Top picks: Miss Universe 2021 National Costume competition

MANILA, Philippines — Cultural references, folkloric details, flag colors, elements from pop culture, and even traditional costumes, as well as local cuisine were several of the inspirations brought to the fore by the delegates of the 70th Miss Universe competition.

Leading the parade of nations is Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez who stunned spectators with the final incarnation of her "Bakunawa" costume from the national finals. Axel Que's sizable creation of the golden lunar silhouette of the dragon, in its final form before engulfing the moon, as related by Philippine literature and mythology, is simply spellbinding!

Another standout is Nicaragua's homage to its ceramic industry and its pioneer, Gregorio Bracamonte.

Also making a memorable performance was South Africa's "dove of peace" ensemble. Presented like a ballerina, it gave homage to the classic ballet piece "Swan Lake."

Another stellar presentation was that of Ukraine's traditional towel that was presented in macro form by embroidered hoops.

And rounding up our top five picks is Korea's royal hanbok, the traditional wear of the country divided by the 38th parallel.

Other noteworthy creations, in alphabetical order, were:

• Bahamas' ensemble that paid homage to her country's first indigenous women natives;
• India's sari with a gigantic parasol, presented with movements from Bollywood;
• Jamaica's multi-colored Calypso dress with a plumed headdress;
• Panama's creation featuring the buses that ply her home state;
• Puerto Rico's ode to the Bamba dance, presented in reverence to conservation efforts;
• Vietnam's banana-leaf inspired ensemble that featured her country's most favorite rice dish.

Halfway through the presentation, the stage had to be cleared after Miss Malta littered it with confetti as part of special effects to her humongous "Maltese Triumphant" tapestry.

Hosted by Andrea Meza, the national costume preliminary was beamed to a nationwide audience through the Lazada app, whose technology aptly paid homage to women empowerment.

Catch the 70th Miss Universe final show on Monday, Dec. 13 at 8 am on the A2Z Kapamilya channel. The coronation ceremonies will be covered live by Fox and Telemundo in the Americas.