Celeste parades our heroine’s costume in the signature red color and gold headdress accents, ready to exclaim with all her might, “Ding, ang korona!”
When we think of Filipino women, gone are the days that we just accept the Maria Clara stereotype. We now want women figures who exhibit strength, power, and grit. Surely, Darna is one of them. She may be a fictional figure created by Mars Ravelo, but she is the epitome of the Filipina force. It’s definitely no surprise that Celeste Cortesi chose Darna to represent the Philippines at the preliminaries of the Miss Universe competition.
The beauty queen donned the classic Darna look—a red two-piece ensemble with gold embellishments. Her sun ray-inspired wings, with small stars at the tips, elevated the whole costume. Not only did it symbolize our tropical country, but it also represented the logos on our national flag. A collaboration between designers Oliver Tolentino for the costume and Jerome Navarro for the headdress, this is the first homage to the comic book character.
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As she stepped on stage and proved to everyone that she deserves to be the next Miss Universe, the voice over introduction for her national costume said, “Darna is the ultimate Filipina superhero and part of this country’s pop culture. She transforms from an ordinary woman with the help of a white stone, standing up for those who cannot defend themselves. Have no fear ’cause Darna is here in the Philippines.”
Watch Celeste and the other candidates compete for the newest Miss Universe crown on Sunday, January 15, at exactly 9:00 a.m.
Featured Image from MISS UNIVERSE (via YouTube)
Additional Text PEACHES GARCIA
