Oriana Ribeiro, Namibia’s representative at the Miss Teen International 2024, unveiled her national costume on Saturday at the pageant’s preliminary rounds in Jaipur, India.
The costume was inspired by the Sandhof lilies, native to the southern parts of Namibia.
The Sandhof lily, characterised by its tall, slender stem and large, trumpet-shaped flowers, is renowned for its unique blooming pattern, which occurs only after significant rainfall in the region.
The lily symbolises purity, joy, love, sincerity, happiness and luck.
These lilies bloom in abundance when the pan is filled with rainwater.
The costume was designed by Mwatile Kapolola, founder of Exclusive Artwork and Wear, in collaboration with Nadia Wilson from Nadia Image Consulting.
The Miss Teen International took place last night in India.
Ribeiro was amongst 27 other beauty teens worldwide who took part in the pageant.
Her costume showcased the natural beauty and cultural significance of Namibia.
In an interview with VIBEZ! yesterday, the CEO of the Miss Namibia Organisation Umbi Karuaihe-Upi,said Ribeiro is mentally and physically well-prepared, something that is reflective of how well she performed at the preliminaries and costume category.
“She did an incredible job with her national costume and evening gowns category. We were very happy with her performance,” she said.
Karuaihe-Upi, who accompanied Ribeiro to India, said the contestant will be pursuing a career in finance soon at Stamford University in Bangkok, Thailand. Thus she, will forever be a Namibian ambassador as far as teen pageantry is concerned, and that her work speaks for itself.
“She showed us once again why she was selected as our Namibian representative. She is calm, collected and a worthy candidate to represent Namibia at any international stage,” said Karuaihe-Upi optimistically.