Renee Salud’s Mindanao Tapestry features Miss U beauties

MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-nine Miss Universe delegates wore world-class creations of Renee Salud using fabrics woven by the region’s tribeswomen, in a unique show of beauty, fashion and culture called the Mindanao Tapestry: The Neo-Ethnic Fashion of Renee Salud and the Mindanao Weavers. 

Conceptualized early last year, Salud considered the event as one of the highlights of his illustrious career. “This is one of my dreams, to be part of Miss Universe activities. This event will showcase the best of Mindanao, that it is rich in culture, beauty and tradition, and not a Mindanao that is ridden in strife and conflict. Also it will advocate women empowerment — ideals held dearly by Miss Universe Organization. Incidentally, reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach hails from Cagayan de Oro City...Northern Mindanao,” he said in a pre-event interview.

Salud is the discoverer-mentor of several beauty queens including Miss Universe third runners-up, the late Chat Silayan (1980) and Desiree Verdadero (1984), and 1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez.

The show held last Jan. 20 at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier featured segments namely, 6 Looks representing the six regions of Mindanao: T’boli Weaves, Indigenous Cross-stitches, Yakan Weaves, Tribal Weaves of Bukidnon, Royal Garb of Mandaya Tribe and Inuol Ball Gowns. The segments were punctuated with the region’s traditional dances.

Dubbed as the Dream Weavers of Mindanao, the tribeswomen came up with intricate and creative patterns through their dreams. No design is the same.

A short documentary on Mindanao weavers, the beautiful destinations and unique culture preceded the fashion parade. 

The Miss Universe delegates who walked down the runway were Miss Argentina Estefania Bernal, Miss Belgium Stephanie Geldhof, Miss Bulgaria Violina Ancheva, Miss China Zhenying Li, Miss Czech Republic Andrea Bezd?ková, Miss Ecuador Connie Maily Jiménez Romero, Miss Guyana Soyini Asanti Fraser, Miss Honduras Sirey Morán Castro, Miss Hungary Veronika Bódizs, Miss India Roshmitha Harimurthy, Miss Indonesia Kezia Roslin Cikita Warouw, Miss Kazakhstan Darina Kulsitova, Miss Mexico Yuselmi Cristal Silva Dávila, Miss Myanmar Htet Htet Htun, Miss Namibia Lizelle Esterhuizen, Miss Netherlands Zoey Ivory van der Koelen, Miss Nigeria Unoaku Temitope Atoke Sarah Anyadike, Miss Paraguay Lourdes Andrea Melgarejo González, Miss Philippines Maxine Medina, Miss Russia Yuliana Korolkova, Miss Sierra Leone Hawa Kamara, Miss Singapore Cheryl Chou, Miss Slovak Republic  Suzana Kollárová, Miss Turkey Tansu S?la Çak?r, Miss Switzerland Dijana Cvijeti?, Miss Tanzania Jihan Dimachk, Miss Ukraine Alena Spodynyuk, Miss USA Deshauna Barber and Miss Venezuela Mariam Habach Santucci.  

At the conclusion of the show, three beauties were named Miss Phoenix Petroleum (Venezuela), Hiyas ng Phoenix Petroleum (Philippines) and Miss Smile (Indonesia).

The event also showcased the creative and original creations of Mindanao-based designers, as modeled by the Miss U beauties: Silverio Anglacer, Emi Englis, Kenny Ladaga, Alfonso “Boy” Guino-o, Aztec Barba, Benjie Panizales, Dojie Batu, Edgar Buyan, Wilson Limon and Egay Ayag.

Presented by Phoenix Petroleum, the well-choreographed show was directed by Cata Figueroa with Concon Siñel as project director, and hosted by former Miss Universe Philippines Joyce Ann Burton-Titular, 1985 (another discovery of Salud) and Karen Agustin-Ostrea, 2002.