Beauty queens have their way of lighting up the stage, and the MEGA Ball is no exception. Whether shimmying, swaying to a saucy salsa, or seducing with a sultry tango, these queens delivered in gowns made to move. True to the theme Fashion + Dance, these are the beauty queens who served major royalty energy at the ball.
RELATED: The Best Dressed List at MEGA Ball: Fashion + Dance
Catriona Gray
Ready to salsa on the dance floor, Miss Universe 2018 made a statement in a custom Glademir Echavarre. With each choreographed step, the beauty queen shimmered in response. Catriona Gray’s ensembleEnsembleA complete, coordinated outfit in which each garment and accessory is chosen to work together as one look. Stylists build ensembles around a theme, color story, or occasion, and theGo to Ensemble Glossary was a tribute to flamenco and Jazz music—from the flapper-fringe skirt to the red flower tucked into her hair.
Chelsea Manalo
Miss Universe Philippines 2024 and MEGA Ball: Fashion + Dance Day 1 host Chelsea Manalo debuted her blonde hairdo in a custom Christian Paculan gown. Sparkling and sultry in black, the beauty queen radiated dancing queen energy on the floor, determined to steal the spotlight.
Krishnah Gravidez
Exuding royalty, Miss World Philippines 2024 Krishnah Gravidez defied the traditional ball gown with structure and movement. In LA ROSA Studio by Jason Castillo, the beauty queen swayed to the beat in a cantilevered gown with a pearl encrusted bodice.
R’Bonney Gabriel
Embodying fashion in motion, Fil-Am Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel danced among the shadows in an inky black Ehrran Montoya gown. With a plunging neckline, a high slit, and a billowing silhouette, she struck the balance of sultry and flowing elegance.
Ahtisa Manalo
Inspired by the disco, Miss Universe Philippines 2025 swapped her signature pageant look for an Anthony Ramirez creation. Incorporating the avant-garde aesthetic and the beauty queen’s silhouette, the result is a Studio 54-inspired dress, ready to dominate ball with her dance moves.
Winwyn Marquez
Combining fashion, movement, and visual artistry, Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 Winwyn Marquez strutted down the red carpetRed CarpetThe high-profile arrival area at premieres, award ceremonies, and galas, where celebrities pose in carefully chosen fashion for photographers. Red carpet looks generate headlines, define trends, and elevate designers, andGo to Red Carpet Glossary in an ab-baring Joe San Antonio gown. Featuring an elegant swath of white wrapped around her, heads turned towards her with her daring gown—and her even more daring dance moves.
Hannah Arnold
Binibining Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold stunned in a Kelvin Umlas gown, spotlighting sharp structure, artistic drapingDrapingThe process of arranging and shaping fabric directly on a dress form or body to create a garment's design, rather than a flat pattern. Draping lets designers experiment with volume,Go to Draping Glossary, and strategic cutouts. Paired with a blunt bob that echoed the gown’s clean lines, she was ethereal in white—a glowing lead dancer on the floor.
Christi McGarry
Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2015’s take on Fashion + Dance involved playful Latin-inspired fringes. In Just Bonita, Christi McGarry shimmered and shimmied in white, adding a seductive edge with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit.
Dia Maté
The queen that she is, Reina Hispanoamericana 2025 claimed her space in a billowing black ball gown by Antonina. Complete with a white origami-esque belt, Dia Maté’s gown moved and whispered with each step, taking her center stage.
Gazini Ganados
Opting for floral lace was Miss Universe Philippines 2019 in Angela Taloza. Gazini Ganados took to the red carpetRed CarpetThe high-profile arrival area at premieres, award ceremonies, and galas, where celebrities pose in carefully chosen fashion for photographers. Red carpet looks generate headlines, define trends, and elevate designers, andGo to Red Carpet Glossary in a halter, mermaid gown. With a backless cut and deep neckline, she balanced feminine beauty with a quietly daring edge.
Alethea Ambrosio
Seductive in white, Miss Supranational Asia and Oceania was the spotlight herself in Christian Paculan. No frills, no extras—just a plain white corset gown that hugged her waist, as if held close by a dance partner mid-tango.
Nicole Cordovez
Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2016 and MEGA Ball: Fashion + Dance Day 2 host commanded the ball in perfect unison—in black and white with fringes swaying at every step. Donned in Just Bonita, Nicole Cordovez was fashion in motion personified.
You can always count on these beauty queens to pair fashion with movement. They’ve done it on pageant stages, and the dance floor is just another playground—a place to let loose and show off their best moves, limited only by their gowns.
Photographed by EXCEL PANLAQUE, KIERAN PUNAY, and KIM SANTOS of KLIQ INC, & BIMPOMAN
Special thanks to the following:
Major Sponsors THE HOUSE OF CREED, IQOS, ZYN, CREAM SILK, and BAKEN
Minor Sponsors LUXE BEAUTY AND WELLNESS GROUP, DEAR FACE, NEW MOON, MAGNUM, AWESAM SMILE DENTAL CLINIC, and PLAYTIME
