At the finals of Miss Universe Philippines 2025, Ahtisa Manalo took the stage in a white, semi-futuristic gown by Val Taguba, a vision that merged couture daring with cinematic fluidity. The design seemingly draws inspiration from Iris Van Herpen’s avant-gardeAvant-GardeExperimental fashion that pushes boundaries and challenges conventional ideas of shape, material, and beauty. Avant-garde designers treat clothing as art, presenting sculptural silhouettes and unexpected textures on runways, and theirGo to Avant-Garde Glossary constructions, translating architectural lines into movement that breathed and flowed like currents around her.
RELATED: Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Ahtisa Manalo Is the South Sea Pearl
The gown’s sheer, sculpted cape trailed behind her, a ghostly river of fabric that followed and amplified her presence. The ripples of the cape suggested waves, connecting her earlier preliminaries gown—Mak Tumang’s pearl-inspired “Pincata”—to a broader visual story: one of rise, flow, and luminous impact.
As Manalo appeared for the crowning ceremony, the gown’s sweep matched the gravity of the moment. It was in this exact ensemble that she hit her mark, finishing as Third Runner Up, in a mix of poise, power, and the artistry of fashion-forward imagination.
Val Taguba’s creation transformed her into a moving sculpture, futuristic yet organic, verifying that Ahtisa Manalo holds the stage in elegance and innovation.
Photos: AHTISA MANALO (via Instagram)
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