Fresh off an explosive turn at the Miss Universe 2021 competition, Miss Singapore Bernadette Belle Ong talks about her statement-making outfit, the response she's received, and what's next for her
Earlier this month, Miss Universe Singapore Bernadette Belle Ong dominated headlines around the world with her bold, statement-making outfit at the Miss Universe 2021 National Costume Show. Designed by Arwin Meriales, the costume took inspiration from the Singapore flag with its red and white colour theme, but what caught the most attention was her advocacy for the #StopAsianHate movement with a hand-painted message by Paulo Espinosa on her cape. It's a positive cultural shift, where people in the public eye are using their platform to draw attention to social issues in the wider world. Just think of Ong's peers, Miss Universe Myanmar Thuzar Wint Lwin and Miss Universe Uruguay Lola de los Santos, where the former drew attention to the situation in Myanmar, and the latter with an overarching message against discrimination and prejudice.
Here, we speak to Ong about her thought process for the design of her National Costume, the incredible response she has received, and the power of making fashion political.
See also: Miss Singapore Sends #StopAsianHate Message With Powerful Miss Universe Costume
Hi Bernadette, what an awesome message and outfit you rocked on the Miss Universe runway! How did you come up with the concept for it?
Thank you! Living in different places has allowed me to look at our nation with fresh eyes and not undervalue or take Singapore’s achievements for granted. One of these achievements is Singapore’s ability to be a multiracial, inter-religious and culturally diverse nation. Respect and harmony among all are interwoven in Singapore’s social fabric and I wanted to embody these values by making a bold statement that addresses the prejudice and violence happening in the world today.
I wanted a National Costume that was obviously emblematic of Singapore. I thought the flag was the most straight-forward embodiment of that. We originally had someone pitch the Singapore national flower—but that idea for National Costume has been overdone; and I wanted something that embodied Singapore’s social fabric.