Fashion Forward: Miss Universe Singapore crown unveiled

The 2021 Miss Singapore Universe finals are drawing ever closer, with excitement building up as each day goes by. Set to be livestreamed on The Front Row at 9pm on 17th September 2021, the latest in the competition has revealed the crown to be awarded to the titleholder, made sustainably with diamonds supplied by The Better Diamond, a local company founded to redefine and disrupt the diamond industry with ethical and sustainable alternatives to natural diamonds.

Designed by Marilyn Tan, founder of local jewelry label Marilyn Tan Jewellery, The Better Crown takes inspiration from the classic design and beauty of traditional Peranakan jewellery. Taking over 3 months to perfect, its total value is almost S$100,000, thanks to the almost 677 diamond pieces, bringing it to 33.41 carats and 92.3g in silver weight. The crown itself also represents Singapore, with five stars each representing one of the country’s virtues in our national flag, with waves at the base of the crown representing our resilience as an island nation.

“It was exciting to work with the Miss Universe Singapore Organization and a young company The Better Diamond, to bring forward a meaningful and sustainable aspect to the competition,” said Marilyn. “With this crown, you can see a mix of new technology and traditional jewellery handcrafting kept alive by second generation bespoke jewellery maker Alex Tan and his team from Victoria Jewellers Enterprise, with a design that uniquely represents Singapore.”

“We are honoured to be part of the Miss Universe Singapore competition, presenting a crown made from lab-grown diamonds,” says Adeline Lin, Marketing Director at The Better Diamond. “It is a sustainable and ethical way forward in the jewellery scene and with Miss Universe Singapore being a platform to empower women, we hope that this will encourage the future generations to step up in making sustainable choices in future.”

“Made in Singapore by Singaporeans, The Better Crown is in line with the competition’s focus on Singaporean creativity, culture and sustainability,” says Miss Valerie Lim, National Director of Miss Universe Singapore Organization. “Here at Miss Universe Singapore, we focus on building ties through collaboration for the greater good, and as a platform that allows women to spread awareness of causes that they hold close to their hearts, we want to encourage positive change as an organization too.”

As for the finalists themselves, the top 8 have been undergoing training sessions in preparation for the finale, modelling for fashion films and photoshoots across unexpected, spectacular Singapore locales, and are ready to take the stage at the finals.

Showcasing Singaporean talents and culture, photoshoots and fashion films were shot at places such as Raffles Hotel, Dream Cruises, The Intan, Genting Dream and National Museum of Singapore with the finalists dressed in pieces by local designers from Design Orchard, Tria the Label, Max Tan, ITT Swim, Frederick Lee and Charles & Keith. The photoshoots and fashion films, along with other Miss Universe Singapore content is available to view on The Front Row from now till the finals on 17th September, where they will be going through a series of competition rounds including swim wear, evening wear and a Q&A round.

Miss Universe Singapore will be livestreamed on 17th September 2021, 9pm as part of The Front Row. Follow Miss Universe Singapore on Instagram @missuniversesg