Maria Gabriela Lacerda takes an image of Aparecida to the Miss Universe catwalk in Thailand
The representative of Brasil at Miss Universo 2025, Maria Gabriela Lacerda, aged 22, presented a typical costume inspired by Nossa Senhora Aparecida during the national costume stage held this Wednesday (19) at Tailândia. The parade took place at Impact Arena, at Bangkok, and was part of the preliminary activities of the contest. The woman from Piauí justified her choice by stating that the Catholic faith is part of her personal essence.
The candidate wore a blue dress with gold details, a crown of stars and a cloak that reproduced the image of the patron saint of Brasil. The presentation received applause from the audience present and immediate repercussions on Brazilian social networks. The Miss Universo 2025 final takes place this Thursday (20), with live broadcast starting at 8:30 pm.
Maria Gabriela won the title of Miss Universo Brasil 2025 in July this year. The young woman from Teresina had already participated in other national editions of the contest.
Choosing religious attire
The miss explained her choice of costume in a post on social media. “It is faith that sustains me. It is my essence that reveals itself”, wrote the candidate.
The costume was created by Brazilian designer Michelly Xis and took around three months to complete. The piece included manual embroidery and applications that refer to the sanctuary of Aparecida.
Career of the Brazilian representative
Maria Gabriela began her modeling career when she was still a teenager. In 2018, at the age of 15, he won the Miss Teen Brasil and placed in the Top 12th of the category’s world competition.
The native of Piauí participated in the Miss Brasil in previous editions. In 2021 it reached second place and received the Miss Simpatia banner. Last year No acted as official reporter for Miss Universo Brasil 2024. The experience brought her closer to the current organization of the competition in the country.
Preliminary stages of the contest
The candidates went through parades in bikinis and formal attire last Tuesday (18). Os judges evaluated stage presence, elegance and diction in individual interviews.
This year’s competition brings together 120 participants from different countries and territories. The Thai Anna Sueangam-iam hands over the crown won in 2024. The official broadcast on Brasil takes place on Record and the Record Plus platform. The event starts at 8:30 pm (Brasília time) this Thursday.
Candidate’s social activities
Maria Gabriela maintains a link with the social work Mães of Sé, in São Paulo. The institution has been helping families search for missing people since 1996.
Miss uses its networks to publicize volunteering actions and messages of encouragement. Atualmente has 131 thousand followers on Instagram. The candidate highlights that religiosity is part of her family background. The choice of attire reflects personal and cultural values transmitted from childhood.
Repercussion on networks
The video of the parade registered thousands of views in just a few hours. Usuários praised the representation of Brazilian religious culture.
The presentation reinforced debates about cultural diversity in beauty contests. Diversas candidates chose to pay homage to national symbols in their traditional costumes.
