His background may have been in production design, but Mak Tumang will go down in fashion history for dressing the country’s fourth Miss Universe in a gown that mimicked flowing lava.

His long-time muse, Catriona Gray, bested 93 contestants on Monday, wearing a fiery red, body-hugging sheath made of stretch tulle with cutouts and an extremely high, revealing slit.

It was embroidered with thousands of monochromatic red crystals in 12 tones that glinted and gleamed as she walked down the X-shaped runway at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

“We came up with the initial concept for the (Miss Universe) finals gown as early as March 26, a week after the Binibining Pilipinas coronation,” Tumang told Lifestyle in an email interview.

“I was planning to hide the concept from her and wanted to execute it secretly before showing it to Catriona, but I couldn’t contain my excitement, so that I presented it to her on the same day. She loved it! It was love at first sight.”

He made several prototypes, looked for different fabrics, and experimented with materials and techniques.

It was only after careful editing and revising that he and his team began working on the gown.

“Working with a passionate queen is very challenging,” Tumang said. “You need to understand her vision and immerse yourself. The challenge brings out the creativity and artistry as a designer. It makes me feel more excited about the outcome of the ideas.”

 

 

 

St. Benilde

Tumang’s flair for drama and attention to detail were triggered when he took up production design at De La Salle University-College of St. Benilde. His foray into fashion was a natural progression, as he found himself surrounded by friends in fashion.

In 2007, Tumang caught the attention of fashion watchers at the Philippine Fashion Design Competition with an abaca dress inspired by the wiry hair atop heads of religious images. Two years later, in 2009, he was named overall winner in the Miss Earth Eco-Fashion Design Competition for the short white dress fashioned out of abaca and shells—a nod, he said, to the country’s coral reefs.

 

Stretch tulle

Since then, Tumang has worked with airier but nonetheless sturdy fabrics for the embellished gowns he designs for brides, debutantes and celebrity clients.

His weapon of choice? Tulle. The airy, net-like fabric is one of his favorites for its strength and versatility. Stretch tulle can be used as the base for a dress or fashioned into embellishments to be sewn onto the dress.

In his social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram), Tumang posted a photo last November of the Philippine map and flag with the following numbers: “7 sketches, 4 prototypes, 16 artisans, 3 gowns, 2,712 hours of fastidious process, and P1,025,091 M worth of materials. For the Philippines, for the Universe.”

That much time, money, effort and craftsmanship went into creating Catriona’s gowns—and it all paid off.

For the preliminaries, she wore a fitted gold and orange gown inspired by the Ibong Adarna. “The mythological bird… is likened by some artists to the phoenix (rising from the ashes). This makes it a fitting symbol of resilience, rising and rebirth. Catriona has a resilient, tenacious and unwavering spirit,” he wrote in a post.

The backless gown was made of individual tulle feathers with crystals in six different tones. For a sense of proportion, the feathers came in different sizes, with the smallest arranged on the bodice and the largest affixed at the hem and allowed to drift around Catriona’s feet.

 

 

Magma-hot

It was the magma-hot evening gown she wore at the pageant proper, however, that is seared in the Filipinos’ collective consciousness.

“Mayon Volcano is the penultimate inspiration for this creation,” Tumang wrote in his social media post. “It was named after the mythological heroine ‘Daragang Magayon’ (Beautiful Lady). Despite its pulchritude, it is the most active volcano in the Philippines, erupting numerous times. Catriona can be considered the modern-day Daragang Magayon. She embodies the Filipino’s beauty, intelligence and burning passion.”

Pia Wurtzbach looked regal in the blue gown by Albert Andrada she wore when she was crowned the Philippines’ third Miss Universe in 2015, but Catriona on pageant night was on fire. She stood out in red, flanked by four other finalists (South Africa’s Tamaryn Green, Venezuela’s Sthefany Gutierrez, Puerto Rico’s Kiara Ortega, and Vietnam’s H’hen Nie) who wore variations of silver.

He is probably still on a pageant high, but Tumang is ready for the next chapter.

“There will always be something new to learn and create for someone who is passionate about what the universe has to offer. Perhaps it’s to bring the rich heritage and culture of the Philippines as inspiration for the clothes I create, and should the universe conspire, I would be able to spread it on the world stage,” he said.