“Be still be YOU,” Pia Wurtzbach says!
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach has penned a sisterly advice for the recently crowned Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.
Pia left a piece of advice in Michelle’s lengthy Instagram post about her black Mark Bumgarner evening gown.
As for the Miss Universe 2015 titleholder, she loves Michelle’s authenticity, even advising her to keep the momentum going until the Miss Universe pageant.
In line with the congratulatory note, Pia has segued to a deeper advice about not allowing “other chiefs dictate how you should present yourself.”
“We want to see YOU. Michelle Dee. Don’t let other ‘chiefs’ dictate how you should represent yourself. As Esther advised me before, too many chiefs ruin the fun. And at this point, everyone will act like an expert, even strangers,” says Pia who referenced Esther Swan—her former mentor and the organization’s talent director during her Miss Universe reign.
“It’s YOU Michelle who’s gonna be on that stage. And that’] a once in a lifetime experience. Bring the Philippines with you, yes, but still be YOU,” Pia adds.
In return, Michelle has extended her gratitude for all the advice that Pia has given.
READ ALSO: Michelle Dee of Makati City Is Miss Universe Philippines 2023
“An evening gown with restraint.”
Michelle has taken to Instagram the rationale behind the black gown she wore during the finals of Miss Universe Philippines 2023.
Michelle sees it as an “iconic masterpiece” that would emphasize her “best assets” during the evening gown segment.
She mentions that she and Mark, the designer, had an unconventional vision—one that does not fit in the “pageant patty” bucket.
Ultimately, Michelle says that the gown symbolizes restraint and “choosing to stay true to yourself even if it’s so much easier to just follow what everyone wants you to be.”
Michelle was crowned as the new Miss Universe Philippines on Saturday, May 13, 2023. She now stands as another crossover pageant titlist after Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray who ventured on Miss World first before bagging the Miss Universe Philippines crown.
Michelle Dee is set to compete in El Salvador for the 72nd edition of Miss Universe. She is the daughter of the more famous Miss International Melanie Marquez 1979.
READ ALSO: Miss Universe Philippines 2023: A Quick Recap
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