HÀ NỘI — The national costume representing Bánh Mì or Vietnamese Bread, worn by H’Hen Niê – the Vietnamese representative in Miss Universe 2018 – was one of the top four outfits with the most compelling back stories, as revealed by the official fanpage of this year’s beauty pageant right before the national costume round.

The four national costumes in Miss Universe 2018 with the most compelling stories behind their design concepts were those from Mongolia, Việt Nam, Myanmar and South Africa.

“‘Bánh Mì’ or Vietnamese Bread is the most popular fast food among locals and tourists in Việt Nam are familiar with this unique food,” the pageant wrote on its official Facebook page. “Bánh Mì is very delicious and such a good value for money that everyone from the poor to the rich can afford it.”

The images of the three other national costumes were also released with their stories.

The design idea of The Golden Queen – the Mongolian National Costume – was taken from the Mongolian Queens’ clothing in the Middle Ages in the era of Genghis Khan and his successors. The golden yellow costume reflects traditional sewing techniques, the fine art work of Mongolian goldsmiths and the famous excerpt My Native Land.

The idea for Myanmar’s costume, Tanaka, was taken from the most famous local skincare, “Thanaka”, a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark. The costume demonstrates how to make the cream by grinding the bark, wood or roots of a Tanaka tree with a small amount of water on a circular slate slab called kyauk pyin.

South Africa’s national costume, Blue Crane, was inspired by the South Africa’s national bird. It is made of over 2,000 feathers, hand-printed and beaded with orange crystals. The wide-open wings reflect the rising of the nation after so many troubles and challenges to move forward and fly higher.

Miss Universe 2018 is held in Thailand with the participation of 95 contestants from around the world. The National Costume competition took place yesterday, while the semifinal and the final will be held on December 13 and 17, respectively. — VNS