#BuongPilipinas for Catriona Gray
Catriona Gray, the Philippines’ bet at this year’s Miss Universe, has been dominating not only the prestigious pageant’s stage, but also social media platforms as netizens just can’t get enough of the Fil-Aussie’s beauty and appeal.
From the moment the 24-year-old was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2018 in March, pageant enthusiasts have named her a strong contender to win the country’s fourth Miss Universe crown.
Catriona herself knows that it takes a village to pull off a performance worthy of the Mikimoto crown, and thus – in a brave and trailblazing move – opted to build her own team.
While she trained with pageant camp Aces and Queens for her Miss World 2016 stint and her early Bb. Pilipinas 2018 journey, Catriona cut loose from the famed beauty pageant camp to handpick her own solid team in a decision she calls her best yet.
Before flying to Bangkok for the competition, Catriona shared in a “Bottomline” interview with Boy Abunda how from a scale of 1 to 10, she’s 9.9 percent prepared after having done her best to prepare. Going beyond the “usual standards” of having a gown, doing the preliminaries, and doing an interview, Catriona says she and her core team have “gone above and beyond” for Miss Universe 2018.
In what she calls the biggest competition of her life, Catriona gathered a group of top tier stylists and artists to put her vision together.
“Instead of focusing on multiple girls, I got undivided focus from a team of people that I chose myself, so I was allowed to be as creative,” explained Catriona.
“I’m very stubborn with my vision,” Catriona said. “I have to try it first. I have to try my vision first. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. I’d rather stay true to my vision and then explore others and learn that way than never listening to what I want.”
Catriona and her team worked on a “multi-faceted approach” for Miss Universe, as she wrote so herself for ABS-CBN Lifestyle, saying that the strategy allowed them to be prepared for anything.
“Every day, we work on something different. For the mental preparations, we honed my public speaking skills through debate class and my Dale Carnegie course with the Binibining Pilipinas Foundation. I also read a lot of material to brush up my knowledge bank. It helps that I am already a voracious reader.”
Catriona also went to the gym for various weight and functional training, doing Pilates to improve her posture, her mindful dieting, and getting into a little bit of dance and theatre. Apart from that, she took it upon herself to learn more about the Philippines.
“I wanted to represent the authentic Filipino culture so I traveled and I researched. I asked questions because I wanted to step out on the international stage. I wanted to just showcase our culture in a way that maybe one Filipino will be like, ‘Wow, that makes me proud,’ and another Filipino would be like, ‘I never knew that about our culture, how amazing,’” she told Boy Abunda.
The Bicol native also put her penchant for travelling to good use. She put up videos, each one highlighting the beauty and sensibility of the three main islands of the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Catriona, who also sings, also put up a music video about helping those in poverty through a single “We’re In This Together.”
As the Miss Universe 2018 competition heated up, Catriona slowly unraveled the strings to set their plans in motion. She expects that what comes out on stage is the exact same things she’s planned and put in throughout the whole nine months she prepared – starting off with her elaborate national costume which earned mixed reactions from audiences after ditching the expected classic Philippine Terno for an entirely new look.
After teasing followers online, Catriona unveiled her heavyweight ensemble during the Miss Universe 2018 National Costume Competition on December 10. It was a collaboration among herself, Jearson Dimavivas who designed her national costume for Bb. Pilipinas, Eric Quiwa and Jojo Bragais.
Called “Magdiwang. Lumaban. Pagyamanin” (Celebrate. Fight. Enrich), the national costume was heavily inspired by the main islands of the Philippines. In an Instagram post about her costume, she said that the island group of Luzon is represented by the massive Christmas lantern with a brass border strapped on her back. Right in time for the holidays, the parol boasted the technique of artisans from Pampanga: designed and made in Apalit, Pampanga and inspired by the designs of the Philippine Baroque churches. At the back of the lantern is a painting depicting victories, festivals, events, heroes, and national icons in a style inspired by the works of Philippine National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco. The art was inscribed with the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” with the words written in Baybayin.
Visayas was represented in Catriona’s body suit with authentic tattoo designs embellished with crystals derived from patterns used by the Pintados, an indigenous group of Filipinos. The tattoo patterns based from a manuscript written in 1590 called Boxer Codex “perfectly represents the courageous and resilient Filipino spirit amidst trials,” said Catriona, since tattoos were historically made to represent an individual’s experiences and was a
testimony to acts of strength and bravery.
“Enrich” was reserved for Mindanao, represented by an authentic head piece and brass accessories from the province of South Cotabato. Her customized knee-high boots were embroidered with designs inspired by different indigenous patterns. These woven textiles, Catriona wrote, are an expression of the strong belief in the ancestral and natural spirits as well as the cultural roots of indigenous communities, which have been well-preserved.
Taking her national costume seriously, Catriona was understandably sad when her lantern, which was supposed to light up, did not work properly onstage. Despite the mixed reactions that her costume earned from netizens, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), through its director Dr. Rene Escalante, invited Catriona for the opening of their new committee office. They hoped to exhibit “Magdiwang. Lumaban. Pagyamanin” in museums throughout the country.
But take away the props and Catriona still manages to put on a show. Doing her own hair and makeup, the crowd darling emerged on the Miss Universe 2018 Preliminary Competition wearing an evening gown that was nothing like the sketches designer Mak Tumang posted online. Instead, Catriona donned a sweetheart gown in gold and red, boasting a thigh-high slit, topped with dangling earrings.
Tumang took inspiration from the fictional “Ibong Adarna” based on the epic poem written by Francisco Balagtas, of the same name. Resembling a blazing siren, Tumang wrote online how the phoenix and Adarna birdinspired frock resembled Catriona’s “resilient, tenacious and unwavering spirit.” Like the voice of the Adarna, which captivates and heals listeners, Catriona’s voice is also “captivating, literally and figuratively,” adding that she is able to use her voice to influence. Also taking inspiration from the Mikimoto Crown, the details to Catriona’s evening look made for a powerful and burning vibe.
The Swimsuit Competition was proof that this is Catriona’s world and we’re all living in it. She spiced up her trademark languid and indulging “Lava Walk” with a bit more spring. But what mesmerized audiences more was Catriona’s little spinning antics. Gravity-defying if you will, Cat’s slow-mo twist enthralled viewers so much that it earned her viral status.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News’ Dyan Castillejo, Catriona admitted that her pageant walk did not take overnight to perfect.
“It’s been a process ever since before Binibini,” Catriona said. “I’ve been training with my mentor, Carlos Buendia. It’s just been a very slow process. Why? Because it really evolves as time goes on, and you start to change the way you walk.
Indeed, Catriona’s performances has stunned onlookers. Hopefully the Miss Universe 2018 Preliminary Competition jury would agree, with two Filipinas – architect and businesswoman Richelle Singson-Michael and designer Monique Lhuillier—in the panel.
But Catriona’s preparedness does not only show on stage, but in the details: the way her wardrobe is carefully chosen for different appearances like her modern and classic Terno for the closed-door interview. Her candidness and articulateness has Catriona becoming easily one of the more popular and most photographed candidates this year.
Apart from Miss Universe being among the most popular pageant, a lot is riding on Catriona’s shoulders. With the country’s losing streak in this year’s pageant season, Catriona hopes to become the fourth Filipina Miss Universe after Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margie Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).
Despite the hype and the support of #BuongPilipinas, Catriona is not about to let it get to her head.
“I would never consider myself a sure win because I don’t have that kind of head on my shoulders. I always see that it’s never a walk in the park,” Catriona told Boy Abunda.
As the country holds onto their seats and Philippine flags, everyone will only get to breathe a little better once the 67th Miss Universe pageant commences tomorrow, with an 8 a.m. live airing over ABS-CBN.