Out of 74 countries, here are the national costumes that made us do a second look.
Taking place in Florida this year, the 69th Miss Universe Pageant is being closely followed by pageant-crazy Filipinos, eager to see Rabiya Mateo win the title. Currently, four Filipinas—Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray—have won the crown and title for Miss Universe.
With the pageant officially starting with the National Costume show, we had our eyes glued to the Lazada app, where you can watch the livestream and vote for your Miss Universe picks.
Here are our picks for the most stand-out national costumes at the 69th Miss Universe:
Aruba
Called Goddess of the Sea, Aruba’s national costume was inspired by the waters surrounding the country. The ensemble gave off the illusion of waves, showcasing the natural beauty of Aruba.
Cameroon
Inspired by the country’s national animal, Cameroon earned roars from the audience as she walked in her national costume designed with lion’s heads, as well as an eye-catching head piece. Interestingly, Cameroon’s national costume was made by Filipino designer Kennedy Jhon Casper.
Indonesia
Indonesia takes the stage with a national costume inspired by an Indonesian pre-historic heritage, the Komodo Dragon. Made with 3D black and gold sequins, different kinds of metals, and a robotic system controlled headpiece, this was surely a crowd favorite.
Laos
A country rich in culture and arts, Laos truly showcased this with her national costume. Carrying an umbrella with her country’s landmarks, and a four-headed statue that is said to protect the North, South, East and West, Laos’ costume was truly impressive.
Philippines
Designed by the late Rocky Gatharcole, Philippines takes inspiration from the Philippine flag, as well as the Miss Universe PH’s logo. The color blue stands for royalty, red for an independent woman, and yellow represents hope and freedom.
Puerto Rico
An ode to an iconic astrologer, Puerto Rico came in with a national costume designed with different symbols on the astrological chart. This national costume stands for love and acceptance, regardless of one’s identity.
Singapore
The national costume of Singapore is inspired by her country’s national flag. Coming in a red and white ensemble, red represents equality, and white for virtue. Filipino artist Paulo Espinosa also painted “Stop Asian Hate” in big, bold letters at the back, showing that the country is a place for all races.
South Africa
Coming in with fabric wings, South Africa’s costume was printed with drawings by South African children. This national costume aims to show how Covid-19 has disrupted the lives of those children.
Thailand
Taking inspiration from the Siamese Fighting Fish, Thailand’s national costume is an ode to the country’s national aquatic animal. This ensemble showcased three colours—red, white, and blue, all representing the country’s flag. Thailand’s national costume was made with crystallised fabrics that mimics the “Splendid Warrior” fish.
Vietnam
Coming in a cocoon-like costume, Vietnam’s national costume represents “Ao Dai”. It is “crystallized from the wisdom and skillfulness of Vietnamese people”, according to the designer’s instagram post.
