It's THAT TIME KIDS: MISS UNIVERSE!!! The 2019 Miss Universe pageant is happening--with the Finals in Atlanta Georgia USA on Sunday, December 8th. Most of the 90 contestants are making their way down to Atlanta so while we wait for the Preliminaries, it's time to reveal some of the fabulous, "interesting" and oh-so-creative National Costumes.
Divided by geographical region, let's start with...
AFRICA:
Miss South Africa Universe Zozibini Tunzi--Zozibini has unveiled her national costume entry for Miss Universe 2019 beauty pageant. Entitled Waves of Love the costume incorporates love letters from men to South African women as part of Zozibini’s support of the #HeForShe campaign, which seeks to activate men in the struggle against gender-based violence. It was designed by Lloyd Kandlin, who was responsible for the national costume worn by 2017 Miss Universe winner Demi-Leigh Nel-Pieters.
ASIA, OCEANIA & THE MIDDLE EAST:
Miss Australia Universe Priya Serrao--Priya's national costume represents the iconic Australia frilled neck lizard. The dress is inspired by Aboriginal culture and the colors of the Outback. The costume was made by Claudia Williams of Llani Creative using recyclable materials and artwork by Wangkangurru/Yarluyandi women from the Simpson Desert as well as Bidjara men. They told stories of their country through paintings on canvas which were incorporated into the 6,200 scales in the dress. The "wearable art" creation took approximately 200 hours to put together. One thing is for sure, I cannot wait for the comparisons to the other iconic Australian lizard:
Miss Indonesia Universe Frederika Alexis Cull--Frederika's national costume is inspired by the legacy of Srikandi. Srikandi is a symbol of the fighting spirit of the women of Nusantara, the Indonesian word for the Indonesian Archipelago. Exquisite details and appliques in the costume symbolize fire, the "machete" batik motif, and the bow and arrow...
Miss Israel Universe Sella Sharlin--Entitled "Tears of Hope", this costume connects the present with the past while looking toward the future. The strapless gown features a white base with blue ombre dyed hem treatment. I think it's a very stylish and chic design for sure.
Miss Japan Universe Ako Kamo--The theme for Miss Universe Japan's national costume is Shisimai, the traditional Japanese Lion Dance in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to festival music. It was designed by Yuuki Akiyama, and features the "lion" feathered headdress which she holds on to, and in conjunction, she is wearing a Kimono Fab chic look.
Miss South Korea Universe Lee Yeong-joo--A gorgeous and very regal Hanbok is what's at stake for Miss South Korea Universe's national costume. Beautiful yellow/gold-toned silks, luxurious silver brocades...an outstanding back detail, and that fabulous headdress, all add up to a costume work of art!
Miss Malaysia Universe Shweta Sekhon--Shweta is set to present to the world Malaysia’s Peranakan culture in a special costume entitled "A Peranakan Indulgence". The creation comes complete with trays of traditional Malay sweets and delicacies "kuih-muih", including onde-onde, kuih talam, red eggs, ang ku kuih and more. Taking over 3 months to complete, the Carven Ong-designed costume weighs a total of 28kg, and is made up of a songket (Malay brocade fabric) with delicate embroidery and beadwork, headgear with gold aster flowers, and wings designed to look like Nyonya batik. Its golden cape, threads, and red beading were inspired by traditional Peranakan bridal wear.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Represent "Glory" and "Hope" respectively. The costume was designed by a collaboration between Morphacio Body Art and Mayaratih Couture.
Miss Myanmar Universe Swe Zin Htet--The buffalo is the "strength of the Myanmar agriculture" and so...it makes perfect sense for Miss Universe Myanmar's national costume to be an Avant-garde Couture Buffalo!
Miss Singapore Universe Mohana Prabha--Designed by Filipino-born Dubai-based Couturier Michael Cinco, the fuchsia pink design was inspired by the Vanda Miss Joaquim, also known as the "Singapore Orchid"...
Miss Vietnam Universe Hoang Thuy--Miss Universe Vietnam's national costume is always a fun and exciting design. Last year, Vietnam wore a banh mi costume for FASHION'S SAKE! So yeah, always exciting to find out what that country's contestant ends up wearing. Every year, they have a contest and this year's winner was the design that depicted "Ca Phe Phin Sua Da”--Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk. The costume was created by designer Tran Nguyen Minh Duc. It features a bedazzled jumpsuit. But that's just the beginning: It also has a large spoon prop, filter headpiece, and cup skirt. Word is she might ditch the cup skirt and stick with just the sequined jumpsuit and spoon. Personally, I would LOVE to see the iced coffee cup design on the right in the above photo!
Miss Thailand Universe Paweensuda "Fahsai" Drouin--Designer Alongkorn Kongin has attempted to capture the eye-popping spectacle of the Phi Ta Khon Festival, the annual Ghost Festival, in a form-fitting short dress of copper-clad aluminum wire arranged in a distinctly Thai art pattern, topped with a 70-centimeter hat made of the same material. Much of the color of the ensemble comes from a huge phi ta khon mask that Paweensuda will carry, which is made of used plastic bags and other recycled material collected by her fans. The mask represents liveliness and fun, while the short dress reflecting the light bears an undeniable grace, according to the designer.
EUROPE:
Miss Belgium Universe Angeline Flor Pua: This Swan-inspired national costume was designed by Roman Vdck. The Swans are revered in Bruges, and therefore makes perfect sense for Miss Belgium Universe to don this feathery concoction.
Miss Czech Republic Universe Barbora Horacova--Designed by David Hanykyr, this Czech National Costume was inspired by the 30th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Featured in the design are golden leaves of the Linden Tree which is one of the Czech Republic's national symbols, but more prominently featured is the Czech Flag which creates a full skirt with a long train.
Miss Denmark Universe Katja Stockholm--Demark's National Costume is a Viking Queen, representing a strong, powerful woman, connected to nature, the spiritual world and her own "feminine qualities". The costume, created by Jewlify, is handmade, mostly from recycled materials. The couple who owns the design company is said to have a great love for tribal cultures and put great honor creating handmade work with respect to sustainability, quality, and local production.
Miss Poland Universe Olga Bulawa--Olga's costume seems to be inspired by the "Peace Dove",
commemorating the Congress of the World Council of Peace in 1977 which took place in Poland. Created and designed by Polish designer Patrycja Kujawa and features handmade crystal and beadwork as well as outstanding feather detail.
Miss Slovakia Universe Laura Longauerova--Laura's National Costume dress is very personal to her: The embroidery in this dress was from her grandmother--from 50 years ago! She gave Laura this embroidery as a present for Miss Universe 2019 to bring her luck. The traditional and folkloric design is simple, featuring handmade needlework, using a special technique called "oblique needle", typical of the region where she comes from. The dress and shawl were designed by MIHLOSHO Miklosko Fashion Design.
Miss Ukraine Universe Anastasia Subbota--Entitled "Green Ukraine", following the fact the Green has become a symbol this year in Ukraine. The idea of the costume is to show Ukraine the way the bird sees it from the height of its flight. A flying bird sees meadows, fertile land, forests, rivers, the flora and fauna of the country. This beautiful costume was designed and created by SVITLO, who have done the Ukraine National Costumes for the 4th consecutive year. This particular costume has 1000 pieces of fabric (!) of different shades of green and is decorated with feather stripes, sequins, and 3D lace and a team of ten people worked on the costume for 2 1/2 months!
AMERICAS:
Miss Bolivia Universe Fabiana Hurtado--Entitled the "Amazonian Phoenix: The Rebirth of the Jungle", on the wings of the majestic macaw Jacinto as an Amazonian Phoenix, this costume represents the rebirth from the ashes of the Bolivian jungle, which was consumed by the flames of the burning Amazon. It is a tribute to Bolivian flora and fauna that were affected during the fire. The bodysuit is inspired by the jaguar and Bolivian coral snake, Bird of Paradise flowers. The costume is a protest to raise awareness about the abuse of human beings in the jungles and forests of the world.
Miss Curacao Universe Kyrsha Attaf--On social media, Kyrsha showed off her "Dushi" National Costume. Dushi is an Antillean/Papiamento word that can describe many things including "Sweet", "Sexy", "Tasty", all positive. The costume is very "Curacao Carnival" featuring drums, colorful feathers, sequined crop top and high-low skirt, and a BIG horn! She definitely the most festive "Carnival Drum Queen" in the Miss Universe 2019 National Costumes so far!
Miss Ecuador Universe Cristina Hidalgo--Entitled "I'm Esmeralda", the costume was designed by Benyamin Maffare, it is inspired by Esmeraldas, a coastal city in Ecuador, in the Province of Esmeraldas. The design encompasses a headdress, scarf accompanied by a turban with handmade details and decorated in silver and rhinestones. The delicate white blouse showcases elements like snails and African necklaces.
Miss Peru Universe Kelin Rivera--Wearing a very traditional gown merging the Colonial past, religious icons with Jesus Christ on the cross featured prominently in the front panel of the period gown. The design celebrates the Lord of Miracles (also knowns as Christ of Miracles), an image that is venerated in Lima Peru that was painted in the 17th Century by an unnamed slave taken from what is now Angola to Peru. The costume is also inspired by the tapada limeña, a unique mantle that was used to cover the faces of the women-only permitting an eye to be seen. This mantle represented freedom, allowing women to roam free through the streets with anonymity.
Miss Puerto Rico Universe Madison Anderson--Madison's National Costume was designed by Joshuan Aponte, who also designed part of the wardrobe for last year's Miss Universe Puerto Rico. This design is inspired by the diverse nature of Puerto Rico and in particular, the spectacular red flower, named "Flor de Maga", the Thespesia Grandiflora or Hibiscus, which is a national symbol of the island. And in case you were wondering what the gold sequined chest plate represents? It's the Coqui Dorado, or Golden Coqui, a rare species of FROG (!) endemic in Puerto Rico.
So....there you have it, some of the National Costumes you will see at Miss Universe 2019!!! Stay tuned here on my "Sashes & Tiaras" BLOG for more Miss Universe 2019 STYLE COVERAGE!!
And was previously shown as part of the designer's "Impalpable Dream of Swan Lake" collection at the "Fashion Forward Dubai" shows.
commemorating the Congress of the World Council of Peace in 1977 which took place in Poland. Created and designed by Polish designer Patrycja Kujawa and features handmade crystal and beadwork as well as outstanding feather detail.
AMERICAS:
So....there you have it, some of the National Costumes you will see at Miss Universe 2019!!! Stay tuned here on my "Sashes & Tiaras" BLOG for more Miss Universe 2019 STYLE COVERAGE!!
...and Don't Forget about my "The Pageant Coloring Book" where you can create your VERY OWN Evening Gown Competition using my Fashion Illustrations! Click HERE to Purchase:
And every Asian woman pictured has had blepharoplasty to europeanize her eyes.
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