Creative or not? Netizens divided over Miss Universe Singapore's 3D-printed dress

Singapore's beauty queens have a history of making their mark on the Miss Universe stage. 

In 2021, Bernadette Belle Ong wore a cape in the colours of Singapore's flag with the words "stop Asian hate".

This year, Miss Universe Singapore Carissa Yap made heads turn during the national costume segment with her 3D-printed orchid dress.

Carissa strutted on stage in a deep red bodysuit with white 3D petals intricately placed around her torso.

"She would never settle for just one petal," the show commentator quipped.

The eye-catching dress is a reinvention of the Vanda Miss Joaquim, Singapore's much beloved national flower, says Miss Universe Singapore Organisation.

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On a Reddit post shared on Thursday (Jan 12), netizens were quick to dissect the dress and share their thoughts on it.

One Redditor felt it was a missed opportunity to pair the 3D-printed orchid with a gown as it would look "nicer" compared to the bodysuit Carissa donned. 

Another netizen agreed, saying the costume would have looked more elegant. They added: "She looks like a circus troupe performer with the pants."

Oh my, let's hope the judges weren't that harsh on Carissa.

Others had issues with the 3D-printed orchid petals, claiming it doesn't look like a flower at all.

Among the lacklustre feedback were netizens who genuinely felt the dress was "very nice".

"To be honest, I dig it," a Reddit user said.

The costume, designed by Frederick Lee and Baelf Design, includes more than 200 individual pieces of the 3D-printed lattice and the entire process took more than four months, with the printing process alone taking two months.

This year's Miss Universe competition also introduced custom capes for the swimwear round.

Residents of MINDsville, a local home for people with intellectual disabilities, and a network of stay-at-home mothers were roped in for this project.

They designed a cape on how "different communities and segments of Singapore's society band together in cohesion" to form the nation.

In an Instagram post shared on Friday (Jan 13), Carissa mentioned how grateful she was to be able to wear their artwork on an international stage.

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Two days earlier, Carissa wore this piece from local designer Kavita Thulasidas for the pageant's preliminary interviews.

"The cranes on the cape represent my dreams and Singapore’s global aspirations for the future," she said.

The 71st Miss Universe grand final will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana on Jan 14.

ALSO READ: Carissa Yap takes Miss Universe Singapore 2022 crown - here's what we know about her

ALSO READ: Singapore makes Miss Universe top 16 for first time in over 30 years

amierul@asiaone.com

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