Miss Universe 2018: Top 10 National Costumes

Yesterday 94 contestants of the Miss Universe 2018 paraded in their stunning and colourful National Costumes. As a whole, the costumes this year were really competitive and unique compared to previous editions. Having said that, there were too many national flowers and white symbolizing purity thing going which we honestly felt was too repetitive and lacked originality. The stage was spectacular and both the host did a fantastic job in presenting these costumes in both English and Thai, which gave the contestants ample time to display their costumes without rushing. So here our are Top 10 picks alongside some honourable mentions.

Honourable Mentions:

Miss Universe Great Britain, Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers:

Her costume might not have been the prettiest or the most glamorous one but she used the Miss Universe platform to raise an important point about gender equality and to celebrate Suffragette’s 100 years anniversary. Suffragettes were a group of women who fought for the right to vote in Great Britain.

Miss Universe Japan, Yuumi Kato:

Loved the idea of Miss Japan’s costume Japanese ninja transforming into a character from Sailor Moon ( a famous Japanese anime series). The only reason this fell off from our top 10 list is that she rushed in revealing the transformation which could have been a wow moment just like her predecessor who walked away with the best National costume last year.

Miss Universe Namibia, Selma Kamanya:

Shinning bright like a diamond was Miss Namibia who channelized her inner Victoria’s Secret model in this in this beautiful white ensemble paying tribute to one of the most precious and important exports of Namibia, Diamonds.

Top 10 National Costumes

10: Miss Universe Thailand, Sophida Kanchanarin:

The host delegate brought the mystical & mysterious rare while elephant to live on the Miss Universe stage the drama and the touch of Thai traditional dress made this one of the most loved costumes of the night.

09: Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Kiara Ortega:

Last year Puerto Rico was struck with the deadly hurricane Maria. The costume depicted the strength and rise of Puerto Rico from this deadly natural disaster. Although she tripped and she managed to rise again with a big smile on her face just like the people of Puerto Rico did after hurricane Maria.

08: Miss Universe Indonesia, Sonia Fergina Citra:

She looked like a tropical angel descending on the stage as she walked in on the stage. The theme of her costume was Birds of Paradise. These birds are found in eastern Indonesia and currently, some of the species are facing an extinction crisis.

07: Miss Universe Mexico, Andrea Toscano:

Paying tribute to the Jaguar Goddess from the pre-Columbian Maya religion. The costume was made out of leather and semi-precious stones just like they used to be made before the pre-Hispanic era. 

06: Miss Universe Curacao, Akisha Albert:

Represented the modern day women of Curacao who have fought for their rights for education and social justice. This exotic beauty wore a white ball gown style costume with traditional headgear and handcuffs symbolizing breaking the barriers.

05: Miss Universe China, Meisu Qin:

It wasn’t a big or a lavish costume but the drama Miss China brought through the face changing techniques known as Bian Lian an ancient Chinese art form where the performer changes masks dramatically. Put those lavish costumes to shame.

04: Miss Universe Ecuador, Virginia Limongi:

Ecuador is blessed with some of the rarest flora and fauna found on this planet. Paying tribute to the beauty of The Ecuadorian Amazons was Virginia Limongi, Miss Universe Ecuador who struggled a bit with her costume but none the less she made a positive impact.

03: Miss Universe El Salvador, Marisela de Montecristo:

Marisela’s motto must be go big or go home! She left us speechless with this gigantic costume used during a festival which dates backs to the Pre-Columbian era which dates back to 500 years.

02: Miss Universe Brazil, Mayra Dias:

When you look like a goddess, it isn’t hard to channelize your inner Amazonian goddess who turns into a beautiful bird. This costume was made by indigenous people and it took three months to complete it. The costume aim was to promote environmental protection in her homeland.

01: Miss Universe India, Nehal Chudasama:

Say Hello! to the warrior princess who carried 105 pounds of weight on her strong shoulders while looking like an Apsara (angel). The costume was inspired by Rani Rudrama Devi, an Indian Warrior Princess and the monarch of Kakatiya dynasty – a South Indian dynasty which was ruled by the North Indian Sultanate. The best part of Nehal’s costume was how she executed the portrayal of the queen. 

 

National Costume Gallery

Photo Credit: PhilStar.com