A costume inspired by the sedge mats of Ca Mau Province won the first prize at a contest held this week as part of the Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 beauty pageant to find a traditional costume that represents Vietnam and its culture.

The costume was designed by Nguyen Quoc Viet from Ton Duc Thang University.

The contest, held on Tuesday night in Ho Chi Minh City, featured dozens of unique outfits meant to represent various aspects of Vietnamese culture.

The top 41 contestants in Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 each donned a different costume made by fashion students from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ton Duc Thang University, Hoa Sen University, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, and Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture.

Each of the costumes on display had been selected by judges prior to the contest.

The 41 costumes highlight different aspects of Vietnamese culture and honored the importance of confidence, modernity, and courage, as well as the values of truth, goodness, and beauty.

While each of the costumes holds a meaningful connection to Vietnam’s culture and beauty, the size and weight of many of them were challenging to the models.  

“The designers chose which contestants would wear their designs by just using pictures," said Tran Viet Bao Hoang, deputy head of the Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 organizing board.

"The scoring part in this contest was just based on the costume itself and the scores are not an official part of the Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 pageant.”

The highest rated costumes in the contest were those by designers Le Long Dung, Hoang Minh Ha, Nguyen Minh Tuan, and Nguyen Minh Cong.

“All of the costumes looked like they were designed very carefully. [The designers] were all so proud,” designer Nguyen Minh Tuan told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

“This round allows the contestants to experience how heavy the costumes are and how to perform in a way that conveys the spirit and message each designer meant to convey.” 

The costume which took home the first prize in the contest was 'Ca Mau Sedge Mat' by Nguyen Quoc Viet.

The runner-up was designer Phan Xuan Giau with 'Rice Paper,' and the third place went to 'Handicraft Bamboo Shrimp' by Nguyen Minh Khoi.

The semifinal competition of the Miss Universe Vietnam 2022 pageant is set to take place on the evening of June 21 before the final round is held on June 25 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.

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