It was the costume that every Filipino pageant fan was waiting to see!
Catriona Gray wowed everyone with her modern tribal costume during the national competition of the Miss Universe 2018 beauty pageant help at the Nong Nooch International Convention Center in Pattaya, Thailand on Monday night.
Gray slayed the runway and received loud applause with her costume which featured a form-fitting bodysuit, headdress, massive backdrop, and customized boots.
Representing the LuzViMinda Costume!#MissUniverse #Philippines pic.twitter.com/FcitAsBebK
— Catriona Gray (@catrionaelisaaa) December 10, 2018
The country’s bet’s costume took a team to complete and what’s more impressive is that every detail of the ensemble has a meaning.
Gray’s mentor Carlos Buendia Jr. and fashion designer Jearson Demavivas said the costume is called “LuzViMinda” referring to the three major island groups of the Philippines — Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The costume also follows the theme “Magdiwang, Lumaban, Pagyamanin.”
Through a series of Instagram posts, Buendia explained the story behind the costume.
He said that Luzon was represented through the massive back piece which features the Filipino Christmas lantern called “Parol”.
“The island group of Luzon is represented by the world-renowned ‘parol’ from the province of Pampanga with an aluminum border, designed and made in Floridablanca, Pampanga — the home of the Pinukpuk/aluminum.
“The border’s design is inspired by designs from the Philippine Baroque Churches that were declared as UNESCO Heritage Sites,” he explained.
Buendia further said that the parol backdrop was created by Pampanga-based artisan Eric Quiwa.
At the back of the parol design, the backdrop has the inscription of the lyrics from ‘Lupang Hinirang,’ the Philippines’ National Anthem written in Baybayin. It also featured artworks inspired by the works of Philippine National Artist Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco and painted by several students of the University of the Philippines.
Visayas was represented in her Pintados-inspired warrior bodysuit designed by Demavivas.
“The island group of Visayas is represented by a bodysuit with authentic ‘tattoo designs’ embellished with crystals derived from patterns used by the ‘Pintados’ who are indigenous people found in various islands in this part of the Philippines.
“The tattoo patterns are authentic and are based on the manuscript ‘Boxer Codex’ written in 1950.
“The tattoos represent an individual’s journey and public testimony recounting acts of combat, bravery, and strength, the perfectly represents the courageous and resilient Filipino spirit amidst the trials we face in this day and age,” Buendia said.
Lastly, Mindanao was represented in the accessories she wore, including her headpiece, brass accessories, and boots.
The shoes were custom-made by shoe designer Jojo Bragais who took inspiration from the ethnic groups of Mindanao.
“The island group of MINDANAO is represented by an authentic ‘headpiece and brass accessories’ from the province of South Cotabato and the customized knee-high boots with embroidered designs by different indigenous textile patterns from the southern part of the Philippines, namely: Inaul, Yakan, Maranao, B’laan, bagobo, Tausug, and T’nalak.
“The woven textiles express a strong belief in ‘ancestral and natural spirits’ and ‘cultural roots’ of indigenous communities that remain well-preserved up to this day,” Buendia said.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News’ Dyan Castillejo, Gray said that her objective was to represent the entire Philippines with her costume and that they even did research and consulted historians for the accuracy of the symbolisms.
“I want to represent the Philippines in all forms. When people see the Philippine sash, it’s just a word on a sash, but really, we’re made up of so many different places and so much different aspects to our culture.
“Kuya Caloy (Buendia), he has this passion for the country, and for history, and for architecture, and for the arts, because he has background in theater. So whenever I have an artistic vision, I always go to him, and feed off each other’s energy, so it just came up that way.
“And then we presented it to Jearson, and Jearson did a sketch. We tweaked it. We researched it. It was really important to me to make sure na lahat ng aspects ng national costume were authentic. We researched talaga. We consulted historians,” Gray said.
Watch the entire Miss Universe national competition below. Gray’s exposure is at the 1:22:11 mark.
