Miss Universe Malaysia 2022 Lesley Cheam, 26, will be wearing a national costume inspired by the majestic Mount Kinabalu to represent Malaysia at the 71st Miss Universe competition in New Orleans, USA on January 14, 2023.
The costume is generous with the use of silver and grey colour, which symbolizes large slabs of granite along Mount Kinabalu.
The colour also oozes strength and confidence, which is befitting of Mount Kinabalu stature as Malaysia’s tallest mountain.
Weighing more than 10kg, it is designed by eco-conscious local designer, Hatta Dolmat, who is collaborating with the Miss Universe Malaysia Organization (MUMO) for the first time.
Another factor that makes this costume stand out is that it incorporates a sustainability theme with fabric and embellishment of the costume made out of unwanted items like fabric, lace, bark and rPET or recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which is plastic used to make packaging like plastic water bottles and food containers.
Cheam showed off the national costume and evening gown a press conference held at MyEG Tower, Petaling Jaya on Dec 7, 2022.
The evening gown was also designed by Hatta, and draws inspiration from a nebula, which is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space.
Hatta features embellishment made out of purple, maroon and gold as the dominant colours in the evening gown to accentuate the skin tone and beauty of the reigning queen.
MUMO national director Elaine Daly said the national costume sends a fashion statement that Malaysia is a progressive global citizen.
“At MUMO, we go all out every year, and this year is no exception. We are promoting fashion upcycling on an international platform to help address climate change threats, which is one of mankind’s greatest challenges and global priorities now.
“We are also highlighting Mount Kinabalu as the pride of Malaysia, just as Lesley is to us as she represents Malaysia in the global arena next month,” she said.
