Former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach on the runway at L’Oréal Paris’ Le Défilé during Paris Fashion Week 2025 (Images from@piajauncey / Instagram)
PARIS — Former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach made her way back to the Paris runway at L’Oréal Paris’ Le Défiléduring Paris Fashion Week in September 2025, staged at the historic Hôtel de Ville. It was her second appearance at the annual showcase, reaffirming her place among a global roster of celebrated women.
Wurtzbach wore a red haute couture gown from Tony Ward’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, its off-shoulder silhouette shimmering beneath the lights. She paired the gown with a Bulgari serpenti necklace and gold hoop earrings, while her sleek hair and understated makeup lent the look a balance of elegance and confidence.
On Instagram, she shared what the moment meant: “To walk alongside women from all over the world … and carry the Philippine flag with me? That’s the real honor.”
A second stride in Paris
This was not her first time on the Le Défilé stage. In 2024, Wurtzbach made history as the first Filipina to walk in the show, which has featured names such as Kendall Jenner, Jane Fonda, Eva Longoria, and Cara Delevingne. Her 2025 return carried a different resonance: she was no longer a novelty but part of the brand’s cast, her presence signaling both artistry and representation.
The 2025 edition carried the theme “Liberty. Equality. Sisterhood. Because You’re Worth It,” echoing L’Oréal’s iconic tagline while underscoring the show’s identity as both a fashion spectacle and a platform for advocacy. Set against the grandeur of Paris’ city hall, the runway gathered women from across cultures and generations in a collective celebration of visibility and empowerment.
The weight of representation
Wurtzbach shifted the focus to what her walk symbolized: the inclusion of Filipinas on a stage that has long spotlighted mostly Western icons. She embodied representation, carried with grace and certainty.
Her presence in Paris this season reflects a broader shift in global fashion—an acknowledgment that Southeast Asian beauty and identity belong under the same lights that have defined haute couture for decades.
