See the best — and most outlandish — national costumes from Miss Universe 2024

(CNN) — Is it a bird? Is it a winged goddess? Is it an ode to the history of traditional Dutch ceramics?

At Miss Universe 2024, it was all those things — and much more — as the annual pageant kicked off with its flamboyant national costume competition Thursday evening.

Tasked with modeling looks that represent their homelands, 126 contestants took the stage at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City ahead of Saturday’s grand finale. And while many looked to folk arts, deities or their nations’ flags for inspiration, others took more outlandish approaches.

Miss Nicaragua, Geyssell García, came dressed as her country’s famous León Cathedral. Kenyan beauty queen Irene Mukii’s costume meanwhile featured the faces of several notable athletes, a nod to her country’s prowess in long-distance running. And Miss Chile, Emilia Dides, stepped out wearing a huge roulette wheel as a tribute to popular Chilean TV variety show “Sábado Gigante.”

Elsewhere, contestants turned to national flora and fauna, from Miss Bangladesh Aniqa Alam’s tiger-themed costume to the red-eyed elephant protruding from Miss Ivory Coast Marie-Emmanuelle Diamala’s outfit. Miss Myanmar, Thet San Andersen, burst out of a golden owl costume to reveal a pair of sparkling wings, while Great Britain’s Christina Chalk arrived on stage in a foliage-covered outfit inspired by the 121 million oak trees found in the United Kingdom.

Part of the glitzy pageant’s preliminary round, the costume segment was immediately followed by a swimwear contest. The winners of both will be announced on Saturday before the finalists are narrowed down to a shortlist of 30, who will then compete to inherit the Miss Universe crown from reigning titleholder Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua.

Scroll down to see some of the most eye-catching national costumes.

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