FrontRow Cares and the Universe Gives Back Charity Fashion Gala
Women empowerment and the indomitable Filipino spirit came to the fore via the catwalk at the FrontRow Cares and the Universe Gives Back Charity Fashion Gala. Showing once more that their beauty is more than skin deep, two Filipina Miss Universe winners took part in the Benefit Gala to support their chosen charities with the help of top Filipino designers to highlight the limitless creativity in the country.
The much-awaited event brought together Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and current Miss Universe Catriona Gray to show that beauty is indeed more than skin deep. The FrontRow Cares and the Universe Gives Back Charity Fashion Gala was spearheaded by co-chairpersons Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, architect Richelle Singson-Michael and fashion designer Albert Andrada to bring the brand to a higher-level than a one-day television special. The gala, held last June 4, 2019 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, showcased the talents of eight top Filipino designers who created queen-worthy outfits according to a specific color scheme for the forty pageant candidates: Albert Andrada on Tangerine, Rhett Eala with Teal Blue, Michael Leyva in Cyan Blue, Ito Curata with Freesia, Jot Losa in Orchid, Avel Bacudio with Kelly Green, Cherry Veric in Scarlet Sage, and Martin Bautista with Ultra Violet. For his part, Edwin Tan presented a men’s wear collection in Neutrals, modeled by Empire talents.
The two Miss Universe queens graciously gave their time to the project as a way to highlight a culture of caring and compassion. Pia Wurtzbach supported Love Yourself, an organization of almost 1,100 volunteers who reach out through channels such as social media to propagate ideas, attitudes, and practices to encourage self-love and equality and the spread of vital health information particularly among the LGBTQI+ community on issues such as HIV.
Catriona Gray lava-walked on behalf of Young Focus, which helps educate underprivileged children all the way from preschool to college, with the firm belief that education is the most effective way to end poverty in a child’s life. Young Focus has different programs that meets the many needs children experience in poverty, with approaches that depend on their age, their history, their capabilities and the scope of the family’s needs.
As someone who was able to bring her best on the Miss Universe stage and make Filipinos all over the world proud, Pia shared that being a beauty queen is about giving back to her country and her community. “It is about getting involved in organisations to raise awareness for issues such as HIV, anti-discrimination, and anti-bullying which are relevant to the Philippines.” She adds, “I am most proud of the fact that Filipinos are compassionate people. We care about the people around us and we’re always willing to help. To our loved ones, we are selfless in the amount of love we give. I’d like to believe that’s what we’ll see at the charity ball. People coming together showing support to the ones who need our love most.”
The dazzling event was hosted by the Manila Marriott Hotel and co-presented by FrontRow, with BDO as a major sponsor that made a generous donation towards the queens’ chosen charities, and Metro Group as their exclusive media partner. The event was also supported by Mrs. G, Philippine Airlines, Difflam, LCS Group of Companies, Henann Group of Resorts, and Blue Water Day Spa.
