Catriona's glam team paves the way for her Miss Universe crown

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray set the stage on fire at every turn en route to winning the crown -- thanks to her ragtag team of friends who accentuated her stunning beauty with the right makeup and hairstyle, and with resplendent outfit that each tells a meaning.

According to a report by GMA's “24 Oras," the 24-year-old title holder did not belong to any beauty training camp unlike her recent predecessors, and instead picked a team of her friends who are experts in different fields of the pageant.

Her famous slow motion twirl punctuated with a snappy hair flip also known as lava walk was courtesy of her coach Carlos Buendia, Jr., while her show-stopping red gown by local designer Mak Tumang was inspired by the lava spewed by Mayon Volcano located in Gray's home province of Albay.

Gray's ear cuffs featured the Philippine flag's three stars and a sun.

During the pre-pageant, Gray made heads turn when she wore a Tumang-made, phoenix-like gown inspired by the Filipino folklore Ibong Adarna whose humming could heal sickness.

Gray is a very good singer, having earned a Certificate in Music Theory from the Berkeley  College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Not leaving entirely up to her team, Gray designed the pearl earrings that she wore during the pre-pageant.  She also did her own makeup and hair in the preliminaries.

For the national costume portion, she showed up in a bodysuit with the Pintados pattern and carried a giant lantern,  an ensemble designed by Jearson Demavivas, Carlos Buendia, Jojo Bragais and herself.

The lantern featured historical churches in the Philippines and the lyrics of the national anthem Lupang Hinirang in baybayin, or  the Philippine indigenous writings.

She also wore a Mindanao-inspired headpiece and brass accessories from South Cotabato, while her boots reflected the indigenous peoples' design of Mindanao. —Llanesca Panti/ LDF, GMA News