Dazzling Miss Universe 2021 national costumes: who wore what

Contestants looked resplendent in dresses inspired by pearling, weddings and architecture

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  Manar Nadeem Deyani, Miss Universe Bahrain 2021, on stage during the National Costume Show at the pageant in Eilat, Israel. Photo: Benjamin Askinas / Miss Universe

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  Miss Morocco, Kawtar Benhalima. All photos: AFP

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  Spain's Sarah Loinaz.

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  Miss Russia, Ralina Arabova.

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  Miss Puerto Rico, Michelle Colon.

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  Miss Romania, Carmina Cotfas.

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  Miss Poland, Agata Wdowiak.

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  Miss Peru, Yely Rivera.

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  Miss Philippines, Beatrice Gomez.

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  Miss Panama, Brenda Smith.

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  Miss Nigeria, Maristella Okpala.

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  Miss Nepal, Sujita Basnet.

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  Miss Nicaragua, Allison Wassmer.

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  Miss Mauritius, Anne Murielle Ravina.

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  Miss Malta, Jade Cini.

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  Miss Laos, Tonkham Phonchanhueang.

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  Miss Kosovo, Tuti Sejdiu.

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  Miss Kenya, Roshanara Ebrahim.

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  Miss Korea, Jisu Kim.

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  Miss Kazakhstan, Aziza Tokashova.

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  Miss Japan, Juri Watanabe.

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  Miss Jamaica, Daena Soares.

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  Miss Italy, Caterina Di Fuccia.

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  Miss Iceland, Elisa Groa Steinþorsdottir.

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  Miss India, Harnaaz Sandhu.

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  Miss Vietnam, Nguyen Huynh Kim Duyen.

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  Miss Honduras, Rose Melendez.

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  Miss Venezuela, Luiseth Materan.

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  Miss USA, Elle Smith.

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  Miss Ukraine, Anna Neplyakh.

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  Miss Guatemala, Dannia Guevara.

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  Miss Great Britain, Emma Collingridge.

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  Miss Sweden, Moa Sandberg.

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  Miss Germany, Hannah Seifer.

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  Miss Czech Republic, Karolína Kokesova.

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  Miss Costa Rica, Valeria Rees.

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  Miss China, Shi Yin Yang.

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  Miss Canada, Tamara Jemuovic.

The national costume round of Miss Universe 2021 took place on Friday night, in Eilat, Israel, with contestants taking to the stage in dazzling looks.

Each woman wore a stylised interpretation of her nation's culture and heritage, in dresses that were colourful, spectacular and loaded with references.

Scroll through the gallery above for some of the national costumes at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant.

Miss Spain, Sarah Loinaz, wore a catsuit decked in swirls of blue, orange and yellow sequins, to echo the work of Antoni Gaudi, the celebrated Catalan architect, while Miss Mexico, Debora Hallal, wore a look inspired by the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilisations, with embroidered roundels fringed with feathers.

Miss Korea, Jisu Kim, also wore a very traditional look – a red and gold hanbok, with its full skirts and high, tied waist, while Miss Ukraine, Anna Neplyakh, wore a hooped skirt, decorated with samples of traditional vyshyvanka embroidery. Ngin Marady, Miss Cambodia, meanwhile, opted for a look inspired by the traditional sampot chang kben trousers, still worn for special occasions. These are more than nine feet long and three feet wide, intricately folded and secured with a knot at the waist.

Miss Bahrain

Manar Nadeem Deyani, Miss Bahrain, wore a look inspired by the country's long tradition of pearl diving. Photo: Miss Universe

Manar Nadeem Deyani, who won fans for wearing activewear, rather than a swimsuit for an early round of the competition, took to the stage in a shimmering silver dress inspired by pearl diving. For almost two centuries, Bahrain produced some of the most highly prized pearls in the world. Deyani's look comprised a textured cape over a long, iridescent, fishtail gown in homage to the beauty found inside a simple oyster shell.

Miss Morocco

Miss Morocco, Kawtar Benhalima's outfit drew on wedding traditions of the Amizigh. Photo: AFP

Kawtar Benhalima meanwhile wore a multi-layered look that blended traditional wedding elements from across Morocco. Her dark-green velvet kaftan, embroidered in gold around the hem, cuffs and down the front, was similar to one traditionally worn for the henna day of a wedding. The beaded pearl tassels framing her face, and multiple strands of pearls around her neck represented the famous Lebsa lfasiya (that literally translates as 'the great outfit' for its size and weight) wedding dresses of Fez.

Miss Philippines

Miss Philippines, Beatrice Luigi Gomez, wore a look that referenced the dragon Bakunawa, traditionally believed to be the cause of solar eclipses. Photo: AFP

Miss Philippines, Beatrice Luigi Gomez, wore an elaborate look inspired by the legend of Bakunawa, the dragon believed to cause solar eclipses. The dress was created by Filipino designer Axel Que with the headpiece and accessories by Manny Halasan.

"This is a personal, hypothetical envisioning of what the Bakunawa would look like had it succeeded in devouring the last moon. I chose gold to render the whole piece in because, aside from its divine beauty, it is considered as the perfect element – because it’s chemically one of the least reactive – and to hopefully imbue this characteristic to the wearer, much like an enchanted armour," Que said on Instagram.

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