Miss Grand International 2021, the 9th edition of the international pageant, will be held on 4th December 2021 in Phuket, Thailand where delegates from all over the world will compete for the international crown for three works. The winner will succeed and will be crowned by Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Akuaba Appiah Miss Grand International 2020.
The organization hosted the preliminary National Costume competition on 30th November 2021 at SHOW DC Retail and Entertainment Mega Complex, SHOW DC Bangkok where the delegates paraded in their magnificent costumes showcasing their countries’ traditions and culture.
While all the delegates represented their countries in unique and gorgeous costumes, some ideas and concepts stood out as potential winners of the Best in National Costume title. So, without any further ado, here are our favourite national costumes from the preliminary competition of Miss Grand International 2021 –
Jeanè Van Dam Miss Grand South Africa 2021
Jeanè Van Dam’s national costume was inspired by the wise words of legendary leader, Mr. Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” The diva shared, “Words that carried our great National Rugby team ‘The Springboks’ to victory by bringing hope to a country with complex history. As Siya Kolisi leads our country to victory the words #StrongerTogether resonated with what I believe in. I represent SA with pride as we have proven we are Stronger Together.” She dedicated her performance to the people of her country. “We are fighting a new battle everyday. I hope that this national costume will remind South Africans that we are STRONGER TOGETHER and that nothing should ever break the bond & love that South Africans have for each other,” she added.
Samantha Alexandra Panlilio Miss Grand Philippines 2021
Philippines’ Samantha donned a pappion-inspired get-up from the Paru-paro Festival of Dasmariñas, Cavite. The festival, which shows the metamorphosis of the butterfly, showed her in a beautifully concocted get-up complete with humongous wings. Her costume suit and leg straps were designed by Louis Pangilinan, while her wings and head dress were the creations of Santino Rivera. The shoes, meanwhile, was by Jojo Bragais. Samantha Panlilio literally spread her wings at the Miss Grand International national costume competition.
Adriana Moya Alvarado Miss Grand Costa Rica 2021
Shimmering in a bright green dazzling costume, Adriana Moya wore the Abdul H. Juliao design representing many stories that make the people of the country proud. They carry in their blood the inheritance of ancestors with that claw and unshakable strength, the culture that makes them unique, always in harmony with nature. The pre-Columbian culture of Costa Rica was represented in jade, a material that their ancestors used for different purposes, including ceremonial and religious.
Indy Johnson Miss Grand Thailand 2021
Inspired by the Ramayana literature, Indy Johnson donned ‘Tosaphak Anongnat Pilat Duangruthai’ costume representing the episode, ‘Hanuman lifts the box of hearts’, showcasing the giant Tosakan, being angry with Hanuman the ape who managed to steal his heart box. Designed and sewed by Palangkoon dress room, the costume was presented in the form of a contemporary pantomime, ornately decorated with crystals. It conveyed the strength of the giant serpent through the wearer, applied to the puppetry of Hanuman in the pose of ‘Khon Loy Khon’, which is one of the battle stances of high-class dances with elegance. It is also considered as an invaluable cultural heritage of Thailand.
Stephanie Medina Miss Grand Dominican Republic 2021
Wearing the ‘El Sabor de las Cayenas’ costume designed by the collaboration of Peter Adrian Couture and Art Akarach, Stephanie looked like a magnificent dream. The attire was inspired by one of the country’s national flower, ‘La Cayena’, which in turn symbolized abundance, well-being and joy. The Merengue that runs through the skin, with its own colors that star their flag, the red represents the blood shed by our liberators; the blue expresses that God protects the Dominican nation; and the white cross is the symbol of the struggle of the liberators to bequeath us a free homeland. Merengue is adrenaline made into music. Fast-paced, fun, and a friend to popular festivals. It is the national music of the Dominican Republic, welcomed in other countries of the Caribbean basin with great devotion.
Maria Jose Sazo Miss Grand Guatemala 2021
Goddess Ixchel shined on the international platform displayed by the stunning Maria Sazo donning the costume designed by Cesar Alejandro Portillo. “The pride that causes me to wear this suit, you cannot imagine. Feeling that a suit belongs to you and is part of you is an indescribable feeling. Thanks to Cesar for such a beautiful outfit, I really enjoyed showing it to the whole world on stage,” she shared. Ixchel is the 16th-century name of the aged jaguar goddess of midwifery and medicine in ancient Maya culture.
Manika Sheokand Miss Grand India 2021
Donning a stunning saree by the ace designer Shravan Kummar, Manika’s inspiration was the Chhau Dance. Chhau Dance is based on tribal rituals and draws inspiration from martial arts, mock combat, semi-classical dance, acrobatics, athletics, and story-telling. The word ‘Chhau’ is said to be derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Chhaya,’ which means shadow or image. It is an eastern Indian tradition that enacts episodes from epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as local folklore and abstract themes. While this form is known to be performed by male dancers, this was a modern interpretation showcasing that females can equally participate in everything that was restricted to men.
Sophie Louise Rogan Miss Grand Indonesia 2021
The National Costume of Miss Grand Indonesia 2021, ‘Bali Sundaram- the Beauty within Holy Blessing’, designed by Inggi Indrayana Kendran, is a symbol of the gratitute to God as the universal creator usually carried by Balinese women. This costume is visualizing the teaching of peace, Tri Hita Karana, which involving the relations between human and God, human and fellow human beings, and human and nature.
Lishalliny Kanaran Miss Grand Malaysia 2021
The national costume to Miss Grand International 2021 - The 7 Ancient Princesses of Ulek Mayang was designed by Aldrin’s Artistry. The larger than life costume was one of the biggest show stoppers of the night. Ulek Mayang with its origin from Terengganu is an old folk song and dance perform as a healing ritual for a fisherman who fell ill at sea and was believed to be caused by sea spirits and could only be cured by calling upon the spirits of the sea and sending them back to the dark watery depths.
The song and performance tells the tale of a sea princess who falls in love with a fisherman while he was at sea. The princess steals the fisherman’s soul, causing him to fall into a trance-like state of semi-consciousness. Once they are back on land, the fisherman’s friends ask a traditional healer (bomoh) to restore his spirit and bring him back to health.
Mariana Macías Miss Grand Mexico 2021
Unique, spectacular, masterful, this is how Mariana Macías performed with her ‘Mujer protectora de vida’ national costume designed by Samuel Estrada and Edgar Lozzano. The feathered serpent, the jaguar’s persona and the fierce and strong performance by the diva, depicting the ‘protector of life’, was definitely a stand out and a potential winner for the best national costume.
Katie Nairobi Caicedo Miss Grand Panama 2021
Bringing up the heat on the grand stage, Panama’s Katie Caicedo’s fire themed majestic costume designed by Jorge Enrique Velasquez and Jose Paredes Díaz took hours of sleep and hardwork to put up a stunning design like this on the platform. The vibrant costume with shades of fire was definitely a majestic vision on stage.
Jimena Andrea Sosa Miss Grand Paraguay 2021
Paraguay’s Jimena Sosa wore ‘La Diosa Del Nanduti’ costume, conceptualized by Gabriel Román and Jeff Bastidas and designed by Alfredo Gaona and Charito Otazu. The costume is inspired by the Goddess of Nanduti and symbolizes courage, love, and tolerance through a kind, sweet and Peaceful Paraguayan Guarani Goddess, in the most iconic fabric of Paraguay, the Ñanduti. The vibrant and colourful costume brings out the true essence of Paraguay.
Samantha Batallanos Cortagena Miss Grand Peru 2021
Samantha Cortagena donned the Peruvian Paucar inspired national costume designed by Beto Pinedo. Peruvian Paucar the Paucar species bird is apparently the paucar that, according to a folktale of Moyobamba, originated as a rumor-mongering boy who always wore black pants and a yellow jacket. When he spread an accusation against an old woman who was a fairy in disguise, she turned him into a noisy, wandering bird. The bird's appearance is thought to augur good news.
Ronali Amatya Miss Grand Nepal 2021
Representing Karunamaya- the God of compassion and enlightenment, Nepal’s Ronali Amatya wore the costume designed by Prachi Trakar and the Simrik Design Studio. The approximate weight of 20kgs and total of 800 hours have been invested to create this majestic costume as a representation of the deity. People believe Karunamaya, the god, saved people from starvation, drought and blessed with ample crop thus, worshipped as the god of agriculture. The chariot is one of the tallest chariots in Nepal which is 60ft tall. Thousands of people come together to celebrate one of the longest festive, also known as Jatra.
The costume consists of intricate hand embroidered silk skirt and blouse and handmade silk tassles for the chariot. In the particular design a tapestry known as pataa: is kept as a centre piece. It is embroidered in pure handloom silk, with fine details of ASTAMAGAL (eight holy symbols). Astamangal are also the teaching tools representing wisdom, compassion and emptiness. The look is completed with handcrafted gold plated jewelry and mammoth wheel which have been hand painted with various symbols like lotus, snake and wheat plant.
Vivianie Diaz Arroyo Miss Grand Puerto Rico 2021.
Puerto Rico as Goddess Atabey looked divine on the stage in a Raymond Rodriguez costume. Atabey was a female goddess of the Taínos, an extinct tribe of Arawak origin that occupied a large part of the archipelago of the Antilles, the Caribbean Sea and with a great presence in Puerto Rico. In addition to being a goddess and mother, Atabey was the divinity of the moon, the sea, the waters, fertility and birth for the Taino tribes.
Raymond Rodriguez, the designer of this masterpiece, hand crafted this dress in different pieces, all hand-woven in ten different macramé techniques. The production of the dress took over5 months, it has 2,500 yards of Nepal thread, 14 karat gold sheets and Austrian crystals. The sun represents the Caribbean sunrises, the threads create the movements of the waves of the Caribbean Sea, and the seahorse represents the fauna of the depths of the sea and its beauties. The headdress in goldsmiths and precious stones enhances the figure of the woman and her divinity.
(Photo Source: Miss Grand International Official)