Creativity exposed in Miss U nat'l costume show
The 86 candidates of the 65th Miss Universe pageant made an effort to match their national costumes with gimmicks, surprising and delighting the people who flocked to the Mall of Asia Arena Thursday evening to watch the event live.
Even though the candidates' performance during this segment of the competition was not scored, it certainly showed who among the women dug deep and gave serious thought into what they were going to wear and who among them could maintain their poise while walking in bulky outfits and heavy headpieces.
Feathers and wings that were reminiscent of the back pieces worn during a Victoria's Secret fashion show, as well as bedazzled two-piece bikinis, were a common sight.
Miss Universe Bolivia donned the largest headpiece, which represented 18 different dances from her home country.
Miss Universe Canada's large snowflake back piece that was shaped like a maple leaf gave her matching knitted top and trousers a different kind of appeal.
Three-dimensional birds embellished Miss Universe Dominican Republic's national costume.
Miss Universe Ecuador flashed a smile and tried to project to the crowd despite a damaged left 'wing'.
Miss Universe France trotted a la Moulin Rouge wearing a sparkly two-piece bikini matched with a furry red robe and head dress.
The castle headpiece inspired by one of the iconic spots in Germany seemed funny at first, but Miss Universe Germany managed to pull off the look as she matched the ensemble with a lot of confidence and charm.
Miss Universe Hungary's red gown was special not only because of its intricate beading, but also because 1,500 red peppers that are used to make paprika were sewn into the dress.
Miss Universe Indonesia's golden Garuda pantsuit paired with a pair of huge wings was an easy eye-catcher as it glimmered across the pageant stage.
Miss Universe Korea opted to stick to a traditional garment worn by Korean queens during special occasions.