You can never forget where you come from. It’s something that athletes, movie stars and models have been preaching for generations and there’s a lot of truth to it. This message was brought to light in a very special way thanks to Anna Sueangam-iam, Miss Universe Thailand 2022. For the pageant’s evening dress round, contestants dress in elaborate gowns and model on stage.
Anna’s dress, however, had a special meaning, as it was made of soda pellets. The unusual dress choice was a subtle and beautiful nod to Anna’s parents, a garbage collector and street sweeper in Bangkok.
Anna shared on Instagram: “This dress 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. This unique dress was deliberately custom made with discarded and recycled materials, namely the «Can Tab» to present to the UNIVERSE that what is considered worthless by many actually has its own value and its own beauty. The official Miss Universe Thailand Instagram account talked about Anna and her dress in a post, saying, “The perseverance, tenacity and optimism in her have led her to great success in life.
It is the result of being raised by a garbage collector father, a sweeping mother and a virtuous nun who was Anna’s great-grandmother. They added that she was dubbed ‘the queen of trash beauty’ by some people, but that didn’t stop her from ‘shining like a precious gem’.
According to the post, Anna said, «You must not remain stuck in the murky environment you were born into, but believe that you have the power to change your own life for the better.» Miss Universe Thailand added: «The inspirational quote of ‘Anna Sueangam-iam’ accurately reflects and defines her own important characteristic…
From her empowering life story, the message is conveyed through this ‘Hidden Precious Diamond Dress’. Meticulously created from occasional aluminum pull tabs from drink cans and Swarovki combined, this unique upcycled dress designed by ‘MANIRAT’ is at its fastest to find on the universal stage.
