Michelle Dee honors her Apo Whang-od-inspired gown during her final walk
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Michelle Dee wanted to give the iconic Mark Bumgarner gown the send-off it deserved.
Ever since she debuted it on the Miss Universe Philippines stage in El Salvador, Michelle Dee's Apo Whang-Od-inspired evening gown has achieved iconic status and Michelle did her best to honor that during the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines coronation night.
In one of her recent Instagram posts, Michelle posted photos and a clip of her wearing the now legendary Mark Bumgarner gown during her final walk at the Miss Universe Philippines coronation night held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
In the caption to the post, Michelle shared that the gown almost didn't get its spotlight moment as the production could not find time to give it its segment. This pushed Michelle to wear the gown for her final walk instead.
Michelle also used the post as an opportunity to thank all of her supporters, writing that wearing the gown once more made her feel like she was giving homage to everyone who contributed to the creation of a “transformational force."
She wrote, "When the team and I found out that it wasn't possible to give this gown its own segment… it was a no-brainer for me to wear it [for the last time] during my final walk. 🥹
"Wearing it again felt like I was also giving homage to every story, every drop of sweat, and every ounce of effort that all of you did to create such a transformational force to the universe and I have to reiterate that my success that came after is all of ours to share."
Aside from her iconic black gown, Michelle also wore another Mark Bumgarner gown during the coronation night, a white gown featuring rattan weaves, cutouts, and a thigh-high slit. She wore the gown during an interview with show hosts former Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel and show host Jeannie Mai, where she shared the most memorable moment from her reign.
“The one thing that does stand out is when I came home from El Salvador. To be greeted with so much love, compassion, celebration, and just being in a room full of people that are proud to be Pinoy, I know I didn't bring home the fifth crown but I hope I made all of you proud and I felt that,” she shared.
Fans can relive Michelle's final walk during the broadcast of Miss Universe Philippines coronation night on GMA Network on tomorrow, May 26, 2024, from 9 a.m. (9:45 for Central and Eastern Visayas) to 12 noon.
