Latest news with #NationalCostume
GMA Network
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Alexie Brooks on being androgynous: ‘I'm comfortable and I feel confident'
Alexie Brooks confidently expresses her androgynous identity, celebrating freedom and authenticity in how she presents herself. In Tuesday's 'Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,' the Filipina beauty queen spoke candidly about how she embraces fluidity in both style and relationships. 'I express myself as an androgynous woman or person. So, basically, if I feel like, I wake up in the morning and I feel like dressing up as masculine, I go for it. I have days that I feel like very feminine and I literally go for it,' she said. Per Alexie, those who are close to her know that it's just the way she is. 'And I feel like it's better if you don't put yourself a limit into what you can, you know, expression mo sa sarili mo. And it's so much better. I'm happier. I'm comfortable and I feel confident and I don't think—there's nothing wrong with that,' she said. When asked if being androgynous means one can have relationships with men and women, Alexie said yes. 'I think it's up to you kung saan ka mas comfortable. But yes. Kung saan ka masaya,' she said. Alexie was crowned Miss Eco International 2025 last April at the Hilton Green Plaza in Alexandria, Egypt. Following her win, Alexie honored her late grandmother, Lola Basing, and also expressed her heartfelt gratitude to those who supported her in her journey. Aside from the title, Alexie also won the National Costume competition with her Philippine Eagle-inspired costume designed by Tata Pinuela. —Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News
Gulf News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf News
Miss Universe Philippines 2025: All you need to know about pageant and how you can help choose winner
Sixty-six dazzling candidates. One glittering crown. And now? One massive twist: you get to help decide who gets it. Miss Universe Philippines 2025 is going full democracy glam this year, announcing that fans can vote in real-time to push their favorite candidates all the way to the top. That's right—from Top 24 to Top 12 to Top 6, your tap could make someone's sash dreams come true. 'It's your turn to help shape the destiny of Miss Universe Philippines 2025!' the organisation posted on Instagram. Voting is live on the Miss Universe Philippines app—so may the best queen (and fanbase) win. The coronation night, set to light up the SM Mall of Asia Arena tonight, is already being billed as one of the grandest ever. National director Ariella Arida and executive VP Voltaire Tayag are promising a spectacle packed with power, poise, and a whole lot of pageant prowess. 'These girls are running on a schedule three times tougher than ours back in the day,' Arida told ABS-CBN News. 'But you wouldn't know it. Their energy? Unmatched.' Just one night after the elaborate National Costume Show, contestants were still in high spirits during Thursday's all-day rehearsals. Tayag praised their stamina and savvy: 'They're maximizing every break. It's pro-level discipline.' And Arida? She's feeling the chills. 'I've watched their entire journey—from auditions to now. This is their moment.' The pageant is also coming off its global high: reigning queen Chelsea Manalo made history earlier this year when she became the first Miss Universe Asia 2025. The pressure is on—and the competition has never been fiercer. So what separates a contestant from a queen? Tayag says it's all about real, effortless confidence. 'When she's not pretending—when she's just being —that's when she lights up the stage.' 'There's always fan favorites,' Arida added, 'but Miss Universe Philippines has a way of revealing the one right when it counts.' In fact, so many candidates brought their A-game that the org had to bump the Top 3 National Costume awardees to a Top 5. As they say: too much fabulous to contain. Catch the action live via Empire Philippines' YouTube channel, or watch the delayed telecast on GMA Network on May 4. One thing's for sure: the sash, the crown, and the crown-worthy drama are all coming in hot.
