Furne One

Amato Couture leads Miss UAE Universe's style council

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Dubai-based Filipino designer Furne One of Amato Couture is the creative director of the national triumvirate that's holding the first Miss UAE search to field the first Emirati representative to the 70th Miss Universe pageant in Israel this coming December.

Together with Yugen Events and style consultant Maggie Wilson, Amato Couture will lead the Emirati style council in dressing up this year's top thirty qualifying entrants.  The names of the official candidates will be revealed on Oct. 20.

The phenomenal maiden pageant has attracted a lot of interested aspirants. News from around the Gulf area reported that 1,200 applications, including resident Emiratis, clogged the pageant Web site a few hours after the announcement was made that led to its crash. All women, between the ages of 18-28, who had a three-year residency possessing a valid Emirates ID and passport were qualified to join.

"The UAE is making a very important time in its history, from the signing of the Abraham Accords to hosting the Expo 2020 Dubai, and there has never been a better time to shine a spotlight on the women residing in the country.

"I could not be more pleased to welcome the first-ever representative from the UAE to our globally televised event in December," said Miss Universe Organization president Paula M. Shugart in a statement.

From the 1,200 applications, the number will be trimmed down to 300 and by October 20 the organization will have selected its thirty official delegates. A charity dinner will formally present the candidates on Nov. 4. The preliminary rounds will unfold on Nov 5, where the Top 15 will be determined. From the semifinalists will be chosen the top five on Nov 7, the coronation night. The five remaining  candidates will battle it out in a question-and-answer round and pick out the final three and eventual winner.

As head of creatives, fashion, and design, Furne One of Amato Couture will lead other fashion luminaries in presenting a segment that will replace the swimsuit preliminary. The organization has decided to scrap this body contest out of respect for UAE's culture and religious faith.

As a world-renowned fashion designer, Amato Couture has created designs for celebrities like Beyonce and Katy Perry. In the pageant scene, Furne One was the label behind Rabiya Mateo's preliminary and final gowns in the 69th Miss Universe edition, as well as the winning gowns of Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez and Miss Universe Philippines-Charity 2021 Victoria Velasquez Vincent.