Michelle Dee embodied royalty when she arrived at the 14th MEGA Ball in a Mark Bumgarner sequined dress
The 14th MEGA Ball is a sartorial spectacle, playing host to some of the most glamorous looks of the year. Among them, Michelle Dee—the woman who defined her style with meaningful and sentimental codes with a luxurious twist. History is witness to the queen’s looks as an ardent patron of local talent. From donning her Apo Whang-Od-inspired evening gown to closing Cary Santiago’s TernoCon KKK segment, she arrived at the MEGA Ball wearing a figure-flattering, sequin gown by Mark Bumgarner.
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In an industry notorious for holding its seasoned runway beauty pageant contestants to unattainable standards of beauty, Michelle was among the queens who abolished that status quo with her chic bob, acclaimed ‘Snake Walk,’ and her coming out as a member of the queer community. That said, her heart for Filipino pride remains and her panache and elegance endure.
The beauty queen set the sartorial bar high from the moment she entered the Grand Ballroom in a strapless gown that accentuated her figure. The body-hugging skirt trailed down her legs into a smooth, floor-skimming length, the hand-draped bustier gave the gown a playful edge, while the rose appliqué on the corset was the perfect dose of elegance.
“She’s wearing a moulage gown that’s fully embellished with sequins,” Mark described. “It’s completely seamless in front and in the sides too, then I added the detail of the hand-draped corset on the bust just to break the color.” Mark also references the fashion and food theme for the 14th MEGA Ball: “Tonight was all about food, so I thought she needed to be comfortable to enjoy it. I made it simple, let her beauty do all the talking, and just sprinkled a bit of technique.”
Mark’s mentioned technique is the layering of texture on texture as the stunning central element of Michelle’s gown: the draped fabric shaped into a rose for the bodice, and the brilliant and intricate sequin embellishments for the skirt.
“The amazing thing about Mark is he always makes sure that what I wear fits my personal brand,” Michelle told MEGA. “We had fun with this one because the last two gowns that I wore were pageant-ready; we were preparing for my turnover. This was a nice difference.”
Although a combination of black and white may have seemed simple, the tandem Mark and Michelle saw it as subtle, elegant, powerful, and most of all—regal. Truly, apt for a queen.
Photographed by BELG BELGICA, EXCEL PANLAQUE of KLIQ INC.
Special thanks to METROBANK-MASTERCARD, SUNGLASS HAVEN, GLENFIDDICH, HENDRICK’S GIN, LUXE BEAUTY & WELLNESS GROUP, Y.O.U. BEAUTY, GRAB, BYS, OLAY, PANTENE, HEAD & SHOULDERS, ACER, AVIGNON CLINIC, DEAR FACE, JINRO and BARENBLISS
