The next iteration of the worldwide Miss Universe beauty pageant carries the indicative year of 2020. But it is already 2021, you say? It is no surprise, though. The annual Miss Universe competition, most often held in the last month of the year indicated in its edition, did not happen in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The beauty queens who have secured their national representation for it however, are still on for when the pageant will finally be held, late as it is. In the meantime, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is keeping interest alive by having the contestants engaging in online digital events.

As told in the Philippine Star, the Miss Universe Organization had this week invited its contestants for the delayed 2020 pageant to participate in a virtual fashion show they have simply called Fashion Week. Among the beauty queens who were there is Miss Philippines Rabiya Mateo from Iloilo, and she was part of a group of 18 contestants who showed their best ensembles on video. Each contestant took fashion videos of themselves at home, which were submitted to the MUO which stitched them together to create their Fashion Week presentations.

For her part in the Miss Universe 2020 Fashion Week event, Rabiya dressed in a two-piece outfit of different colors. Her top was wine-colored and off the shoulder, with ballooning sleeves and a bare midriff. It went well with her blue tulip skirt that was knee-length but for a daring inverted v-cut up front. The number was complemented with sparkling heels. Mateo shared her fashion limelight with the Miss Universe contestants for Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, Ecuador, Norway, the Czech Republic, Nepal, Nicaragua, Belgium, Malta, Ireland, Finland, Vietnam, Thailand, South Africa, Romania and finally Australia.

Of course, if this is a fashion show then there must be a roll of the best in fashion. A separate video by pageant coach and one-time beauty queen Dani Walker selected 10 best-dressed candidates for Miss Universe 2020, selecting from the whole field of 67 participating nations. As expected, Rabiya Mateo was one of Walker’s 10 choices, alongside Miss Australia Maria Thatil, Miss Ukraine Elizaveta Yastremskaya, Miss Panama Carmen Jaramillo, Miss Mexico Andrea Meza, Miss Thailand Amanda Obdam , Miss South Africa Natasha Joubert, Miss Romania Bianca Lorena Tirsin, Miss France Clarence Botino, and Miss Vietnam Nguyen Tran Khanh Van whom Walker rated first.

It is hoped that these online events by the MUO will keep audience attention for when the 2020 Miss Universe pageant finally happens this May 16, barring any sudden changes.

Image: Sining Kultura PH YouTube