Winner of Miss Earth 2023, Drita Ziri, in the evening gown designed by Vietnamese designer Nguyễn Minh Tuấn. Photo courtesy of the designer

HÀ NỘI The winner of Miss Earth 2023 beauty pageant, Drita Ziri from Albania, has selected a design by Vietnamese designer Nguyễn Minh Tuấn for her look in the final night that took place in HCM City on December 22.

The design is a meticulously crafted gown adorned with thousands of sparkling crystals and gemstones on sheer fabric to enhance the wearer’s silhouette. While many contestants in the beauty pageant favoured the green colour, Tuấn's design stood out with its delicate and captivating blend of colours.

Another special thing about the gown is that it was ordered just a few days before the grand finale.

“Miss Earth Albania had originally chosen a gown for the final night from a Philippine brand, but encountered customs issues just before the competition.

"Two days before the grand finale, the National Director of Miss Earth Albania unexpectedly contacted my team, seeking assistance and personally visited our showroom to select a new outfit. They chose two designs for their beauty queen and requested urgent modifications overnight to meet the deadline,” Tuấn recalled.

“It was truly remarkable that the gown held such a special significance as it witnessed the crowning moment of Miss Earth 2023,” he added.

The fashion designer also revealed it was not a new design but was originally ordered by the representative of the Dominican Republic for the Miss Earth 2022 pageant. However, for some reason, it did not make an appearance on stage that year.

Later on, the gown was worn by Miss Grand Singapore 2023, the reigning Miss Peace Singapore, during the Miss Grand 2023 competition held in Việt Nam.

The elemental court were crowned in the same event - Yllana Aduana of the Philippines as Miss Earth-Air, Đỗ Thị Lan Anh of Việt Nam as Miss Earth-Water, and Cora Bliault of Thailand as Miss Earth-Fire.

The fashion designer, born in 1992, has gained fame not only for his exquisite designs that complement the crowned beauties but also for his readiness to assist contestants who encounter wardrobe mishaps during competitions. He was intimately dubbed the “designer of beauty contest winners”.

The winning of Miss Earth 2023 in Tuấn’s design marks the second time that he has had a winning design in the Big 6 pageants, following the victory of Vietnamese candidate in Miss Grand International 2021, Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên.

Tuấn is gradually establishing himself as one of the notable Vietnamese fashion designers leaving a mark on the international beauty pageant stage. In 2023, his designs were present in most of the prestigious beauty pageants, not only the Big 6 but also in various national and international competitions.

His team has been entrusted by many contestants of international pageants held in Việt Nam such as Miss Charm, Miss Grand, and Miss Earth, to accompany them on their journey.

Miss Charm included 28 designs by Minh Tuan Couture, while Miss Grand 50 designs. In Miss Earth, 11 designs by Tuấn appeared in consecutive rounds of the contest.

“The continuous succession of these pageants has required the team to work overtime and handle urgent orders. However, everyone strives to satisfy the customers, especially the international beauty queens when they come to Việt Nam,” Tuấn said.

He revealed that he was fortunate to have a special collection of 23 designs that have been chosen by beauty queens from all around the world to wear upon their crowning moments this year.

In addition to designs for beauty pageants, Tuấn and his team are currently busy preparing for the fashion show Dreams Come True, scheduled to take place at The Grand Hồ Tràm on January 5, 2024. VNS