Before you read:
Current Miss Universe Thailand Anna Sueangam-iam is making headlines for her unique pull tab dress, which is both sustainable and meaningful.
The 24-year-old beauty queen wowed viewers during Miss Universe 2022’s preliminary competition on Wednesday with her stunning evening gown.
The “Hidden Precious Diamond Dress” was designed by Thai fashion brand Manirat and features recycled pull tabs from soda cans bedazzled with Swarovski crystals.
While explaining the story behind the special dress, Sueangam-iam shared that it is a tribute to her father and mother, who worked as garbage collectors.
“This gown was inspired by the familiar surroundings of my childhood. Growing up with garbage collector parents, my life as a child was among piles of garbage and recyclables,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post caption.
“This unique gown was purposefully tailored-made with discarded and recycled materials, namely the ‘Can Tab’ to present to the UNIVERSE that what’s considered worthless by many actually possesses its own value and beauty.
Born on Nov. 10, 1998, Sueangam-iam grew up in Bangkok in poverty.
She reportedly played with toys her parents found in the trash and was bullied by other children who dubbed her “Miss Garbage.”
Sueangam-iam now aims to become Thailand’s third Miss Universe crown holder after Porntip Nakhirunkanok, who won the title in 1988, and Apasra Hongsakula, who won it in 1965.
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