Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Catriona Gray takes her turn on stage during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Bangkok, Thailand.YouTube: Miss Universe

Every single detail of Catriona Gray’s evening gown look for the Miss Universe preliminary competition was meticulously designed to truly represent the Philippines, from the mythical theme of the dress to the earrings which she designed herself.

Gray, 24, made Filipino fans proud as she took her turn on stage in the pre-coronation event in Bangkok, Thailand, only days before the pageant finale on December 17.

At the back stage just moments after the evening gown round, Catriona revealed to ABS-CBN News’ Dyan Castillejo the inspiration behind her gown by Mak Tumang, which had long been kept strictly under wraps.

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According to Gray, the gown was themed after the eponymous magical bird of the well-loved Filipino epic “Ibong Adarna.”

“He really took the time and effort,” Gray said of Tumang, who also designed her two other gowns for Miss Universe. “Every single stone was hand-placed, so when you think of that — and it’s how many different tones of crystals, just the effort and love that went into this dress — I feel so proud and so honored to wear it.”

Tumang, in an Instagram post on Friday, likened the Adarna bird’s captivating singing to Gray’s own voice, which she uses “to influence, advance her timely causes and both melt and heal hearts.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mak Tumang (@maktumang) on Dec 13, 2018 at 6:54am PST

The dress also has similar elements to the Mikimoto crown of Miss Universe winners — a deliberate design choice, Tumang wrote.

The Adarna gown is one of Gray’s three final dresses that were the result of seven sketches, four prototypes, and the collective effort of 16 artisans over some 2,712 hours, or 113 days.

In total, the materials used for the gowns cost P1,025,091, according to Tumang.

For the preliminary gown, Gray sported dangling earrings which similarly symbolize an aspect of her homeland. Gray told ABS-CBN News that she designed the accessory herself, with Tessera Jewelry executing her vision.

The design is “another ode to the Philippines with the Philippine sun and golden South sea pearls, our national gem,” Gray wrote on Instagram on Friday.

Fans of Gray would remember that she wore an eye-catching ear cuff in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant early this year. That, too, was inspired by the Philippine flag, and was also made by Tessera.

Gray’s overall look in the Miss Universe prelims, as expected, gained wide traction on social media, with Filipino pageant followers praising the beauty queen for her performance in both the evening gown and swimsuit rounds.

• Catriona Gray’s ‘slow-mo twirl’ in Miss Universe prelims captivates fans

me as a group leader pic.twitter.com/mQuO7VkT1d

— BEBEN ♒ (@itsbeben11) December 13, 2018

Similarly going viral is a backstage clip from ABS-CBN News’ Dyan Castillejo, where Gray, in her Adarna gown, confirmed that she did her own hair and makeup.

The Miss Universe preliminary competition will determine the top 20 candidates to be announced on coronation day.

If Gray succeeds in being crowned Miss Universe, she would be the fourth Filipina to do so after Pia Wurtzbach in 2015, Margie Moran in 1973, and Gloria Diaz in 1969.