cheer and hope amid troubled times, capped by a highlight collection from designer JC Buendia.

Held on Oct. 3 at The Peninsula Manila, the event featured a dinner and an auction of art, jewels, and trips. Founded in 2009 by socialites Tessa Prieto and Kaye Tinga — now president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines — the annual gala is a fundraiser for the benefit of the Philippine Red Cross, the Hope For Lupus Foundation, and the Assumption HS 1981 Foundation, causes that span humanitarian aid, health care, and education.

Each year, the gala brings one designer's collection to the fore, a single-designer format that turns each edition into a focused portrait of one designer's current work. This year it was JC Buendia, popular in political and social circles for elegant garments that reimagine Filipino textiles and silhouettes.

dinner, guests moved into the hotel's Rigodon Ballroom, where red celebratory lanterns served as the show's backdrop. Red searchlights trawled the runway to the opening beats of New Order's "Blue Monday," after which a series of black and white outfits appeared, paired with dainty pillbox hats with aigrettes holding feathers.

Striking pieces included a large-sleeved black polka-dotted blouse reminiscent of vintage Schiaparelli, followed by a little bandeau in luxurious taffeta. Most of the dresses were shifts, inspired by the 1920s by way of the 1960s and interpreted now in the 2020s. There were callbacks to more avant-garde looks from the late 1950s, such as a trapeze dress resembling archival Balenciaga, as well as a coat held up by camellia brooches and open from neckline to navel.

Southeast Asian and Filipino touches expressed a shared identity, such as a Vietnamese ao dai — the nation's traditional tunic — treated like a Filipino barong, the Philippines' traditional formal shirt. Aside from the prerequisite white, these pieces also appeared in delicate blues. The same tunic shape was seen on a dress bursting with spherical beads resembling seeds, and even on a top worn by a male model.

Other notable outfits were a pink brocade coat scattered with golden pearls, a lace blouse paired with a balloon skirt, and a black shirtdress with a plunging neckline embroidered with cranes, a good-luck symbol in Asia. The show closed with a bridal gown with panniered hips, its model wearing golden pearls on her neck and a rather elaborate headdress.

Mr. Buendia came out on the runway to the song "Rainbow Connection," visibly emotional. Upon closer observation, the designer was seen wearing a brooch with a portrait of his mother, who had died earlier this year.

According to a statement, Mr. Buendia's theme this year was "relaxed luxury," which explained the rather relaxed silhouettes. "I've become much more conscious about designing clothes that allow the body to move, breathe, sit, and simply enjoy the moment," he said. "I softened the silhouettes and used softer, more fluid fabrics instead of stiff or rigid materials. The idea was to retain the elegance and discipline of these Asian silhouettes, while giving them more movement, more ease, and a more relaxed sense of luxury."

Clutching a bouquet, he told BusinessWorld after the show: "I'm celebrating hope. (With) everything that's happening in our country and the world… I want to give hope." The remark echoed the gala's own purpose, with the evening's dinner and auction staged as a fundraiser for its three beneficiary organizations.

— Joseph L. Garcia