MANILA, Philippines — Women empowerment and the indomitable Filipino spirit came to the fore via the catwalk at the FrontRow Cares and the Universe Gives Back Charity Fashion Gala last Tuesday.
Showing once more that their beauty is more than skin deep, two Filipina Miss Universe winners took part in the benefit gala to support their chosen charities with the help of top Filipino designers to highlight the limitless creativity in the country.
The event brought together Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and current Miss Universe Catriona Gray to show that beauty is indeed more than skin deep. The gala was spearheaded by co-chairpersons Pia Wurtzbach, architect Richelle Singson-Michael and fashion designer Albert Andrada to bring the brand to a higher-level than a one-day television special.
The gala, held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, showcased the talents of eight top Filipino designers who created queen-worthy outfits according to a specific color scheme for the 40 Binibining Pilipinas candidates: Andrada on tangerine, Rhett Eala with teal blue, Michael Leyva in cyan blue, Ito Curata with freesia, Jot Losa in orchid, Avel Bacudio with Kelly green, Cherry Veric in scarlet sage, and Martin Bautista with ultra violet. For his part, Edwin Tan presented a men’s wear collection in neutrals, modeled by Empire talents.
The event also honored three empowered Filipinas, including Miss Universe 2010 4th runner-up Venus Raj. — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo