Philippine pride Michelle Dee is not yet done taking home special awards from the recently conducted Miss Universe 2023 as she bagged the Best National Costume at the competition.
Miss Universe Organization announced on its Instagram account Friday, Nov. 24, that Dee placed No. 1 in the Choicely App for Best National Costume.
The Philippine bet’s national costume is airplane-inspired and a tribute to Philippine tourism. The plane’s wings sporting the Philippine flag’s colors reflect the tourism slogan “Love the Philippines.”
While the captain’s hat serves to highlight Dee’s training as an Air Force reservist, local materials were used in making the costume, which took a month to create.
The 28-year-old has already taken home three special awards prior to this: the Spirit of Carnival Award, the Miss Universe’s fan vote, and the Voice for Change gold award, making this Best National Costume award her fourth victory in the special citations.
Michelle Dee. Image: Doc Marlon via Instagram/@michelledee
Aside from making an impression with her national costume, Dee has also made a noteworthy display of her evening gown that paid tribute to the legendary “mambabatok” Apo Whang-Od.
The actress-beauty queen’s classic black evening gown is a tattoo-inspired dress that symbolizes shield, safety, protection, health and strength.
Dee may not be able to take home the crown after settling for a Top 10 finish, but she undeniably brought a different kind of pride to the country after her impressive performance in the competition.
This achievement marked the Philippines 3rd candidate to receive the Best National Costume. In 1994, Charlene Gonzales first brought home the recognition, followed by Gazini Ganados in 2019.
Meanwhile, Filipino-American Sheynnis Palacios made history when she was crowned Miss Universe 2023, being the first candidate from Nicaragua to win the title.
Upcoming project
The Philippine rep is expected to arrive on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 6:55 p.m. at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, where fans are expected to give her a warm “salubong.”
Dee is already hinting at her return to screen after she recently teased an upcoming project in which she will play a special role.