Furne One of AMATO Couture reveals that he designed four different evening gowns for Rabiya Mateo to wear for Miss Universe. Here’s what to expect.
Related: Miss Universe Style Radar PH: Rabiya Mateo Stuns In A Modern Hablon Gown
The Dubai-based Filipino designer is no stranger to having his designs showcased on a global platform. Celebrity queens such as Beyoncé and Ariana Grande often don his opulent and avant-garde designs on red carpets and music videos. With his naturally-born artistic talent that won him MEGA Magazine’s Young Designer of Philippines Award in 1994, he is now a world-renowned fashion designer who isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of fashion.
Despite his exclusive private clientele, this is the first time that Furne’s designs will grace the stage of Miss Universe and he shares his excitement of being able to achieve this milestone with his home country. “I am happy that Miss Philippines is my first candidate in the Miss Universe pageant, it’s definitely one for the books,” he says.
Couture To Pageantry
As Team Rain x Em, the styling duo behind Rabiya Mateo’s looks has revealed, this year will focus on showcasing the diverse talent of Filipino designers. “We are a powerhouse fashion capital, there are so many artists and talented designers in the country that are waiting to be explored and discovered,” Furne states. Already defying the conventional beauty queen style, Rabiya Mateo has been positively shocking fashion and pageant fans alike by wearing fashion-forward silhouettes and trends during her pre-pageant looks.
So when Miss Universe Philippines announced that Furne One, an avant-garde designer will be responsible for Mateo’s preliminary and finals gowns, its now all eyes on them on how they will break barriers in pageantry fashion. “I am a couture and avant-garde designer, which means my designs are innovative, cutting-edge, and futuristic—which is far from the usual dresses we see on beauty competitions, but my team and I realized that my fashion and artistry is unlimited,” Furne shares.
Taking on the challenge to fuse his global design philosophy with local fashion to our candidate’s personality, Furne focused on getting to know the beauty queen and who she truly is. “I was not expecting to dress Rabiya after she won but I believe the organization has decided to give this task to me as they would like to innovate the game of pageantry”. With the help of his good friend and head of the design council of MUPH Albert Andrada, Creative Director Jonas Gaffud, and Mateo herself, their vision is to prove that Filipino fashion can innovate and advance to the global trends.
Celebration Of Youth
Dubbed as the new-generation queen, the couturier shares that Rabiya Mateo’s gowns will embody her youthful, phenomenal woman persona. “It is eclectic as I have gathered ideas from a lot of sources, inspired by the Filipino story of love and patriotism,” Furne says.
Disclosing even further, he reveals that he created four evening gowns, all in different energetic colors. “As seen in my previous works, expect a silhouette and fabrics you have never seen a Miss Universe Philippines wear in such a competition.”
So hold on a little longer and expect the unexpected when Rabiya Mateo takes on the stage this May 16.