Incredible Philippines national dress leads Miss Grand International pageant competition

The intricate design by Edwin Uy and modelled by Samantha Lo is currently winning the public vote

1. Philippines. Courtesy Facebook / Miss Grand International

Oct 23, 2019

Global beauty pageant Miss Grand International's Best National Costumes competition is underway, and the Philippines is currently in the lead. The stunning, intricate and colourful design has been created by Edwin Uy and has been modelled for the pageant by Samantha Lo.

The competition took place in Caracas, Venezuela on Monday, October 21, but the public vote for the top 10 is open on Facebook until 8pm (Venezuela) on Wednesday, October 23 (4am on Thursday, October 24 – UAE).

Click through the gallery above to see the top 10 designs.

Speaking of his design on Instagram, Uy revealed that his national costume creation is a "Muslim Mindanao-inspired" piece.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samantha Ashley Villar Lo (@samantha_ashley_lo)

Costume drama: the lost dress

It may currently be in first place, and look set to win, but this is not the first time we have seen Lo wear this particular Edwin Uy design. With a few new additions, the dress Lo wore for the pageant on Monday is the same piece that she wore for the Binibining Pilipinas 2019 (Bb Pilipinas) competition in May. According to the model, her luggage containing a new design by Edwin Uy, was lost in transit.

Uy has posted about the confusion on Facebook, revealing a photo of the look Lo was supposed to wear for the competition.

"The original national costume of Samantha Lo for Miss Grand International 2019. This costume was left in Paris together with her other things," Uy wrote on the social site. "Anyway, [Samantha] was great in the costume she used. Even if she used it already in Bb Pilipinas, she gave it wow factor performance."

Edwin Uy