Ahtisa Manalo's Stylist Patty Yap Breaks Down The Vision Behind Her Miss Universe Winning Look

Clinching the crown was a dream come true for both Ahtisa and Patty. After all, the newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2025 (MUPH) had been one of the crowd favorites during the competition, and so, they're now off to something bigger.

In an exclusive chat with Cosmopolitan Philippines, Patty weighed in on the ups and downs of taking on the role of Ahtisa Manalo's stylist for both of her Miss Universe stints, and later on her ultimate Miss Universe bout to be held in Thailand.

But something shifted in her when Ahtisa competed for the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 crown. The beauty queen had all the potential to be crowned, and Patty wholeheartedly recognized that. "Parang sabi ko, 'Isa pa. Try mo pa. Babawi tayo,'" she told Cosmo, recalling her earlier discussions with Ahtisa before joining Miss Universe for the second time.

Her indifference to pageants turned into motivation and curiosity. Determined to make a win with Ahtisa, she studied the pageant scene. "If you can't beat them, join them!" she exclaimed, before sharing how she's come to embrace—and even love—the intricacies of pageantry.

"Tapos, 'di ba anti-pageant nga ako? Ngayon, inaral ko na siya. Minahal ko na siya," Patty said. But let's be clear: her previous work was never lackluster. Even back then, Patty brought strong, standout styling—it's just that she always had a vision, an urge to experiment and defy styling norms for pageants. Now? She's all in, and it shows.

Patty's vision for Ahtisa took a clear turn from their last Miss Universe Philippines run. Back in 2024, she aimed to showcase a different side of Ahtisa—one that leaned more into the "sexy pop star" peg, as Patty said. But for MUPH 2025, it's all about refinement and authenticity. This time, Patty focused on highlighting Ahtisa's natural beauty and playing to her strongest visual assets—and the glow-up is undeniable.

This renewed sense of styling for Ahtisa, plus the openness to public comments, surely helped Patty establish Ahtisa's winning looks. "So 'yun 'yung ginawa namin, queenly tapos maintain 'yung Barbie-core [...] 'Yan 'yung tinanggap ng tao," Patty said.

She added, "Before hindi ako nakikinig, hindi ako nagbabasa ng comments. May sarili akong vision. So this time, 'nung nagbasa na ako ng comments at pinakinggan ko na lahat ng mga comments ng mga tao, na-realize ko, importante din pala makinig ng comments."

Val Taguba's familiarity with Ahtisa's style and charm added magic to the beauty queen's winning look. The Filipino designer has been crafting gowns for Ahtisa since she started her pageant career—now, Ahtisa owns any gown that comes out of Val's creative pursuit.

So much so that even when they received the final designs for Ahtisa's MUPH gowns just three days before the preliminary night, everything still fell into place. "Kinabahan na ako, hanggang sa nag-sched na siya ng first fitting, three days before the preliminary," Patty said. "Na-shock ako pwede na siyang bumuo ng isang collection," the stylist said, as she looked back on the first time she saw all the gowns Val made for Ahtisa, all waiting for their sweet yes.

Each look was a statement; the transformation didn't stop at the outfits. Patty also paid close attention to Ahtisa's hair and makeup, making sure every detail was intentionally different, each one tailored to highlight a new side of her.

So with the help of her fellow stylists, AJ Alberto and Perry Tabora, Patty brought to life her vision for Ahtisa—elegant, regal, and radiating pure queen energy. And yes, she was indeed the queen by the end of the night! :)

With a newfound formula for Ahtisa's styling—one that strikes the perfect balance between sleekness and personality—Patty has found her sweet spot. So for Miss Universe 2025, she's leaning into a look that's edgier, yet still queenly and grounded in Ahtisa's natural beauty. It's all about standing out while staying true to who Ahtisa really is. But we ask: will hot pink still be the color of Ahtisa's gown for the coronation night in November?

"Tignan natin," Patty teased. "Gusto ko maganda 'yung face, perfect, tsaka 'yung katawan, toned," she disclosed, saying that Ahtisa is preparing to be more toned and fit for the upcoming competition in Thailand. As for the hair, Patty joked, "Baka maloka kayo short hair siya, charot!" Exciting times ahead!