Maristella Okpala Wins Best National Costume at Miss Universe 2021

Maristella Okpala Wins Best National Costume at Miss Universe 2021

At the 2021 Miss Universe grand finale which was held in Eilat, Israel on the 12th of December; Nigeria’s Maristella Okpala won the Best National Costume award. The costume was inspired by “Mmanwa”, a popular traditional masquerade in South East, Nigeria.

The costume was designed to celebrate Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, paying close attention to women’s strength. It featured a beaded headpiece, an ornate tribal mask, and a colourful ancient back cape. 

While speaking on the essence of the costume, Maristella Okpala said:

“It represents the beautiful Mmanwa who fought tirelessly to stop girl child mutilation and child slavery while the colourful patterns and embellishments portray the African dashiki which offers a visual appeal and forms meant to invoke the ancestral spirits.”

“This costume pays attention to the strong will of women in attaining whatever height they want to attain, no matter the challenges faced while reaching their desired goals.”

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On why she chose the costume, she disclosed,

“I picked this particular costume because I see a self-reflection of my cause in this Mmanwa who protects children and women against any form of abuse.”

The 3ft costume was made by Filipino designer Kennedy Jhon Gasper, using African beads, stone & craft. This is Kennedy’s second time creating a costume for Miss Universe. Last year, he made a lion-inspired costume for Cameroon’s Angele Kossinda.

We are proud of Maristella Okpala for shining the light on the Nigerian culture and heritage.