Puerto Rico's Estefanía Soto Torres to wear a Walter Mercado-inspired national costume at the 69th Miss Universe

Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2020 Estefanía Soto Torres will be wearing a stunning Walter Mercado-inspired national costume at the 69th Miss Universe pageant.

In honor of the Puerto Rican astrologer's life trajectory and unifying message of love and acceptance, Joshuan Aponte created the costume with 86,400 pieces of Austrian crystals.

The beautiful headpiece is made of gold jewelry and precious stones that denote the 12 zodiacal signs and the stars in the sky. It is designed and composed of 78 separate pieces, one for each town of Puerto Rico, and includes six last quarter moons that embody the search for the country's 6th Miss Universe crown.

"Walter Mercado inspired us to live embracing our identity and valuing our differences. The unifying force behind his message of universal positivism gives us the extraordinary power of progress in the face of the challenges we face as humanity," Estefanía shared on social media.

"With this national costume, we celebrate Walter a Puerto Rican artist, a pioneer of freedom and universal acceptance. We embrace his unique sense of style and honor his visionary message of timeless character. A message that managed to transcend generations, identities, and cultures: togetherness, passion, and much, much love."

Photos: Estefanía Soto Torres / Instagram