SHE GLOWS: Celeste Cortesi sparkles in Oliver Tolentino creation during Miss Universe evening gown preliminaries
Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi dazzled in her Oliver Tolentino-designed gown during the 71st Miss Universe evening gown competition earlier today, Thursday, in New Orleans.
The evening gown competition had 88 contestants gracing the runway with evening gowns crafted by their chosen designers.
As Cortesi sent the crowd cheering after she emerged wearing a light blue off-shoulder dress with crystal embellishments, Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu described her as someone who has a passion for traveling as she likes challenging herself to learn new languages.
"This 25 year old proudly supports a mental health organization that provides services to those in need," Sandhu added.
According to the Miss Universe Philippines organization, the sky blue color was chosen as Cortesi wanted to pay homage to the name her father gave her.
"In the poem her father wrote for her, he writes that when he was holding her in his arms he knew her name would be Celeste. Celeste means heavenly and sky blue in Italian," the organization shared.
On Instagram, Tolentino posted a video showing a close-up look of his hard work, with many commenting their praises on the intricate design and pattern.
In an interview yesterday, Miss Universe Philippines Director of Communications Voltaire Tayag revealed that Tolentino has crafted two different gowns that Cortesi will wear at the pageant's preliminary competition and in the final show.
When asked about the gowns, Tayag stressed that the Philippines' bet "looks so phenomenal and beautiful in it."
"She glows and she looks like a queen," he added.