Miss Universe 2025: Ahtisa Manalo stuns in all-Filipino creations, highlighting top local designers and Philippine pride on the international stage.
As her pageant journey continues for the 74th Miss Universe in Bangkok, Thailand, the Philippines’ bet Ahtisa Manalo has been turning heads not just with her beauty and grace, but with her stunning showcase of Filipino artistry through fashion.
From her Week-One outfits, the Filipina beauty has stood out in the crowd, donning exquisite creations from some of the country’s top designers. Through her social media updates, Manalo has been delighting fans with a parade of elegant ensembles that reflect both her personality and the rich creativity of Filipino design.
In an exclusive interview with Radar Entertainment, Ahtisa’s head stylist Patty Yap shared that the team went all-out in preparing for the competition, putting together a wardrobe fit for a queen.
“Yes, that’s exactly what Ahtisa told me—she wants to support Filipino designers. Before, I used a mix, like during Miss Cosmo when we had Vietnamese designers. This time, it’s all Filipino. Kaya ‘yong mga designers na hindi namin nagamit before, ginamit namin ngayon, like Mark Bumgarner and Anthony Ramirez. So you’ll see a lot of fresh looks from her,” Yap revealed.
According to Patty, the preparation was no small feat; a total of 90 outfits were created for Ahtisa’s three-week pageant journey.
“There were so many. The three of us stylists each prepared 30 sets. We photographed everything because we had something like a mood board. For the events and activities, we carefully planned every detail. Medyo matrabaho at madugo, but of course, lagi kong sinasabi na last journey na ‘to ni Ahtisa and bawat minuto kailangan na natin itong namnamin,” she added.
Yap also shared that styling Ahtisa was both a challenge and a joy, as the beauty queen naturally radiates even in a crowd.
“For me, iba kasi ang presence ni Ahtisa. Kapag hinalo mo siya sa crowd, napapansin siya. So lagi kong sinasabi sa kanya na make it simple para hindi ma-overshadow ang face mo. Kasi kahit anong suot niya, kapag dumating siya sa group of people, she shines—iba kasi ang glow niya.”
When it came to her national costume and evening gown, Ahtisa was deeply involved in the creative process.
“No problem there because Ahtisa was very hands-on, which I’m proud of. She just told me, ‘Sis, Mak Tumang for my national costume, and Tito Val Taguba for the evening gown.’ So I asked what our concept was, and she said she already had a mood board, even for prelims. She was really hands-on with everything. We just guided her, but she handled it all,” Yap explained.
For Patty, what makes this journey special is how Ahtisa takes ownership of her image and representation.
“I told her, at least make it personalized, that this is really you. At the end of the day, ikaw ang lalaban, not us. Each outfit should have your touch because ikaw ang magke-carry niyan, not me, not Mama J (Jonas Gaffud). At the end of the day, it’s your fight, so you should have a say in everything.”
With her poise, dedication, and love for Filipino craftsmanship, Ahtisa Manalo continues to make the Philippines proud, proving that beauty, confidence, and cultural pride go hand in hand on the Universe stage.
The Miss Universe 2025 coronation night will be held on November 21 in Bangkok, where Ahtisa aims to continue the Philippines’ strong legacy and bring home the fifth Miss Universe crown following the victories of Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018).
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