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Michelle Dee reveals why she wore a black evening gown for Miss Universe Philippines
Michelle Dee’s black evening gown for the Miss Universe Philippines coronation night earned her a special award, and here's the story behind it.
Designed by Mark Bumgarner, the vision was “an evening gown with restraint,” Michelle said in an Instagram post.
She said that given every queen’s goal to stand out and wow the crowd, “one of the best ways to do that is to wear a gown that looks and feels like the ‘winning look’ for the night, full of anything that would add shimmer, shine and extravagance.”
The newly crowned Miss Universe Philippines said that she and Mark did not want a typical pageant look.
“We wanted an iconic masterpiece that would bring out my best assets and to stay true to who I am: daring, elegant, fierce - and of course in my color, BLACK,” she said.
Michelle said that the gown symbolizes that it’s “not about always being what everyone expects you to be.”
“It's about having restraint and choosing to stay true to yourself even if it's so much easier to just follow what everyone wants you to be,” she said.
She added that when you are yourself, there are people who will believe and see your potential.
“In choosing to be yourself, you will find enough strength and power to achieve anything you set your mind to,” she added.
The look definitely paid off because Michelle won the pageant’s Best in Evening Gown special award.
During her walk, Michelle paid tribute to her mom Melanie Marquez’s signature S-walk and supermodel poses.
She is set to represent the country at the international pageant, which will be held in El Salvador, Central America.
—Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News
