Filipina superstar Kris Aquino put the Philippines on the global stage when at the Hollywood Crazy Rich Asians premiere last night, wearing a bold yellow 'Filipiniana' gown by young designer Michael Levya.
"This was the reason we made the effort to be here," Aquino wrote on her Instagram when sharing a video of fans from the Philippines lining up to see her:
"It is my honour to proudly represent the Philippines," she added. "Maraming salamat po sa effort nyo to show your love & support!"
Aquino is a talk show host, actress and producer - she is the youngest daughter of Corazon Aquino, who was the 11th President of the Philippines, and her brother, Benigno III, was the 15th President of the Philippines. Aptly, Aquino plays a princess in the movie.
Aquino wears a gown by Dubai-based Filipino designer Michael Cinco in the actual movie as well:
Aquino also shared this video with her 3.7 million Instagram followers showing the different Levya and Francis Libiran designs she was considering (we're glad she went for the yellow):
The gown's designer Michael Levya initially trained to work as a flight attendant, but decided to follow his designing dream after his young designer brother Brian was tragically killed at gunpoint during a robbery in Manila in 2010.
Brian had a burgeoning career, and was showing collections at Filipino fashion weeks, and his brother decided to follow his path in his honour.
Levya told ABS CBN that his dream client is Michele Obama, and that he looks up to Dubai-based Michael Cinco as well as Lebanese designers Zuhair Murad and Elie Saab.
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Read more:
[ Sarah Geronimo: where she's been, where she's going and what to expect from her Dubai concert ]
[ 10 of Michael Cinco's most extravagant wedding dresses ]
Crazy Rich Asians releases in the UAE this weekend, and stars a strong ensemble cast, including the legendary Michelle Yeoh and rapper, TV personality and actress, Awkwafina, who wore a stunning gown by Beirut-based Reem Acra for the LA premiere:
While the movie's star Constance Wu looked stunning in a Ralph & Russo gown: