The Miss Universe pageant might have many issues, including the fact that it’s promoting rigid beauty standards and also that it only judges contestants from Earth and not the whole universe, but one of this year’s contestants is standing out for all the right reasons.
Anna Sueangam-iam, who was crowned as Miss Universe Thailand and would compete on January 14 to be Harnaz Sandhu’s successor to the crown, wore a stunning silver diamond-studded dress to the preliminaries that left everyone in awe.
Aside from it looking stunning and immensely flattering on the beauty queen, the dress’ origin made it extra special. Turns out, the gorgeous dress was made of upcycled aluminium pull tabs of drinking cans.
The halter-neck floor-length gown, with a slit in the front, looked like a metallic dream and was aptly named the ‘Hidden Precious Diamond Dress’. Designed and created by Thai fashion house Manirat, the aluminium pull tabs were interspersed with Swarovski crystals throughout.
Not only does the dress make a good case for upcycled materials and sustainable fashion, but the ‘Hidden Precious Diamond Dress’ also held a special meaning for the contestant.
Sueangam-iam’s father is a garbage collector and her mother is a sweeper. The contestant wanted the dress to be a tribute to her parents and deliver the message that she is proud of where she came from. This is especially poignant, considering she was dubbed as the ‘garbage beauty queen’ by many.
While we’ll find out whether she gets the crown at the 71st Miss Universe Pageant or not soon, it’s clear that she’s won our hearts with this look!
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