Catriona Gray, this year's bet for the Miss Universe crown, proudly showcased our country's heritage during the pageant's national costume competition last night! Cat put together elements from all three major islands of the Philippines and incorporated them in her costume through a gigantic parol backpiece from Luzon, a nude bodysuit with Pintados patterns from Visayas, and handmade brass accessories and a T'boli headdress from Mindanao.
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach tweeted this photo a few hours before the competition aired, teasing us with Cat's national costume:
A fan account also posted a prediction of her ensemble early last night:
And finally, Catriona herself tweeted photos of her costume, which is called "LuzViMinda."
The whole ensemble was designed by Jearson Demavivas in collaboration with Carlos Buendia and Jojo Bragais. During an interview with ABS-CBN, Cat said, "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."
Needless to say, pageant fans on Twitter were completely here for it! Here's what they loved about Cat's costume:
The fact that she literally brought the whole PH with her:
Those Baybayin inscriptions!
They translate to: "Lupang hinirang, duyan ka ng magiting/ Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil/ Sa dagat at budok, sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw."
The historical events painted on her parol backpiece:
Graduates from the University of Santo Tomas—Renee Avila, Marina Ceriola, and Kim Fababair—worked on the paintings!
The intricate details on her Pintados bodysuit:
Her stage presence! That costume must have been really heavy.
The Miss Universe coronation night will be held on December 17 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
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