Miss Croatia departs for USA for Miss Universe pageant

by croatiaweek January 3, 2023 in News

Miss Universe Croatia 2022 Arijana Podgajski (Photo: Miss Universe Croatia)

ZAGREB, 3 January 2023 – Miss Croatia has departed today for the USA ahead of the Miss Universe pageant.

20-year-old Arijana Podgajski will represent Croatia at the 71st edition of the Miss Universe pageant which will take place in New Orleans on January 14, 2023.

Arijana, who is from Krapina in Croatia and is a student at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management, said that she is very excited and happy that she has been given the unique opportunity to represent Croatia on the world stage.

Arijana will wear a dress designed by Mina Petra and which was inspired by traditional national costumes of Croatia’s northern Zagorje County in the National Costume section. The base of the dress is an off-white hand-woven 90-year old linen fabric and features a hand-painted design by academic painter Antonia Maričević which shows what makes the area of Zagorje so beautiful.

Arijana wearing her National Costume dress (Photo: Miss Universe Croatia)

“I am glad that I will bring a part of my Zagorje to America wearing this national costume but also the cloak that we are not allowed to show you yet. I can only say that it reminds me of the green hills of Zagorje that surround my hometown and licitar hearts, which are a symbol of sympathy, loyalty and love, which is the message I want to share with the world.” Arijana said earlier.

Arijana will also bring gifts for the other contestants, including licitar hearts, declared by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, and bracelets with licitar heart motifs, environmentally friendly cotton bags, licitar hearts, lavender and ballpoint pens.

Today is also the first time that Arijana has also been on a plane and flown abroad.

Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at Miss Universe in New Orleans.

https://www.croatiaweek.com/miss-croatia-departs-for-usa-for-miss-universe-pageant/