February 15, 2024 | 4:59pm
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino designers Michael Cinco and Rian Fernandez presented their fabulous creations, worn by Miss Universe queens, at the New York and Dubai fashion weeks.
Newly-crowned Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios walked on her first New York Fashion Week (NYFW) at the Edison Ballroom in the Big Apple. She wore a custom-made Great Gatsby-inspired gown by Rian Fernandez.
“I’m so excited, both for the show. This is what I dreamed about as a little girl practicing in the hallway! And then the dress that Rian has created is more than a look, it is a complete work of art,” Sheynnis told the Hola! USA publication in an interview
Pageant aficionados remember Rian as the designer who made R’bonney Gabriel’s turnover gown at the El Salvador show. He also created R’bonney’s competition gowns for both her Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
“The old is new again — making a comeback from the 1920s, a drop-waist ball gown designed exclusively for our new Miss Universe, with exquisite, intricate hand-embroidered Art of Repetition in a curated monochrome palette.
“This work celebrates the timeless, pristine art of fashion, with a modern twist of architectural construction that transforms it into a living tapestry. Radiation meets modernity, and fashion becomes art — a perfect canvas for Sheynnis Palacios,” Rian told Hola! USA.
After her first appearance, Sheynnis also walked the runway for fashion designer Alonso Maximo at the EPN New York Fashion show, a day after donning Rian’s fabulous creation.
On the other side of the world, Michael Cinco’s newest muse is Miss Universe Nepal 2023 Jane Dipika Garrett. The body positivity advocate walked for Michael Cinco’s latest fashion show at the Dubai Fashion Week.
Cinco’s collection was named “The Impalpable Dream of Japan.” Fans and supporters will remember Garrett as the first plus-sized beauty queen to break the semifinals at Miss Universe and the first placement with her body measurements in a major beauty pageant.
With more shows and platforms discovering the ingenuity of Filipino designers, more and more Filipino designers are being celebrated on the world stage.
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