Appreciation for Cebu designers were highlighted after Filipinos saw a glimpse of Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez‘s national costume for the beauty pageant.
The 28-year-old model shared pictures of her costume which is inspired by Mayari, a demigod daughter of Bathala who is revered the goddess of war, combat, revolution, hunt, weaponry, beauty, strength, moon and the night.
While she has many titles, Mayari is widely regarded as the deity of the moon who is beautiful and charming.
On the other hand, Bathala in ancient Philippine mythology is a supreme god who is the caretaker of nature and creatures of the earth.
Meanwhile, Perez’s costume was created by Axel Que, a Cebuano fashion designer.
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“Moon Goddess and daughter of Bathala. Hailed as the most beautiful deity, she has complete dominion of the world at night. The moon has been revered as a celestial being by most ancient civilizations in antiquity,” part of the caption, which was from Que, reads.
“Apart from its mysterious allure, it has also been though to have great cosmic influence on the mortal realm. My rendition incorporated a lot of traditional forms as the base silhouette, with slight exaggerations in the proportion and volume,” the designer wrote.
“For embellishment, I crafted white & purple moon flowers (morning glory/moon vine) from scratch, and added the gradient shading in the middle to give it more depth. Pearls and tassels thoughtfully border the hemlines,” Que added.
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The Miss World Philippines Organization also shared a video offering a closer look of Perez’s national costume.
Perez won the Head to Head fast-track event in Miss World 2021 and was able to secure a spot in the Top 30 semifinals.
She was also named one of the top 10 finalists for the “Beauty with a Purpose” video challenge where she highlighted the importance of empowering single parents.
Perez was raised by a single mother.
The Cebuana beauty is a seasoned beauty queen who won as second runner-up in Miss Cebu 2016 and was named Binibining Cebu Charity in 2018. She also placed on the sixth spot of Binibining Cebu in 2017.
Perez has a degree in industrial engineering and works as a model and host.
If she wins, she is the second Filipina to have won the Miss World title, next to Megan Young who was crowned in 2013.
The coronation is slated December 16 in Puerto Rico, (December 17, Philippine time).
‘Avant-garde’
Perez’s national costume stunned Filipino pageant fans who expressed their awe on social media.
Others noted that Perez’s costume was designed by Que, who is also behind the national costume of Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez.
Gomez made it to the Top 5 of the 70th Miss Universe.
TEAM CEBU LANG MALAKAS!#MissUniverse #BeatriceLuigiGomez x #MissWorld #TracyMaureenPerez 💛💜 pic.twitter.com/UxvzwkBhi9
— Kapuso Talks (@KapusoTalks) December 14, 2021
“Cebu designers are really great!!” another online user exclaimed.
“From Bea to Tracy, Team Cebu is really giving us quality national costumes!” a different Filipino commented with emojis of a heart-shaped eyes and a crown.
Gomez wore Que’s creation, “bakunawa” costume, at the 70th Miss Universe National Costume Show. This was an evolution of the one the designer created in for Miss Universe Philippines 2021 competition.
RELATED: The evolution of Bea Gomez’s national costumes: From blue sea serpent to golden lunar dragon
In a 2013 interview, the designer said that she wanted “to transform fashion from just okay to avant-garde.”
According to Que, she envisions her future designs to be more of Asian-inspired statement pieces that metamorphoses the wearer.
Que graduated a degree in fine arts at the University of the Philippines. She also attended the Fashion Institute of the Philippines.
