Itinuwid ng Team Philippines ang balitang last replacement ang Darna costume ni Celeste Cortesi para sa National Costume competition ng 71st Miss Universe.
Read: Darna costume ni Celeste Cortesi sa Miss Universe 2022, last-minute replacement lang
Ayon sa isang miyembro ng Team Philippines na nakakaalam sa tunay na kuwento, August pa lang daw ay napag-usapan nang Darna ang costume na isusuot ni Celeste sa National Costume competition ng Miss Universe 2022.
Pero nakuha nila ang permiso ng pamilya ni Mars Ravelo noong December 2022 bago lumipad ang kanilang grupo papunta sa Amerika.
Si Ravelo ang graphic novelist na lumikha sa karakter ni Darna na unang lumabas sa Pilipino Komiks noong May 13, 1950. Siya at ang kanyang naiwan na pamilya ang nagmamay-ari ng lahat ng karapatan sa kauna-unahang Pinay superhero.
Read: Mars Ravelo's Darna shows support for Celeste Cortesi
Ipinaliwanag ng miyembro ng Team Philippines na nakausap ng Cabinet Files na ang top at bottom lamang ng Darna costume ni Celeste sa National Costume competition ang binago dahil matagal nang nagawa ang accessories na gagamitin ng 25-year-old beauty queen.
Read: Celebrities, netizens react to Celeste Cortesi's Darna costume at Miss Universe 2022
Sa ipinadalang email ng team ni Oliver Tolentino sa Cabinet Files kahapon, January 13, nakasaad na ang Hollywood-based Filipino fashion designer ang sumagip sa naging isyu sa Darna costume ni Celeste.
Sa email ng team ni Tolentino, inilalad nila ang kuwento sa likod ng evening gown at national costume ni Celeste sa preliminary competition ng 71st Miss Universe na naganap sa New Orleans, Louisiana, noong January 11, 2023 (January 12, 2023 sa Pilipinas).
Ito ang kabuuan ng email ng Team Oliver, na nilagyan nila ng titulong “OLIVER TOLENTINO AGAIN COMES TO THE RESCUE OF MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES”:
"Hollywood fashion designer Oliver Tolentino has once again answered the call to rescue the Philippines’ bet in a Miss Universe competition.
“Pageant fans will remember that it was 2015 when the celebrity designer received a phone call from Pia Wurtzbach’s team while he was snow skiing on a mountain in Aspen, Colorado.
“Pia didn’t have a proper gown the day before her Miss Universe preliminaries, so Tolentino immediately sent a red gown from his Beverly Hills boutique to Las Vegas, and the rest is history – Pia wore the famous red “rescue” gown and advanced to the finals.
“Now seven years later the designer has answered the call to help Celeste Cortesi in New Orleans.
“He was asked to rush a national costume in 4 days. Additionally, he created her preliminary gown that she wore last night within a week’s time.
“For the national costume Celeste dressed as Darna, the popular Filipino superhero character that pageant fans have long wanted as the national costume, but for which permission to use wasn’t granted until just this year.
“Tolentino had to rush the costume when Team Philippines visited the designer’s boutique in Beverly Hills, California, upon Celeste’s arrival in the States. It wasn’t until then that they realized what they already had wasn’t working out.
“Tolentino normally doesn’t work with costumes, but he couldn’t refuse Celeste’s request for help.
“Because of all of the Christmas holidays and his own travel plans, Tolentino couldn’t source materials until January 2, just a day before Celeste was due in New Orleans. He took four days to create her look, using a headpiece and some other metal work accessories provided by Jerome Navarro.”
Read Related Stories:
- Filipino designer Patrick Isorena laughs off "Pasan Ko Ang Daigdig" memes about "Woman On The Moon" NatCos of Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel
- Jonas Gaffud says Celeste Cortesi prelims performance authentic despite naysayers' comments
- Miss Universe 2022 national costumes competition standouts
- Thai beauty queen Anna Sueangam-iam wears evening gown made of can pull tabs
- Miss Universe Bahrain 2022 calls her all-Filipino team “undoubtedly the best in pageantry”
- Pinoy creativity behind R'Bonney Gabriel's Miss Universe 2022 national costume
- Miss Universe Bahrain 2022 praised for strong statement during swimsuit round
- Miss USA at Miss Cambodia, "twinning" sa kanilang Filipino-made gowns sa Miss Universe 2022 prelims