IN FASHION: The Evolution Of The Darna Costume Through The Years
See all the women who played the iconic Pinoy superhero and what they wore!
From her comics, to her movies and TV shows, Darna’s red and gold costume has been an iconic symbol for female power in the Philippine media.
Darna’s character is not only a trailblazer for being a female superhero with many solo films and shows, but also spearheads women’s fashion in film through her red bikini.
While others may argue that her outfit is scandalous for a hero or heavily makes use of the male gaze, Darna’s costume aims to celebrate the strength and beauty of the female body.
Like many other superhero characters who have been around since the 1900s, Darna’s costume has had many variations. From modest bikinis to bright red one pieces, actresses like Eva Montes, Vilma Santos, and the more recent ones, Angel Locsin and Marian Rivera have been known to rock these looks on screen.
In preparation for the upcoming Darna television series starring Jane de Leon, we have put together a gallery showing this iconic superhero’s costume evolution. We can’t wait to see the 2022 take on the iconic costume, too, on Jane! Take a peak below and tell us which design you love the most!
Darna Costume Evolution
Darna Costume Evolution
Rosa Del Rosario
In 1951, Rosa Del Rosario graced the silver screen as the first ever Darna. She played the role wearing a bikini top with a sweetheart neckline and high waisted bikini shorts.
Photo Credit: Photo from Philstar
Darna’s modest bottoms show that the usage of bikinis in Philippine film aligned with that of Hollywood during the time.
Photo Credit: Photo from Mars Ravelo's Darna website
Liza Moreno
This next Darna was played by the actress Liza Moreno in Si Darna at ang Impakta during the 1960s. Compared to Rosa’s costume, Liza’s had a softer overall look. This is seen in her bandeau top with stars that easily conform with the shape of her bust. Her belt also lacked hardware, but consisted of beautifully scalloped fabric.
Photo Credit: Photo from Si Darna at ang Impakta
Eva Montes
In the 1965 film Darna at ang Babaing Tuod, Darna was played by Eva Montes. In this Darna’s costume, her bottoms had the most notable change as they have become more panty-like and less modest. Its waist was also lowered to show Eva’s entire torso. This shows a transition from a conservative mindset in film to a more modern one.
Photo Credit: Photo from Darna at ang Babaing Tuod
Gina Pareño
From Eva’s Darna to that of Gina Pareño in Darna at ang Planetman of 1969, the heroine’s look can be easily differentiated from its decreased use of a well polished gold. However, Gina’s Darna was the first to have a belt that was styled using circular gold hardware. The use of these gold circles was an accurate reflection of Darna’s original costume in her comics.
Photo Credit: Photo from Mars Ravelo's Darna website
Vilma Santos
Darna entered 1973 through the actress Vilma Santos starring in Lipad Darna Lipad.
Photo Credit: Photo from Mars Ravelo's Darna website
Here her top is no longer a bandeau, but resembles the shape of the modern bra. The stars on her bust have become more patch-like as compared to the previous versions.
Photo Credit: Photo from Star For All Seasons
Lorna Tolentino
The first Darna television series was released in 1977 and starred Lorna Tolentino. Among the different Darna costumes, hers was the simplest one.
Photo Credit: Photo from Darna Wiki fan page
However, it is important to note that Lorna’s Darna was the first to be seen wearing a one piece instead of a bikini and was covered with three metallic stars instead of the usual two.
Photo Credit: Photo from Darna Wiki fan page
Rio Locsin
The next woman to play Darna was Rio Locsin in the 1979 film Bira! Darna Bira! The biggest differences of her costume compared to older ones, are seen in Darna’s accessories. Apart from being the only Darna look with a choker, This version of Darna’s costume repeatedly used the same element, a gold star in the center of a circle.
Photo Credit: Photo from Mars Ravelo's Darna website
Sharon Cuneta
Darna, played by Sharon Cuneta, made her way back on screen as a supporting role in the 1986 Captain Barbell. Her one piece silhouette featured the color blue.
Photo Credit: Photo from ABS-CBN News
This is the only Darna, both in film and in comics, to have been seen wearing this color. It is possible that this might have been done for Darna to better complement the lead, Captain Barbell.
Photo Credit: Photo from Philstar
Nanette Medved
The 90s started with Nanette Medved starring as Darna in the classic two piece costume. The most notable evolution is shown in the more revealing cut of Darna’s bikini bottoms, through the use of rubies or red gems, and in how her wings are on a band instead of a cap.
Photo Credit: Photo from Mars Ravelo's Darna website
Anjanette Abayari
After her role as a beauty queen, Anjanette Abayari took up the role of Darna in the 1991 film Darna: Ang Pagbabalik. In this version of the costume, Darna’s belt is in the form of a V-shape with an arrow in the middle before flowing into red fabric. Her wristbands also look less like gear of a superhero as it contains large cuts and is not a solid band.
Photo Credit: Photo from ABS-CBN Entertainment
Regine Velasquez
A few years after the turn of the century, Regine Velasquez dazzled Filipinos’ TVs with her role as Darna in the new Captain. Rather than her midriff being out in the open, Regine’s torso was draped with a bright yellow fabric. Her cap’s golden wings may seem smaller, but adding winged details to her bust certainly made up for it.
Photo Credit: Photo from Darna FB page
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