Who would have thought that an intricately designed dress worn by a nine-year-old for a school’s online pageant is actually a costume made from balikbayan boxes?

Agatha Kriszel Gonzales bested all the other contenders in the Best in Recycled Costume category at the Veritas Catholic School annual beauty pageant.

So how did she come up with this?

It was her dad, Anthony “AG” Gonzales who designed and handcrafted the dress inspired by different birds.

AG, who was a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW), thought of making use of balikbayan boxes that the family had brought home from Singapore.

His sister Anna Lynn helped him craft it.

AG shared this is not the first time he has helped his daughter make props for her school plays and projects.

However, this was the first time he made a costume for her for a pageant.

A graduate of Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas and armed with his experience working for luxury and in-flight magazines in the Philippines and abroad, AG decided to create the dress inspired by different birds.

He thought of a magazine feature of a Philippine eagle before and that’s when he thought of the design.

The finished product made Agatha looked like a winged goddess. It has the body of the Philippine Eagle, the arm of a Maya, and the tail of a Peacock.

As for the headdress, AG created a fascinator inspired by the sarimanok, an iconic symbol of Maranao art.

AG was able to finish the costume in three nights with the help of his sister, his wife Kristine, and Agatha.

But the costume was not only Agatha’s award, she also won Miss Advocacy, Miss Popularity, Miss Talent, and the pageant title, Miss Valiant. (ES)

Watch the video here:

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