The Philippines’ bet Beatrice Luigi Gomez wowed the audience during the national costume segment of the Miss Universe pageant held in Eilat, Israel early Saturday, December 11.
For the segment, Bea showcased another creation by Cebu-based designer Axel Que, who also worked on her costume for the national competition. Axel still chose to pay homage to the Bakunawa, a serpent-like dragon in Philippine mythology but in a different form.
On Instagram, the designer explained: “I wanted to continue my narrative of the Bakunawa, and I’m taking my artistic license to a whole new level. The initial version was a bit restrained, it was more of a Drake ( video game jargon used for a dragon’s stage of evolution ), which is basically [the] mid-life cycle. I wanted to take everyone on this journey of growth and maturity, not just for the costume itself, but also as a metaphor for Bea’s personal evolution.”
” I am proud to present my Bakunawa’s final form: The Golden Lunar Dragon. This is a personal, hypothetical envisioning of what the Bakunawa would look like had it succeeded in devouring the last moon. I chose gold to render the whole piece in because aside from its divine beauty, it is considered as the perfect element ( because it’s chemically one of the least reactive ), and to hopefully imbue this characteristic to the wearer, much like an enchanted armor.”
“I believe that this final rendition of the Bakunawa, will serve as the perfect conclusion to this design chapter in my life. I’ve poured so much of myself into engineering this garment, and I am filled with so much joy to be able to share this project of unbridled artistry and craftsmanship. I couldn’t think of a better punctuation.”
Aside from Axel, designer Manny Halasan provided the accessories while the shoes were crafted by Jan Montalban.
Almost time for national costumes! #MissUniverse pic.twitter.com/3UtJihpouK
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 10, 2021
Here are more photos Bea’s costume during the competition captured by Benjamin Askinas.
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