It’s all over the news. Catriona Gray amazed a lot of us with her preliminary round performance. From her so-called lava runway walk to her mesmerizing smile – she truly got our attention and made us all excited to what is there to come this upcoming coronation night.
Given her confidence and beauty, it is undeniable that Catriona has a great chance to be the fourth Filipina to be crowned as Miss Universe. The whole country is definitely hoping for the best for Catriona.
Just during the preliminary competition, Catriona proved that she deserves to win the title of Miss Universe as she captured not just the Philippines’ attention but other countries as well. Especially with that iconic slow motion turn during the bikini round. Even more, what got our attention is Catriona’s stylish ensembles which were heavily inspired by our own Filipino heritage and was Catriona herself who conceptualized everything with the help of promising Filipino designers.
Here are Catriona’s Miss Universe ensembles that proved how proud she is of her Filipino heritage:
Preliminary Interview Outfit
Photo from Instagram/Catriona Gray
During the preliminary interview, Catriona wore a bright orange Filipinana top which she matched with an Ifugao skirt with a slit on the side. Catriona looked elegant with her modern Filipinana ensemble that manifested Filipino culture.
National Costume
Photo from Instagram/Vogue Thailand
As for the national costume round, Catriona stunned all of us with national costume that represents the Philippines as a whole – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. In her Instagram post, Catriona explained what every part of her costume symbolizes. Catriona even chose to showcase the pre-colonial Filipino culture through her national costume which is a huge part of our culture that is slowly fleeting. She wore a body suit that featured the authentic tattoo designs by the Pintados. Her costume was also accompanied by a huge lantern in the colors of red, blue, and yellow. The back of the lantern, on the other hand, featured various hand-painted images showing the Filipino culture.
Preliminary Competition Evening Gown
Photo from Instagram/Mak Tumang
Catriona’s Preliminary Competition evening gown was designed by Mak Tumang, the same designer who made Cartiona Gray’s evening gown during the Binibining Pilipinas coronation night. Inspired by the Filipino mythical creature, Ibong Adarna – a bird with a magical voice that can heal people, Catriona’s evening gown was definitely stunning. She looked breathtaking as she walked down the runway with her signature lava walk.
Photo from Instagram/Catriona Gray
From the very beginning Catriona showcased her heritage back when she competed during the Binibining Pilipinas competition. She wore a Mak Tumang gown which she partnered with a beautiful ear piece inspired by the Filipino flag’s three stars and the sun.
Catriona Gray definitely showed us that she one hundred percent proud of her Filipino culture and heritage. Not just through her costumes but also through how she brought herself on stage representing our country. The whole country is definitely rooting for this lovely lady. A woman who is proud of her Filipino roots and remembered that she was Miss Philippines before she could be Miss Universe – we hope!
