At the 2020 Miss Universe Khanh Van dons a white ao dai with a 30-kg ‘cocoon’ inspired by the silkworm.

At the 2020 Miss Universe Khanh Van dons a white ao dai with a 30-kg ‘cocoon’ inspired by the silkworm.

Catriona Gray, the 2018 Miss Universe winner, chose Van’s cocoon as one of her six favorite outfits, saying: "Indonesia, Nepal, Peru, Thailand, Ukraine, and Vietnam were my top 6 national costumes. Which were yours?"

But the pageant, scheduled to be held last year, was not and was postponed to May 16, 2021. 

At the 2019 Miss Universe, Hoang Thuy wore an audacious coffee filter-inspired costume. Designed by Tran Nguyen Minh Duc, the costume featured a bedazzled jumpsuit with lots of beading and details, a spoon, and a headpiece that looked like a giant filter. There was originally a skirt representing a cup, but Thuy reportedly had difficulty walking in it.

Her costume made it to the Instagram page of the beauty contest while online beauty pageant magazine Missosology named Thuy as one of its 10 finalists in the competition. 

H’Hen Nie, the Vietnamese Miss Universe contestant in 2018, wore an outfit inspried by banh mi, Vietnam's popular street food. It sparked a controversy with many people saying banh mi was not a typical Vietnamese food.

But the outfit made a good impression on international audiences with its sheer creativity. 

H’Hen Nie, the Vietnamese Miss Universe contestant in 2018, wears an outfit inspried by banh mi.

Since Miss Universe Vietnam organized a competition to pick the best national costume for Vietnamese contestants in international beauty pageants, there have been a lot of ideas.

At the 2017 Miss Universe Nguyen Thi Loan wears a colorful dress inspired by the ao dai adorned with giant conical hats that look like wings. 

At the 2016 Miss Universe, Le Hang won kudos in the national costume competion with an outfit made of rattan and bamboo, a traditional conical hat and images of lotus flowers, symbolic of Vietnam. 

Until 2015 Vietnamese contestants at Miss Universe always chose the ao dai in the national costume contest. In this photo, Pham Huong wears an ao dai with traditional patterns like cranes and bamboo, and a 1.7-kg hat covered with gold. 

Hundreds parade in Hanoi to show off beauty of "Ao Dai"

More than 500 women and girls in Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) joined a parade in Hanoi on November 29, showing off the beauty of the most elegant and graceful dress of Vietnamese women.

Vietnam’s idyllic beauty highlighted at international exhibition

Several photos capturing the rustic and idyllic images of Vietnam will be displayed at an exhibition of the Drone Photo Awards which is expected to take place from October 24 to November 29 in Italy.

Miss Vietnam 2020 beauty pageant launched

Miss Vietnam 2020, the biennial national beauty contest, has opened for Vietnamese young women aged between 18 and 27.

Can Tho University students win Vietnam-Japan Beauty Contest

The highest prizes of the 8th Beauty Contest Vietnam-Japan were awarded to three students of the Can Tho University during the final held in the city on November 30.

Vietnamese beauty to don filter coffee-inspired costume at Miss Universe pageant

Hoang Thuy will wear a costume depicting “Ca Phe Phin Sua Da” (Iced coffee with condensed milk) at the upcoming Miss Universe 2019 contest.

Source: VnExpress