The designer shares the story behind Pia’s wedding dress

MANILA — Beauty queen designer Bessie Besana has shared the story behind the wedding dress she made for Pia Wurtzbach via social media.

The former Miss Universe tied the knot with travel entrepreneur Jeremy Jauncey on a private island in the Seychelles last March, as the couple revealed last week.

According to Besana, Wurtzbach asked him at breakfast in New York last November if he could design a wedding dress for her.

“I couldn’t answer right away because I honestly didn’t think that I would be an option. He then went on to say, ‘I want it done by a friend and you know me very well and I want you to be a part of my wedding,'” she recalls.

“I did cry a little inside and felt the tears start to build up in the corners of my eyes because I was so moved by his decision,” she added.

Besana said the process of designing Wurtzbach’s wedding dress went “surprisingly smoothly”, saying she was pleased with “how much trust she placed in me with my suggestions and technical decisions.”

“Pia, you are truly a great person and I am so grateful for how much you have impacted my life. Thank you for always believing in me and my fashion expertise,” she said.

JEREMY’S VISION

Besana went on to reveal that the wedding dress she made for Wurtzbach was based on how Jauncey envisioned her as his wife.

She said she found it unusual but interesting, as most brides tend to have their own idea of ​​how they would look on their big day.

“What’s interesting about Pia’s dress concept is that she asked Jeremy about how he envisions his bride as she ‘walks down the aisle.’ He shared that he saw Pia in a classic corset bodice with a soft texture and slit,” he said.

Besana continues: “Pia then allowed me to implement Jeremy’s vision using a soft Chantilly lace which I manipulated to achieve a skin tone. I was also inspired by Pia’s idea of ​​gentle movement and found the three-dimensional detailing of the petals that were attached one by one to the dress.”

“The asymmetrical pattern moving upwards is my personal interpretation of how life has carried Pia through many challenges and finally finding herself forever with Jeremy,” explains the designer. “The dress also featured a play on the back skirt with panels, godets and appliqués. Per request, Pia wanted a skirt silhouette that was sleek in the front but with a bit of drama in the back.”

Looking back, Besana says he’s glad Wurtzbach and Jauncey liked his creation.

“I was so happy when Pia told me the day before her flight to the Seychelles that she loved her dress. But the cherry on top of the ice cream was when I received a voice note from Jeremy telling me how beautiful the bride looked, and that was all she could ask for. My heart full of happy bride and groom,” he concluded.