Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach Crowned Miss Universe 2015

For the past week the 64th annual Miss Universe 2015 pageant took place at The AXIS in Las Vegas, where 80 ladies represented their countries for the ultimate title in this international competition. Last night (December 20th), the final was televised across the world, a glorious show in which 15 contestant made the semi-final, before narrowing down to ten, then five and then the top three finalsts. And so in the end, Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, was crowned the winner & Miss Universe 2015!

The 26-year-old beauty took home the title as the third Filipino in the pageant’s history, following Gloria Diaz & Margarita Moran in 1969 and 1973 respectively. On Thursday last week, (December 16th), the Cagayan de Oro-native, who is a gorgeous mix of Filipina-German, started her journey to the crown in a silver & pink mini dress by Sherri Hill, which featured fringed sequin, an embellished bustier and was worn with silver strappy sandals. For the swimsuit section, Pia wore a monochrome striped bikini by Yamamay with sandals by Chinese Laundry and a purple sarong, which was such a flattering shape on the tall brunette. Later she looked sublime in her first evening gown at the preliminary show, donning a scarlet red heavily embellished bodice gown with a flowing train and nude patent strap sandals, designed by Oliver Tolentino. Later, Pia wore her national costume, a capiz terno by Filipino designer Albert Andrada that featured a delicately pearl- and gemstone-embellished gown with a heavily embellished headdress and a matching fan too. I absolutely adore this look – the national costumes are one of my favourite sections of the whole pageant. Pia’s Filipino look was classy, elegant and very high fashion. On the evening of the final, Miss Philippines wore a stunning royal blue mermaid gown also designed by Albert Andrada with a deep v-cut neckline, sequins along the sides, a peplum fishtail skirt and a sheer & sequin geometric design back that was all sorts of beautiful. The Filipino designer explained that the dress was inspired by ‘The Pearl and the Orient’.

To be a Miss Universe is an honor and a responsibility. If I were to be Miss Universe I will use my voice to influence the youth and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness that is timely and relevant to my country, that is the Philippines. I want to show the world, the universe rather, that I am confidently beautiful with a heart. – Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Miss Philippines, Miss Universe 2015

The Miss Universe Organization empowers women to develop the confidence they need to achieve their personal best. A confident woman has the power to make real change, starting in her local community with the potential to reach a global audience. We encourage every woman to get out of her comfort zone, be herself, and continue to define what it means to be confidently beautiful. An organization run by women for women, Miss Universe is built on a foundation of inclusion and continues to be a celebration of diversity.