EXCLUSIVE: Here's Everything You Need To Know About This Patriotic Gown At Miss World Philippines!

It's been almost a week since the recently concluded Miss World Philippines, but everyone's still talking about the patriotic blue dress worn by Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez, who was crowned Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas.

 

 

 

 

 

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I put so much love and passion for this royal blue gown with philippine island map on it as a sign for patriotism. It is one of my best gown i ever made for Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez and for bringing her such excellence in Miss World Philippines 2018 Pageant. Congratulations! for being newly crowned as Miss Hispano Americana 2018. I call this a night to remember. Designer : Benj LeguiabIV #missWorldphilippines2018 #mwp2018 #benjleguiabiv hautecouture

A post shared by ??benj leguiab IV (@benjleguiab_iv) on Oct 7, 2018 at 12:08pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

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Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2018. ?? (Part 2 of 3) • Photo: @niceprintphoto Make up: @jrcons Hair: @brentopinion Gown: @benjleguiab_iv Earrings: @christophermunar Bun Hair Extensions: @tokyoposh Smile: @dior_dentalcare • Maraming, maraming salamat po sa lahat ng inyong suporta! ?? I gained so many amazing supporters along the way whom I treat like family. To my #Alyssabelles family and to every single admin of mine (Airwind, Anton, Art, Beth, Cypress, Dale, Daniel, Edge, Ezel, Jay, Roy and Stephanie) who tirelessly supported me in my MWP 2018 journey, thank you so, so much. Words cannot express how grateful I am for all of your love and support. To all my MWP 2018 sisters, I am so happy to have met each one of you. I have learned so much just by getting to know you all. We all worked hard and had sleepless nights together, while treating each other like sisters despite having to compete against each other. To my little sisters, Kylah and Cleo, I am so happy and blessed to know you. When you were both called to the top 16 and the top 10, I was SOOOO proud of you. I will truly miss seeing you both almost every single day. To my buddy, Denj, thank you because you showed me that although we are from different camps, you were always so helpful and kind towards me. To my KF bestie, @firstprincesschanel and my KF sisters (Abby, Angelica, Barmae, Cleo, Crystal, Jerelleen, Kimi, Kylah, Maisa, MJ, Paulina, Pearl and Rose), thank you so much for all the memories that I get to keep forever. To our MWP team, Jory and Kuya Banogi, Kuya Ryan, Ms. Ria, Ms. She, Ms. Kenny, Ms. Cyrille, Ms. Ays and Sir Bessie, thank you so, so much for all of your hard work. We all know that if we, the candidates, were tired then for sure, you were more tired than us because you had to wake up earlier and you had to prepare for so many things aside from taking care of us candidates. Now, I can say that I’ve become a smarter and more responsible woman because before I do anything, I always ask myself: “What do you think, Alyssa?” ???? I love you all so much and I will miss each one of you po talaga! ??

A post shared by Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez (@alyssamuhlach) on Oct 9, 2018 at 5:37am PDT

 

Embellished with a Swarovski beadwork of the Philippine map at the back, the royal blue ensemble was created by Filipino haute couture designer Benj Leguiab, who describes his aesthetic as "sexy and revealing, but always classy and elegant". He further adds that his signature pieces always offer something new—more than the details and the design, he makes sure his creations will bring out confidence in each of his clients.

 

 

 

 

 

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Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2018. ?? (Part 1 of 3) • Maraming, maraming salamat po sa lahat ng inyong suporta! ?? Before I joined a beauty pageant, thoughts like “I’m not thin enough”, “I’m not pretty enough” and “I’m not good enough” were the excuses that filled my head. But I was reminded that every accomplishment starts with a decision to try. ?? To those who may not know, it was last February 2018 when I started to first observe in the Kagandahang Flores camp. I always watched beauty pageants but I never knew about the training that the contestants needed to go through. I was able to train alongside contestants from 4 different beauty pageants and I learned that women who come from different backgrounds can gather in order to pursue their dreams and achieve their hopes and goals for society. ?? One day, I finally made up my mind and told myself that I was going to join Miss World Philippines 2018. ?? In preparation for that, I regularly trained with Tito Rodgil, Mommy G, Kuya Enan and Sir Migz in my camp (Kagandahang Flores), exercised with Sir @angelosmendez in @goldsgymphilippines , maintained a strict diet and many more. When I was chosen as one of the official candidates for MWP 2018, I was so overjoyed and thankful. ?? On that day, I met my most hardworking admins, Ate Cypress, Ate Beth and Art. I remember how I was in tears on my way home because I was so humbled and grateful. That day, the Lord reminded me that these people who have never met me yet believe in me, so why couldn’t I believe in myself as well? Words cannot fully express how grateful I am to each one of you who has supported me all the way and helped me gain confidence in myself. To my glam team, @jrcons, @brentopinion , @sherwinamodia and @styledbypatrickhenry , thank you so much for always making me look beautiful. I am so, so grateful to my amazing designer as well (Benj Leguiab IV, @benjleguiab_iv ). We both collaborated on this beautiful gown that I wore last night. I told him that I wanted my gown to show my love for the Philippines and he was able to come up with this beautiful gown that did just that. ?? [Photo: @niceprintphoto]

A post shared by Alyssa Muhlach Alvarez (@alyssamuhlach) on Oct 8, 2018 at 5:50am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

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I put so much love and passion for this royal blue gown with philippine island map on it as a sign for patriotism. It is one of my best gown i ever made for @alyssamuhlach and for bringing her such excellence in Miss World Philippines 2018 Pageant. Congratulations! for being newly crowned as Miss Hispano Americana 2018. I call this a night to remember. Designer : Benj LeguiabIV #missWorldphilippines2018 #mwp2018 #benjleguiabiv hautecouture #philippines #pinoyDesigner

A post shared by ??benj leguiab IV (@benjleguiab_iv) on Oct 7, 2018 at 12:00pm PDT

 

In an exclusive interview with Metro.Style, the designer shares everything you need to know about the patriotic dress that went viral overnight. "It was a challenge but it was also something new to me," he quips with excitement. "Since then, I've been surprising people while discovering new trends!"

For your dose of fashion fix, read on!

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1.  The color blue represents Alyssa Alvarez' anti-child abuse advocacy

 "I designed this gown based on Alyssa's personality and passion," explains Benj, who was very much inspired by his love for the Philippines. "We collaborated on this project; she wanted something patriotic, and I saw her dedication and true love for her advocacy—to help children in need." 

Alyssa works closely with Gentle Hands Inc., a safe place of healing for children in need. Fueled by her passion for child abuse prevention, Alyssa chose to wear blue at the pageant to promote her advocacy. We thought it was a wise, heart-warming move. After all, blue is a universal symbol for child abuse prevention—remember the blue ribbons worn by Kapamilya stars at the ABS-CBN Ball to promote the Bantay Bata 163 children's village? 

 

2.   The standout dress took one month to make.

"It was a bit rushed, but we finished it!" beamed the designer with pride. The dress was handcrafted with love, from the beading to the back details, using only highend materials (Swarovski and Japanese bead glass, no less)! 

"I was so confident to work with Alyssa because I didn’t feel pressured," shares Benj. "In fact, we had a good relationship, and I felt like we were just friends. I also got to know her mom, Almira. They are both so happy and thankful for this project."

 

3. The masterpiece costs as much as an SUV.

"But of course, I'm open to negotiate for a reasonable cost," the designer quipped.

 

For never-before-seen photos of the making of this iconic dress, scroll through this gallery!

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Lead photos via Benj Leguiab and Bong Tan