Show standouts

 Miss Universe 2020 National Costume top picks

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

In the previous 68 editions of the annual Miss Universe competition, the Philippines won the Best National Costume award twice. First in 1994, with Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Charlene Gonzales wearing Pitoy Moreno's stylized tribal finery, and last year, with Miss Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados wearing Cary Santiago's metallic-hued 'Agila' ensemble.

For the 69th Miss Universe edition, Miss Universe 2020 Rabiya Mateo wore a Rocky Gathercole design, in collaboration with Manny Halasan, that observers felt gave off a Victoria's Secret Angel-vibe. While the entire ensemble came in all the colors of the Philippine Flag, Rabiya could not wear her Sun headdress because it is expressly stipulated in our Flag Law that no costume, once worn, must carry all of its colors. 

Aside from Rabiya's fabulous national costume, we chose ten other costumes that we felt stood out from among the many. Here they are in random order:

Vietnam - The 'Ken Em'  cocoon is a tribute to the thousand years old silk weaving industry of the country. The national pageant organization even held a contest to search for a designer who will create the vision.

Spain - The translation of David Velasquez's immortal painting "Las Meninas" was commendable. And candidate Andrea Martinez wore it superbly.

Thailand - Despite a similar design for the Miss Grand International for the representative of Laos, the Siamese fighting fish design still worked. This aquatic denizen just so happens to be the national fish of the Country of Smiles.

Peru - An ode to the pink flamingos, this visually arresting 'bird and a flag' ensemble pays tribute to the Peruvian centennial celebration.

Malaysia - The  'My Village' structure was the biggest hand prop in the entire show. Depicting rural life in Sarawak, the 300-pound miniature house took three months to finish.

Indonesia - The reptilian-inspired outfit was an ode to the komodo dragon, a specie believed by many as the link to the dinosaurs.

Iceland - Complete with light effects, the contraption depicted the aurora borealis, or Norther Lights, that blaze awe-inspiring trails on the skies of countries close to the Arctic Circle.

India - The national costume, sari, is given a twist when melded with nuances from the lotus flower to symbolize equality, especially in this very trying time of India's history.

Denmark - The ensemble breathes life to the fictional character of the Little Mermaid, from Hans Christian Anderson's well-loved tale of freedom and love.

Cambodia - Sarita Reth emulates the goddess of unity from the Myr Temple in this highly gilded creation.

Meanwhile, Miss Universe posted another compilation video entitled "The Look: Expressing Myself with Makeup," featuring candidates extolling the virtues of face paint as part of their respective journeys.

Throughout all the editions of the Miss Universe, the countries of Colombia and Thailand have the most number of Best in National Cotume awards.