How Mak Tumang made Ahtisa Manalo’s nationwide costume for Miss Universe 2025

The nationwide costume is imbued with the spirit of Filipino celebrations. Right here’s the way it was made.

MANILA, Philippines – Ahtisa Manalo graced the Miss Universe 2025 stage with cherished Filipino custom as she brings to life the pageant queen in her nationwide costume titled “FESTEJADA: Queen of Philippine Festivals.”

The 26-year-old magnificence queen from Quezon province unveiled the ensemble in the course of the Miss Universe Nationwide Costume presentation in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday, November 19, simply days earlier than the coronation night time on Friday, November 21.

Made by famend Filipino designer Mak Tumang, the ensemble is a homage to the Filipinos’ deep-rooted custom of festivals and a option to honor ladies who formed our historical past. 

In a video launched by Empire Philippines titled “AHTI5A 4 U-Nationwide Costume,” the designer seemed again on how the significant idea started, the way it developed, and the way the ultimate masterpiece got here to life.

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Mak first revealed that he hardly ever receives alternatives to design nationwide costumes since he’s broadly identified for his majestic lengthy robes and night attires. So when Ahtisa personally known as him to ask if he may create her nationwide costume, he instantly mentioned sure.

“Manner again in school, I took up manufacturing design. Na-immerse kami sa costume historical past, costume designing and execution, after all. ‘Yun talaga yung background ko bago ako naging dressmaker. So nung sinabihan ako na gagawa ng costume, na-excite ako kasi mapapakita ko ‘yung different aspect of me,” he mentioned. 

(Manner again in school, I took up manufacturing design. We have been immersed in costume historical past, costume designing, and execution, after all. That was actually my background earlier than I turned a dressmaker. So after I was informed that I’d be making a dressing up, I bought excited as a result of I used to be lastly going to have the ability to present the opposite aspect of me.)

Throughout the starting stage, Mak mentioned that Ahtisa informed him she needed to grow to be a pageant queen, which meant the look needed to be mild, danceable, large, and naturally, lovely. 

From that concept, he determined to make use of the traje de mestiza silhouette, noting that the standard Filipina apparel had not been showcased on the Miss Universe stage lately. Its iconic parts such because the baro (shirt), camisa (embroidered shirt), panuelo (scarf), tapis (wrap-around skirt), and saya (skirt) turned the constructing blocks of the idea.

From merging the pageant queen thought with the traje de mestiza emerged “Festejada,” with its character impressed by Maria Clara, the dignified heroine of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and is taken into account to be the perfect mannequin of a modest Filipina. 

This characterization outlined the higher silhouette, whereas the skirt reworked right into a vibrant tribute to 3 main Philippine festivals.

The sample of the multilayered skirt took inspiration from Pampanga’s Large Lantern Competition, domestically generally known as Ligligan Parol. Its radiant design resembles a superb show of lanterns that symbolize hope and unity. 

Subsequent, the colours of the skirt captured the joyful palette of Lucban’s Pahiyas Competition, that includes inexperienced, yellow, orange, pink, and crimson — shades lengthy related to bountiful harvests and abundance. 

Lastly, its texture referenced the designs of the floral floats of Baguio’s Panagbenga Competition. The feel is created by way of greater than 65,000 individually sewn heat-pressed petals crafted from glitter material. 

To additional add the Filipino heritage aptitude, Mak used piña material within the higher portion of the ensemble, one of the vital luxurious and culturally vital textiles within the nation. 

He embellished the panuelo and mangas (sleeves) with embroidered palay (rice) grains, a nod to one of many nation’s most necessary sources of livelihood. Fan-shaped parts have been additionally inserted within the design to enrich its total pageant theme.

Finishing the look is a stylized peineta, an ornamental golden comb designed with colourful flowers and leaf patterns that crown Ahtisa as the last word Filipino pageant queen.

“First response ko nung nakita ko, syempre sobrang tuwa kasi ito yung pinagpaguran namin. Wow, sobrang ganda! Ito na yung pinapangarap ko, nabuo na,” he mentioned. “Kaya sana magustuhan ng mga Filipino yung hinanda namin para sa kanila.”

(My first response after I noticed it, after all I used to be so glad as a result of that’s what we labored onerous for. Wow, it’s so lovely! That is what I dreamed of and I hope the Filipinos would love what we ready for them.)

Ahtisa Manalo hopes to carry residence the fifth Miss Universe crown for the Philippines. The coronation can be streamed dwell on the Miss Universe YouTube channel on Friday beginning at 9 am, Manila time. – Rappler.com