The National Costume is one the most awaited segments in any Miss Universe competitions. This is because it’s the time when all the participating contestants walk down the runway wearing outfits that represent the essence and uniqueness of their home country.
For this year’s pageant, Malaysia’s very own Shweta Sekhon will be wearing a “Peranakan”-inspired dress, adapted from local Baba and Nyonya heritage originated from China which was heavily influenced with Malay cultural values.
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Dubbed as “A Peranakan Indulgence”, the outfit also caught everyone’s attention with its inclusion of various local delicacies that are neatly attached to the dress, such as onde-onde, kuih koci, ang ku (red tortoise kueh), kuih talam, kuih lapis, sago cake and also Chinese red egg. Pretty cool, right?
Not only that, the dress also features an interesting mix of the Malay traditional culture with the Chinese-Peranakan ethnics. This is done through the use of Malay songket for the fabric, complete with a specially-designed pair of wings made from Nyonya batik.
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For those who don’t know, the dress was designed by Carvin Ong. According to the 51-year-old, he spent estimably 3 months in working on the 27kg dress. The custom-made outfit will be worn by Shweta (full name Shwetajeet Kaur) for the upcoming Miss Universe 2019 that will be held at Atlanta, Georgia next month.
Apart from the national costume, the 22-year-old beauty will also be wearing a caramel-coloured evening gown dress for the event. The gown is embellished with real beads and pearls that symbolise the beauty of beaches in Malaysia.
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For the uninitiated, the Kuala Lumpur-born bombshell won the coveted Miss Universe Malaysia crown back in March this year after defeating 18 other hopefuls across the nation. All the best for Shweta for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant!
Source: Murai.
