Nigeria emerged as the first African country to win “Best National Costume” at the 70th Miss Universe pageant held at the Universe Dome in Eilat, Israel, on Sunday.
It was certainly a night of firsts, as Harnaaz Sandhu, became the first winner from India in more than two decades, to be crowned Miss Universe.
Maristela Okpala, representative of Nigeria at the beauty pageant, donned a creative African heritage costume that got people talking.
Okpala strutted on the catwalk in a costume that she said was inspired by a female masquerade from southeastern Nigeria called Mmanwa.
The beauty queen also revealed that the colorful outfit was made from African beads, stones and handicrafts.
She said: “Before embarking on this journey, I told God that I wanted my footprints to be left in the sand of time, to make history not only for Nigerians, but also for all of Africa.”
“The thought, emotion and honor of representing my beloved country Nigeria and returning with such a prestigious and incredible award cannot be overstated. Nigeria, Africa we made HISTORY “.
Mmanwa Masquerade
Mmanwa is a female masquerade costume designed for ceremonial and festive purposes.
Capture the rich cultural heritage of Nigeria while paying close attention to the strength of a Nigerian woman.
His costume consisted of a three-foot tribal mask with a colorful ancient back cape with Mmanwa’s face boldly crowned.
The tribal mask costume was made by a Filipino designer, Kennedy Jhon Gasper.
Explaining the reason behind her costume, Okpala wrote on Instagram: “Mmanwa is a female masquerade costume designed for ceremonial and festive purposes to celebrate the rich Nigerian cultural heritage by paying more attention to the strength that women possess. The 3ft tribal mask goes with the colorful old back cape featuring Mmanwa’s face with a bold crest on the mask and cape.
“It depicts the beautiful Mmanwa who fought tirelessly to stop the maiming and enslavement of girls, while the colorful patterns and ornaments portray the African dashiki offering visual appeal and shapes meant to invoke ancestral spirits.”
The 28-year-old model is a Nigerian cabin crew and dental technician. He was born and raised in the state of Enugu.
She represented Anambra State in the 2021 Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant held at the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria in September.
There, he competed against 36 other candidates.
He was a finalist for Oluchi Madubuike.
The latter will represent Nigeria in the Miss World 2021 that takes place on Thursday at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.