Darna!
Miss Philippines Celeste Cortesi wowed pageant fans when she paraded as Darna at the 71st Miss Universe national costume show in New Orleans, Louisiana on Jan. 11 (Jan 12 in Manila).
Celeste embodied a cultural icon that symbolizes kindness, empathy, and empowerment, according to the official website of Miss Universe Philippines.
ABS-CBN said it is also proud of Celeste for championing Darna on the world stage through the 71st Miss Universe national costume competition. Darna is a popular Filipino heroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nstor Redondo.
The national costume of the Filipino-Italian beauty queen was designed by Oliver Tolentino with some metal work by Jerome Navarro.
"Have no fear, Darna is here!" said the voice-over during the colorful national costume show.
Prior, pageant fans cheered Celeste during the preliminary competitions where she wore a sky blue evening gown also created by Tolentino and struck a pose in swimsuit.
The finals of the 71st Miss Universe Competition will be held on Jan. 14 (Jan. 15 in Manila).
Check out these photos from the official Facebook account of Miss Universe Philippines:
