Michelle Dee. Image: Instagram/@michelledee
Michelle Dee explained that opting for a short hairstyle in her Miss Universe journey is her way of empowering fellow women to “shine with [their] own uniqueness and individuality.”
The beauty queen revealed during an interview with ABS-CBN News, which was uploaded on its YouTube channel last Wednesday, Nov. 1, that her short hair “highlights [her] personality” while sending a message to pageant fans.
“For one, I really believe it highlights my personality. You know, being on the pageant stage with short hair symbolizes breaking the barrier and what I truly stand for,” she said.
Dee stressed that being a Miss Universe candidate shouldn’t be narrowed down to a certain standard, since everyone can shine as themselves.
“It is to empower everyone that you don’t have to fit in just to become Miss Universe. You can shine with your own uniqueness and individuality,” she added.
During the interview, she revealed that she was the creative director of her “Hello Universe” challenge video which aims to “highlight a popular venue” in her home country.
“I helped in conceptualizing it with the help of the Miss Universe Philippines team and my personal creative team as well. I had a vision that I wanted to execute, and we made it happen,” she said.
Dee, who is currently in El Salvador, is vying for the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown after Gloria Diaz, Margarita Moran, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray. She is one of the top candidates in the Voice for Change online poll, as of this writing.
Reigning titleholder and sustainable fashion advocate R’Bonney Gabriel will pass her crown to her successor in the pageant’s coronation night on Nov. 18 (Nov. 19 in the Philippines).