Designer Ehrran Montoya shares how he and Ahtisa Manalo breathed life to the classic mythical mermaid Dyesebel
From channeling the whispers of bayawak in the land of Quezon Province from her last pageant stint, Ahtisa Manalo pays tribute to nature once again for her national costume in the Miss Cosmo International 2024 stage. But this time, it is laced with magic and myth—a symbol of how art has always been integrated in Filipino culture and way of life. As the female comic character Dyesebel, she is hard to miss. But in an Ehrran Montoya ensemble, she floats and rises among the sea of candidates.
As the Miss Cosmo International 2024 crowns its first ever queen tonight, MEGA talks to Ehrran Montoya about collaborating with Ahtisa for the look, and joining her journey under the sea and in the cosmos—hoping to bring home the crown.
RELATED:
The Mythical Mermaid
In 2020, Celeste Cortesi once paid homage to Darna, the Mars-made but Filipino-blooded character of Mars Ravelo, at the Miss Universe stage. This time, Ravelo’s oceanic orange mermaid makes its way to the cosmos through Manalo.
The designer reveals, “Patty Yap (Ahtisa’s stylist) said that our atelier’s feng shui with bodies of water is good, and we instantly thought of designing something from as well—Dyesebel is the perfect concept to immortalize something that hasn’t been done before in an international stage. We’re giving life to the pop culture comic book, but Vietnam also aired Dyesebel and was part of their television history,” the designer explained.
Although Montoya’s team has a way with water’s luck—from Kylie Padilla’s GMA Gala 2024 wet look that earned the Best Dressed Award, and Alexa Ilacad’s Star Magical Prom mermaid-inspired ensemble—credit should be given where it is due: in their intricate attention for detail and innovative creativity.
Ehrran is known for his elaborate structures, and his iteration or Dyesebel is no less of an execution of his design philosophy. Besides the use of iridescent organiza and application of beadwork, his team also used a fishing fabric for the number—monofilament, a type of fishing line made of nylon. Why? For function—balance and movement.
A Deep Dive
Pageantry has always been a two-way—if not multiple—street: from the candidate to the audience, the beauty queen to her support system. As an established designer with a specialty on pageant gowns, Ehrran thoughtfully considered the other factors of Ahtisa’s performance other than the orange piece itself—her pasarela, the balance of elements in the costume, her confidence and comfortability with her attire.
“We needed to make an impact with the right proportions by making it grand, but keeping the silhouette,” the designer pointed out.
They balanced the headpiece with the bottom part of the dress, factoring the distribution of volume in the whole ensemble. Fin-laden headpieces were also homage to known mermaid prototypes. Once in a while, they add a subtle detail that makes all the difference—“We constructed a hidden slit in the middle so Ahtisa can walk comfortably,” Ehrran shared. Last but not the least, the marriage of Ahtisa and Dyesebel’s identities—the former’s trademark hand fans became fins, giving an air of additional drama to the national costume.
Pageantry Coach of Design
For the designer, experience is the best teacher when it comes to creating a standout look—not just in pageantry, but in different opportunities to design. “One of the major keys in creating pageant looks is knowing when to edit,” Montoya notes. “Doing other pieces outside pageantry like bridal, avant garde, and many more helped a lot in categorizing which elements to apply without the compromise of look and aesthetic.”
Ultimately, it indeed takes a village to hone a queen. Ahtisa Manalo indeed stands tonight with a dedicated support system on her back. As much as she poured her heart in training, so has her team dedicated their time and energy with and for her. “Everyone was so committed to produce quality materials,” Ehrran looks back. “The best part of working with the team is the photoshoot where everything just fit into place—the video and VFX by Sicklab Studios, the 3D Animation of Enzo Austria, photography by Belg Belgica, and the photo manipulation by Nigel Del Mundo. Everyone poured all their efforts including makeup by Sayti Tsai, Hair by Raymond Mateo & Jericho Valenzuela and of course, all thanks to the entire The Miss Philippines team for making everything really extra!
Photos: AHTISA MANALO and EHRRAN MONTOYA (via Instagram)
