Jojo Bragais pays tribute to Filipino beauty queens with ‘Samber,’ ‘Luigi’
Reigning Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi wears ‘SamBer’/JOJO BRAGAIS PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Jojo Bragais has just released two new pageant shoe designs, “SamBer” and “Luigi” named after 2020 Miss Grand International first runner-up Samantha Bernardo and 2021 Miss Universe Top 5 finalist Beatrice Luigi Gomez, which continued his practice of assigning beauty queens’ names to his products.
He said it started with the very first shoe he made, “Yvethe,” inspired by 2014 Binibining Pilipinas Supranational Yvethe Marie Santiago, who he said jumpstarted his career. “I wanted the first to be memorable, and then I just keep doing it to remind myself also of my journey in shoe making,” he told the Inquirer in an online interview.
Bragais said since he started making pageant shoes, he has witnessed the hard work, dedication and struggles the contestants go through in preparing for competitions. “So in a way, I wanted to immortalize their contribution to the pageant world through my shoes named after them,” he shared
But he does not just pull names out of a list of beauty queens. “I choose the queens depending on their attitude, my memories with them on how they inspired me in a way, and sometimes their life story that I would say touched my heart,” Bragais said.
One of the most memorable designs for him is the “Jehza,” inspired by 2018 Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar. “During one of the conversations I had with her, she told me, ‘if I win, any crown in Binibini name one design after me.’ I admire the hard work. I have so much respect for people like that,” Bragais said. It was also the shoe design that the Miss Universe Organization chose when he provided the footwear for the 69th pageant held in Florida in May 2021.
For the “Maureen” shoe, Bragais said he was inspired by 2021 Miss Globe Maureen Montagne’s dream of “one day being able to represent the Philippines in an international stage” that they talked about with a couple of other friends in a judging stint in a beauty contest in Mindanao. “I designed the shoes with straps like it’s praying. Like all queens I believe the prayer is to win a crown. I want the shoes to be symbolic of that. Maureen made me see that. And I will never forget that night,” he said.
This was the design he made for the most recent Binibining Pilipinas pageant, and came in different bright colors, a departure from the staple nude, silver, and gold shoes used in beauty contests.
Jojo Bragais with ‘SamBer’ (left) and ‘Luigi’/JOSE JOAQUIN BRAGAIS FACEBOOK PHOTO
For his most recent designs “Samber” and “Luigi,” Bragais said he reimagined classic pairs. “I made their (Bernardo and Gomez) shoes for their final competitions. And if that time I was given more freedom based on the final look of their gowns, those would have been the designs I would have done for them,” he shared.
After becoming a household name, being a constant presence in any beauty contest imaginable across the country, and even overseas, Bragais teases some changes. “I want to do more and to go out of my comfort zone, something different I would say,” he shared.
He said people may not understand the decisions or choices that he will be making in the coming months. “But I’m ready for it. I can’t even wait,” Bragais declared. EDV
