Team DailyPedia
Donning the creations of Filipino fashion designer Paul Cabral, the leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) nations graced the gala dinner held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Wednesday, November 18.
President Benigno Aquino III and sister Ballsy Aquino-Cruz welcomed the world leaders and their spouses. Men were clad in Barong Tagalog while women were dressed in piña jackets.
It took Cabral four months to create the custom-designed barong shirts for the 21 heads of state. Partially made of pineapple fiber, each of the semi-sheer barong shirts was embroidered with individual symbols of their respective countries. To make sure the leaders would be comfortable wearing the barongs, the designer secretly sewed a satin lining on the tough collars of the shirts.
“This summit is the best showcase for the barong and for Filipino talent. The whole world is your audience, nothing can be more grandiose than that,” Cabral told Agence France-Presse.
Last year, the Mao suits worn by world leaders during the APEC summit in China made headlines after being likened to Star Trek suits.
Here are some photos of the world leaders in their barongs and piña jackets.
US President Barack Obama
