Puerto Rico’s Miss Universe 2024 costume celebrates jíbara heritage with modern twist

Colón said she is very excited about the dress theme because she remembers when she was a little girl, seeing Joyce Giraud wear a jíbara costume when she participated in the pageant in 1998.

“Fantasía jíbara” is the name of the traditional dress that Miss Puerto Rico Jennifer Colón Alvarado will wear at Miss Universe 2024. 

The dress was created by designer Joshuan Aponte, who combined tradition with modern elements.

The piece consists of a classic three-ruffled, lace-trimmed skirt with a blouse that leaves the shoulders bare. The creation has translucent, pearly finishes, and crystal accents in silver and fuchsia tones, as well as rhinestones and pearls.

“We wanted to take what is the base or the real jíbara costume, but not just leave it there. We wanted to enhance it and take it as a fantasy. And that was when we started to play with proportions to make it bigger, with elements of shine and glamour. So, we were still looking for that [something] extra. And that was when we came up with the idea of ​​creating, telling the story of our roots, and making everything illuminated to be able to tell that story,” said Aponte when presenting the dress on WAPA Television on Tuesday.

Technology was used to give the skirt a modern touch, as it lights up. Once lit, elements such as the flag, the coquí, a vejigante, a Taíno symbol, and the cuatro can be seen. On the back, five ribbons “float” next to five reinitas (warblers), representing the Puerto Rican queens who have previously won the pageant: Marisol Malaret, Deborah Carthy, Dayanara Torres, Denise Quiñones, and Zuleyka Rivera.

Colón, who was born in Connecticut, made history on June 27, 2024, by becoming the first woman over age 28 and the first mother to hold the national beauty title.

At the presentation of the traditional costume, she said she was very excited, because she remembers when she was a little girl, when Joyce Giraud wore a jíbara costume when she participated in the pageant in 1998.

“The word jíbaro or jíbara should be something that should fill us with pride and should not be used in a derogatory way. Because the Puerto Rican jíbara is the woman who with the sweat of her brow raised her children, who also worked in agriculture, who paved the way for other women. So, the meaning of what it is to be jíbaro or jíbara, has to be something that fills us with pride and has to be something that represents our cultural heritage, beyond it being a derogatory word,” said the queen about the selection of the jíbara costume.

The 73rd edition of Miss Universe will be held on Nov. 16 at the Mexico City Arena in Mexico City.

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