The Miss Universe pageant has always been a grand display of the some over the top national costumes.
Case in point: Miss Singapore’s dramatic gown showing the Trump-Kim summit, which our colleagues at Coconuts Singapore have so humorously written about.
Just when we thought we’ve seen everything, here comes Miss Philippines Catriona Gray, who yesterday showed her Philippine national costume — a combo of a gigantic parol (Christmas lantern) backpiece; a bodysuit with tattoos; and a headdress representing the T’boli tribe.
But that’s not all — behind that massive parol, there’s a painting of a multitude of Filipino heroes surrounded by baybayin, an ancient Philippine script.
The overly detailed costume represents the three major groups of islands of the country, according to ABS-CBN News.
The parol represents Luzon, where Pampanga, a province famous for making the decor is based; the tattoos represent the Visayas region because it was the home of the Pintados, a warrior tribe known for sporting body art; and the headdress represents Mindanao, where the T’boli live.
Gray, a Filipino-Australian, is undeniably proud of the costume.
She told ABS-CBN: “We researched it. It was really important to me to make sure that all aspects of the national costume were authentic. We researched. We consulted historians.”
But in a video posted online, Gray was obviously having a tough time dragging the huge — and probably extremely heavy — costume on stage. The struggle is real:
Miss Universe Philippines 2018 National Costume by Catriona Gray 😍😍😍 #MissUniverse #MissUniversePhilippines2018 https://t.co/HCqCMnX0Kr pic.twitter.com/d6r4A1DJyN
— ceedeefour (@ceedeefour) December 10, 2018
While people generally liked the costume, a few poked fun at it. @thed_french wrote: “I thought someone was gonna throw a knife.” He then shared what that gigantic circular parol reminded him of.
akala ko may bgla mgbabato ngnkutsilyo pic.twitter.com/0FgXVyISFy
— british kamote (@thed_french) December 10, 2018
Another one didn’t mince words and said that Grey’s designers should have streamlined the design of the costume, which he called a “hot mess.”
Ok so let’s be brutally honest here, Catriona Gray’s national costume is a hot mess. There’s a lot going on which is frankly, distracting. I wish her team exhibited restraint in the design.
— Neo (@NeoEspena) December 10, 2018
@ruzzelx showed the similarities between Gray’s costume and a costume worn by singer Sarah Geronimo in a music video.
Miss Universe Philippines Catriona Gray’s ‘Tala’ inspired national costume.
Sarah G must be proud! pic.twitter.com/EUwagiIlED
— Ruzzel Jamero (@ruzzelx) December 10, 2018
Naturally, her fans didn’t think the costume was a design fail.
Wrote Meynard Alejo: “You will cry because you can feel her dedication in making sure that the Philippines will win. We are proud of you #CATRIONAGRAY. God bless your journey, thank you for sharing our native cultures in Thailand. We love you.”
Kimpoy Somerhalder wrote: “Best Miss Philippines ever. Pro-Filipino. That’s what you call a proud Pinay. And we are proud of your intelligence and bravery Catriona Gray. God bless you.”
Filipinos take pageants seriously and many believe that seeing a Filipino woman win in a global contest reflects well on the country.
While pageants are seen as sexist in other countries, many Filipinos see it as a legitimate celebration of heritage, intelligence, and beauty.
Before joining the Miss Universe contest, Gray joined another global contest in 2017, Miss World, where she landed at the top 5.
It was a disappointing finish, as many of her fans expected her to win the title. However, she is considered a front-runner in this year’s Miss Universe, which will be held in Bangkok on Dec. 17.
