Singapore contestant wins best national costume at international pageant with Merlion head shield

SINGAPORE – The Singapore contender for Mrs Tourism Queen International bagged the best national costume award at the pageant finals in Hua Hin, Thailand on June 7.

Kiki Sun, 38, wore a white sequined gown paired with a handmade Merlion’s head that she carried as a shield.

The dramatic ensemble was designed by Angela Tay, managing director of local pageant organiser ERM, and Asa Do Le Thanh Thao, the Vietnamese owner of costume store Bling Star in Kallang Bahru.

Tay, 57, who has been in the pageant industry for 14 years and a pageant girl since she was 17, believes it is the first time Singapore has won for best costume in an international competition.

The Merlion head was her idea for “visual impact”, she said.

“Singapore is not traditionally known as a pageant powerhouse, especially in the national costume category.

“Out of curiosity, I asked the judges after the event why they had chosen Singapore. Their answer was simple yet meaningful: The moment they saw the lion head, they immediately thought of Singapore.”

The mythical Merlion, with its lion’s head and fish’s body, is Singapore’s national mascot.

Thao took two months to make the winning look, with the 3D lion’s head set against a profusion of white feathers proving the most challenging to execute.

She said: “We had to carefully engineer the proportions, weight distribution and attachment points so that it would look dramatic on stage without restricting movement.”

It was made using styrofoam, layered fabric and foam sculpting, then finished with glitter, she added.

The gown is a white illusion fabric, embellished with sequins.

Thao has lived in Singapore for 10 years. She is a beauty queen who placed second in the same pageant in 2024, competing as Mrs Vietnam.

“Although I am not Singaporean, it was a great honour to design Singapore’s national costume. Through this journey, I learnt more about Singapore’s culture, history and national symbols, which helped me develop a deeper appreciation and connection to the country,” said the 36-year-old.

“Over the years, Singapore has become like a second home to me. Designing this costume allowed me to express my respect and admiration for the nation while celebrating its unique identity on the international stage.”

The eye-catching Merlion head is her favourite element of the costume. “I love that it immediately tells the story of Singapore without needing any explanation. It is both symbolic and theatrical, which is exactly what a national costume should be.”

Mrs Tourism Queen International is an international beauty pageant for married women up to age 55. The 2026 edition is the event’s sixth since its launch in 2017. A total of 21 delegates participated, with Mrs Vietnam coming in first, Mrs Philippines second and Mrs New Zealand third.

Singapore’s representative, Sun, was crowned Mrs Tourism Queen of Asia. She works in tourism sales and guest relations, runs an online floral business, and does part-time modelling and acting.

Taiwan-born Sun moved to Singapore for work 15 years ago and is married to a Singaporean man. She is now a Singapore permanent resident.

She said: “Wearing this costume was an incredible honour. It allowed me to carry the story of Singapore and showcase the Lion City’s unique identity, heritage and multicultural spirit to the world.”

The piece de resistance head was not heavy at all, she added.

The Merlion has been evoked in pageant costumes before, though not as literally as Sun’s Hua Hin outfit.

In 2008, then Miss Singapore Shenise Wong donned a gown smothered in white and silver “scales” made of PVC leather and plastic crystals for Miss Universe, in homage to the lion-fish hybrid.

In 2023, Sean Nicholas Sutiono – crowned Mister Singapore in 2022 – wore a cape with Merlion-shaped shoulder pads for Mister Global, an annual men’s beauty contest held in Thailand.