QUITE unexpectedly, I received complaints, some by e-mail, about the “national costume” worn by the Philippine candidate at the recent Miss Universe pageant. I found out that some colleagues, who have nothing to do with beauty contests, received similar comments in their electronic mailboxes. The most scathing missive said Miss Philippines wore a “… hideous outfit that passed for a national costume…It was too vulgar even for the Ati-Atihan…” I did not watch the TV coverage of the Miss Universe contest so I did not see what the Philippine representative was wearing. However, I gathered that the “Philippine costume” she presented at Quito, Ecuador, had a see-through top and a bustle of exotic bird feathers, either peacock or pheasant, neither of which are indigenous to our country. The gown was made by a Colombian designer.
How odd. Why would the Binibining Pilipinas organizers ask a foreigner to interpret the Philippine national dress? Was Mr. J. Moreno, a.k.a. Pitoy and dozen of Philippine couture, aware of this travesty? Pitoy is the bosom friend of Stella Marquez de Araneta, (Miss Colombia and Miss International) who happens to be the Miss U franchise holder. Couldn’t Pitoy have supplied the design? Better still, he could have easily made an Imeldific terno or a Cory-type kimona or a regal Filipino Muslim outfit for the Binibining Pilipinas.
But, this is not the first time a caricature of our national dress has been presented to the world. A couple of years ago, another Binibining Pilipinas wore something reminiscent of a "Maria Clara." The designs on the skirt were most atypical and the candidate wore pompons on her head which looked somewhat Panamanian. Soon enough, a local news report confirmed my suspicions; the pseudo "Maria Clara" was designed by a Pana-manian couturier!
Is Binibining Pilipinas Inc., losing faith in Filipino designers? Or, are the local designers no longer interested in projecting the best and the finest of Philippine couture through beauty pageants? During the heyday of the Philippine Fashion Designers’ Guild, its members were only too happy to give the Miss Philippines gowns and national dresses that she could wear, with confidence and pride, to all the events of the international beauty contest.
The "national costume" portion of an international beauty contest reminds us of the original purpose of such events, the promotion of goodwill and unity among nations. Unfortunately, that has been forgotten because of excessive commercialization and the proliferation of contests. When the Miss International Beauty contest was hosted by Long Beach in California, USA, the "Parade of Nations" was one of thehighlights. Asian countries always drew raves because their "national costumes" were not only elegant, colorful, and varied; they also brought out the natural elegance and grace of Asian women. Most European candidates were clad in dirndl skirts, puffed sleeves, vests, and funny bonnets, like romanticized peasants in period paintings. Many countries may not even have a proper national dress like some of the South American republics and tiny Caribbean island states; even the United States of America, Canada, and Australia have had to invent a "national costume," something emblematic enough to mirror their peculiar histories. And here we are carelessly making a mockery of it all when we could very well be using that beauty contest to project a national image and identity. (gcruz@i-manila.com.ph)
