Miss Iloilo explains sudden change of gown at MUPH 2026 finals
MANILA, Philippines — Miss Iloilo Organization (MIO) explained why their bet Zestah Espinosa had a last-minute change of gown at the coronation night of Miss Universe Philippines 2026.
In its Facebook account, MIO apologized to designer Jo Rubio and stylist Francis Chee for unintended misattribution of creative work.
“During the live broadcast, a decision was made by Zestah Espinosa and her team to wear a different evening gown from the one officially approved by the organization, without prior notice or consultation,” MIO wrote.
"As a result, the designer credited on-screen (Jo Rubio) was not the creator of the gown that was ultimately worn, leading to an unintended misattribution of creative work,” it added.
Zestah, meanwhile, also took to Facebook to address the issue.
“I’ve seen all the posts about what happened with the gown — the harsh words, the blame, and the fingers being pointed,” she said, adding that “not everything you see or hear online tells everything.”
Zestah also defended and stood by her team.
"I’m not here to add to the negativity. I just hope we can choose a little more kindness and understanding, especially when things aren’t clear,” she said.
“They believed in me when I had nothing, and they stayed when others walked away,” she added.
Zestah's camp also said that only a sketch was provided to them and the completed gown was never shown despite their team's request. They then prepared for a backup option.
“Zestah herself asked in the group chat which gown she should wear because she was uncertain about the best option under the circumstances,” the statement read.
“The matter was openly discussed collectively during a challenging moment and was not the result of an isolated or unilateral decision,” it added.
The camp said that there is no intent to disregard protocols.
“There was never any intention to disregard established processes, disrespect any designer, or diminish anyone’s creative contribution,” it said.
“Every action taken during that time was made under intense pressure, limited time, and the shared objective of ensuring that the candidate could continue the competition prepared and composed.
“This experience highlights the importance of clear communication, coordination, preparedness, and collective understanding in high-pressure environments such as national competitions.”
Zestah finished the competition in the Top 15. La Union's Bea Millan-Windorski won the pageant.
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