Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Marquez Dee expressed her gratitude to her fans ahead of the National Costume Show. The beauty queen took to Instagram to thank her supporters for their unwavering support during the preliminary competition of the Miss Universe pageant, which took place on November 16.
In her post, Dee uploaded photos from the preliminary show and expressed her overwhelming feelings of love and gratitude towards her fans. She wrote, “Nakakataba ng puso kayo! I feel so much love and I couldn’t be any more grateful to everyone who watched yesterday. Nasa exciting part na talaga tayo!!!”
During the preliminary competition, Michelle used the term “Filipinas” instead of “Philippines” in her introduction, marking the first time a Filipino candidate in the Miss Universe Competition has done so. Pageant enthusiasts and supporters believe that Dee’s runway performance was exceptional, particularly in her green cut-out gown designed by Filipino fashion designer Mark Bumgarner.
The gown, which pays homage to Dee’s advocacy for autism awareness and her mother Melanie Marquez, is a deep shade of green similar to the gown worn by her mother when she won Miss International in 1979. Michelle told Vogue Philippines, “It pays homage to a lot of aspects of me.”
Bumgarner also spoke about the design, noting that it represents Dee’s strong and determined personality. He said, “The look is still very much inspired by Michelle’s personality, which is someone who’s strong and a woman who really knows what she wants.”
With the National Costume Show upcoming, fans are eagerly awaiting Dee’s appearance and are hopeful for her success in the prestigious pageant.
