Ukraine's Angelina Usanova reveals national costume for Miss Eco International 2024
Ukraine's Angelina Usanova has revealed the phoenix-inspired national costume she will wear at this year's Miss Eco International competition.
"The phoenix is a mythical creature that symbolizes Ukraine and Ukrainians — a country that is under fire every day, but continues to live, rebuild destroyed cities, love, create, give birth to children," the 26-year-old model shared online.
Created by Lesia Patoka of Patoka Studio and her team, the costume was made entirely from recycled materials provided by No Waster Ukraine, a non-profit organization promoting responsible consumption and waste management in the country.
More than 1,500 plastic spoons and 500 plastic knives were used for the costume. Plastic fittings were used for the wings, headdress, and corset while the skirt was made of used curtains. The stones and rhinestones on the dress were collected from dresses, tops, and t-shirts from second-hand stores.
"I really wanted to create a dress that would be couture and that at first glance it was impossible to understand what it was made of. Only after reading the description of the suit, it was clear that it was literally created from garbage while looking like a million," said the designer.
Angelina was named last year's Miss Universe Ukraine and went on to participate in Miss Universe 2023 which was held in El Salvador last November. She was awarded as a silver finalist for the pageant's "Voice For Change" challenge.
The grand final for Miss Eco International 2024 will be held on Sunday, April 28 at the Triumph Luxury Hotel in Cairo, Egypt.
Here's Angelina's national costume:
Photos: Miss Universe Ukraine / Instagram
