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She was in sneakers before she wore a crown. Not the cute, sneakerina kind—Alexie Brooks wore blood-blistered, run-till-your-lungs-burn sneakers, because that’s what it took to outrun the taunts hurled at her skin and half-black roots. School bullies chased her into the track, where she became a promising heptathlete star in the country. Then, she went into pageantry, where the hurdles are less physical, but ten times more vicious. Yet, she did it. At 24, the Ilongga is this year’s Miss Eco International, and it bears looking at what led her to the crown.
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Wings That Let Her Inner Angel Fly
She sang, she soared, she stunned. Before winning the crown, Brooks already claimed the Miss Eco International talent show’s first runner-up title with a vocal performance. Then, during the Resort Wear Prime Show, she came draped in a mustard two-piece and matching wings, wowing the crowd as she channeled her inner angel. It was a preview of a contender not here to compete, but to conquer.
An Eco Dress to Impress
During the preliminary round, Alexie Brooks came dressed for battle. Her eco dress, crafted from discarded plastic spoons, landed her a spot in the top six in the category.
The vision? “Scales” fashioned from plastic to tackle the rising tides of waste and plastic pollution head-on. “The West Philippine Sea is an ecological treasure, abundant in unique aquatic life, rich coral reefs, and vital biological resources,” Brooks penned on Instagram. “Despite this bounty, pollution from non-biodegradable waste poses a serious threat to its biodiversity.”
A Battle-Ready (Eco) Warrior Dress
For the evening gown preliminaries, Alexie wore a Mara Chua creation that looked as if it had been spun from gold. The gown cascaded in molten folds, embodying the “spirit of an Eco Warrior: a strong woman, a protector of nature, and a voice for our planet.”
The Eagle Soars, and In Her National Costume, So Did She
Then came Coronation Night, where her costume Mangayón paid tribute to the resilience of the Philippine Eagle. Adorned with crystal beads mimicking the dense, endangered forest of the eagle’s home, Brooks became both the creature and the cause.
The performance won Best in National Costume, and with it, a guaranteed slot in the top 21.
An Evening Gown Not for Competing, But for Winning
Designed by Rian Fernandez, Brooks’ final gown was more defiant than dainty. Adorned with solihiya weave to showcase the country’s intricate artistry and delicate crystals to exude opulence, the piece glimmered at every turn.
This was no gown for gentle evenings—it was made for women who walk into history with both grace and fire, bearing their culture not as a burden but as a crown.
That Moment When the Crown Bent to Brilliance
In the Top 11 question-and-answer segment, the Ilongga was prompted to talk about “fashion that cares for the future.” Here, Alexie swerved past the pageant platitudes and hit straight at the issue.
“We need to understand that fashion is not only about glamour or luxury,” she began. “It’s about our environment and our contribution towards [the] environment. At the end of the day, if you want to protect our nature and our environment, we need to stay sustainable, especially in fashion.” This propelled her straight to the Top Five.
Asked what she hoped the world would look like in 2050, Brooks got primal.
“Climate change is impacting our world right now, and the only thing that we can do is to act towards it,” she prefaced. “We have the same mother, even if we came from different nations. We, in here, are brothers and sisters right now, and our mother is asking for help.”
“So, we must save our planet Earth, and we must take care of our Mother Earth.”
Next thing you know, she was standing hand-in-hand with the Thai representative as the final two. But only one crown was waiting, and it now sits on the head of a woman who was told she was too dark, too different, too much—and turned all that ‘too’ into a title. She succeeds Angelina Usanova from Ukraine.
Featured Image: Photographed by SEVEN BARRETTO, CLAUDE VILLAHERMOSA, and DARIEL MIRAFLOR, Gown by RIAN FERNANDEZ, Styled by RICK SOTELO, Assisted by JOSH SALES, Makeup by NIX SORIANO, Shoes by JOJO BRAGAIS
Photos: ALEXIE BROOKS and MISSOSOLOGY (via Instagram)
