COSTUMES made out of Negrense ingenuity and creativity will again be showcased during the Miss Universe 2017 pageant finals on Monday.
Kirsten Regalado, a Negrense designer based in Miami, Florida, designed costumes for two of the 92 candidates in this year’s competition to be held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Regalado, 49, of La Castellana, Negros Occidental made the national costume of Miss Iceland Arna Ýr Jónsdóttir, and the national costume and evening gown of Miss Mauritius Angie Callychum.
Regalado, in a phone interview with VoxPop Bacolod Friday, shared her excitement in seeing her designs on the Miss Universe pageant stage.
The designer said she prepared and worked hard, and selected the best people to be in her team.
“Bringing my creations to Miss Universe shows that we Negrenses can do anything as long as we put our hearts into it,” Regalado said, adding that “we can create a high-end, one of a kind couture designs that will be known and respected throughout the world.”
For Miss Iceland’s national costume, Regalado’s concept is a “Viking Warrior Woman.” The costume includes homage to several Icelandic animals – a ram’s head, a raven’s feathers, and fish scales.
The ax depicts the element of ice and the Northern Lights, Regalado said, adding that she used real animal skull for the headdress.
Rosalinda Guitchi, an artist from Bacolod City, helped in making the accessories especially for the headpiece.
Two students of La Consolacion College-Bacolod, siblings Chelsea and Brent Gandarosa, also helped in making the costume of the Icelandic candidate.
They made the silver shield in Negros, and it was shipped to the US for enhancement and assembling of accessories. Chelsea also made the silver shield for the shoes, she said.
“I was born and raised in Negros. I got the chance to enjoy the culture and saw the real talents there. These children are our future leaders,” Regalado said, on why she always involves young Negrenses in her creations.
For Miss Mauritius, the evening gown is dubbed “The Golden Goddess Gown,” which is fully beaded and backless, with mandarin collar, floor sweeping mermaid skirt, and one-sided long sleeve, and sleeveless on the other side, with custom bracelet.
The Mauritian candidate’s national costume is called “Queen Sega Dancer.”
It symbolizes the Sega, which originated from the 18th century when the people were dancing around mini bonfires to forget their hardship and pain by using their creativity in making dance steps around the fire.
In last year’s pageant, Regalado was referred by some fashion designers and also by the press in Florida to design the costumes for Miss Mauritius. She also involved some students from Bacolod City to make the design.
Regalado, who spent her early years at the town proper of La Castellana, said her interest in drawing started when she was seven. She would normally go to the plaza and draw with nature, mostly, as her subjects.
In 2002, her family moved to the US where she started her modeling and fashion designing career although she studied medical technology.
In 2015, Regalado dressed the candidates from Mauritius and Australia, and also the Philippines’ 2014 Miss Universe bet MJ Lastimosa. She also designs for local pageants, celebrities, and designer brands such as Gucci.
With her achievements in the field of fashion, she urged her fellow Negrense artists and designers to possess the value of commitment.
“In anything you do, whether it is for a simple project or for the stage of Miss Universe, commit to it,” she said.
“It is sometimes coupled with hardwork and challenge. I made many mistakes in the past but I learned from it. Do proper research and make sure of the quality of craftsmanship, the fitting must be perfect, and yes, deliver it on time,” she added.
