That Sunday night of the FAMAS, I was chosen as one of the judges to choose The Best-Dressed Actress, a new category that carried a P10,000 prize from the soap sponsor. I always enjoy looking out for people with a fashion sense, that all-together look that sets them apart from the others. But the Araneta Coliseum was sweltering that night, the temperature must be around the ’90s and stars of fame and fortune had to contend with barong and evening gowns sticking to the skin and make-up running down faces after an hour or so.
There was a row of seats for the jurors but some people were already sitting on them and the organizers could not ask them to sit somewhere else. We were left with five empty seats for the eight of us and sitting pinned to each other in that temperature was like being in a snake pit. You could even raise an elbow to write.
Nevertheless, under these circumstances we set out to discover The Best-Dressed Actress of the night. After an hour of going and checking out the dresses and gowns, I put down five names, as required in my form: Armida Siguion-Reyna, Lorna Tolentino, Pinky de Leon, Rita Gomez and Anna Marie Gutierrez. The two judges beside me also had Armida on top of their list.
Armida was wearing a casual but elegant gown. The cream-colored dress was enhanced by pearl accessories. I chose Armida because in spite of the heat she was cool and she wore just the perfect attire in that temperature.
Pinky de Leon was in black and a CHER blouse which had a translucent glow in several colors. I put Pinky on my list because it were a difficult attire to carry but she did it with ease and aplomb. Thank God she did not wear anything underneath the blouse which would have given it the constricted look like young girls wearing minis and putting their notebooks to cover the exposed length. Pinky was wearing the right accessories. Real diamonds of just the right size.
Lorna put on a total look. She was in blue and white with matching turban on her head. Husband Rudy Fernandez, the Best Actor awardee, was her main accessory.
Rita was in white, cut in the latest silhouette. She had an interesting cutout at the back embossed by gold thread. Rita was cool and collected that night and this gave her an aura of elegance. The last one on my list raised a lot of eyebrows. But after seeing Anna Marie in the nude in pictures, it was good to see that she could carry her clothes just as well. That Sunday, she was in a demure off-shoulder blue dress decorated with cabbage roses. Our fashion editor might have disowned the fashion annotation but Anna Marie did look innocent in that get-up.
Anyway, something funny happened on our way to selecting the winner. After we completed our list, the coordinator came to our group to tell us that first, we should choose an actress; second, a young actress and third, she should have a very good complexion. I don’t know how being young and having good complexion fell into the Best-Dressed criteria but now she was telling us.
The other judges started dumping some names from their list. At this juncture, the name of Carmi Martin kept coming up. But she was not on my list and I kept telling the other judges why. She was wearing a tight black dress like Marilyn Monroe in the ’60s. She looked gorgeous in it, very camp but hardly in fashion.
There was nothing personal in my choice of winners. Carmi, indeed, looked beautiful and very showbiz but hardly in fashion compared to others that evening. But it seemed that the rest of the group had decided to make her the winner and I just held on to my list and gave it to the chairman. My choices for what they wore.
Finally, Carmi was declared winner. When I was told by the judges that she won, I decided to stretch my legs and got some soft drinks. I had been sitting in that cramp position for more than two hours. I did not walk out on the deliberation as some people thought. I left when the deliberation was over and the winner already known to our group.
For me it was just one of those nights. A fun night, in fact, with the booing and the colorful numbers. The men had all the fun ogling the bomba stars. Sarsi Emanuella was “high,” soaring on the stage with her short skirt and sleepy eyes. Emily Loren came simple and sweet, and Jean Saburit was in three-tiered lace gown like a black widow.
Nora Aunor was the crowd’s favorite, getting wild applause when her name was called to share the Best Actress trophy with Sharon Cuneta. Which showed that you couldn’t put a good girl down and neither could you fool all the people all the time.
Now: March 24, 2011 — 26 years later.
Armida, now a widow, is still very much in fashion. She has grown her hair white which is quite becoming, and wears her favorite Adidas even with her formal wear. It is one fashion statement that is very Armida.
Lorna is making her comeback on TV and movies with a vengeance. Now, a widow, she “threatens” to be a stage mother to her and Rudy’s sons Renz and Rap-Rap who have joined showbiz. Lorna is fashionable and still in fashion.
Pinky is finally freed from the trauma of her oldest son’s imprisonment. He was finally freed with the other accused in the Vizconde Massacre which included Hubert Webb. Pinky is in the States as of this writing. This info I got from her mom Lilia Dizon. The last time I saw Pinky she was beautiful as ever and always dressed in good taste.
Carmi is still youthful and sexy and appears on TV once in a while.
The inimitable Rita Gomez died of cancer in the States a few years back.
Nora is still out of the country. Attempts to bring her back have not been successful so far.
Anna Marie has not been heard of in showbiz circles. It seems that showbiz oblivion is her present lot.