Pia Wurtzbach’s Miss Universe national costume will be Filipino-made
Pia Wurtzbach will walk the Miss Universe stage in Las Vegas next month wearing a national costume created by a Filipino designer, the Philippines' candidate to the international pageant said.
However, she did not share any more details about the gown.
"[The] national costume will be [made] by a Filipino designer and then we'll find out about it during the pageant. Abangan na lang po natin," Wurtzbach told reporters during her send-off press conference on Wednesday.
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Christi McGarry, who is representing the country at the Miss Intercontinental pageant in Germany next month, said that she, too, will be wearing a Filipino-made national costume.
"This year, Filipino designers will be making our costumes. But who the designers are is a secret. You will find out very soon," she said in a separate interview.
The decision came after previous Miss Universe contender MJ Lastimosa's national costume, which was designed by Colombian Alfredo Barraza, drew flak from pageant enthusiasts and netizens earlier this year. Some even likened it to a cake.
Lastimosa failed to make it to the top 5 of the Miss Universe pageant, the first time since 2009 that the Philippines did not make it to the final five.
Netizens criticized Colombian-born Stella Marquez-Araneta, head of the Binibining Pilipinas organization, for turning to a foreigner to create the beauty queen's gown and asked her to step down from her post. — BM, GMA News