MANILA, Philippines - Fashion becomes less a spectator sport when sport itself becomes the fashion.

Last Thursday, Inquirer Lifestyle staged the rousing, filled-to-the-bleachers (despite the heavy rains and flooding) curtain-raiser to its Lifestyle Series of events with “Fitness.Fashion,” a catwalk team-up between some of the country’s top designers and best-selling activewear brands, at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Peninsula Manila in Makati City.

Co-presented with Samsung, it drew guests who cut across the fields of fashion, business and commerce, arts, media and entertainment. With the support of HSBC and Peninsula, the show had 12 sought-after designers melding their creations with the latest brand collections: Kipling with Vic Barba; Fila with Lulu Tan-Gan; Nike Golf with Anthony Nocom; Speedo with Louis Claparols; Adidas with Patrice Ramos-Diaz and Rhett Eala; Marks & Spencer with Arcy Gayatin; Aigle and Oxbow with Rajo Laurel; Bench with Joey Samson; and Puma with Ivarluski Aseron and Randy Ortiz. (Read the fashion report in this Friday’s Lifestyle Fashion and Beauty.)

“Fitness.Fashion” also scored a coup with the runway debut of fitness enthusiast and sports advocate Sen. Pia Cayetano. Other guest models were Akiko Thompson, Amanda Carpo, Rina Go, Paolo Abrera, Phoemela Baranda, Svetlana Osmeña, Jeena Lopez, Enchong Dee, Ruby Gan, Fely Atienza, Trishan Cuazo, catwalk queens Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez and Apples Aberin-Sadhwani, and Inquirer’s own Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Leica Carpo.

The show was supported by L’Oreal Phils. and Swatch.