GAWA ng mga Pinoy designers ang ilan sa mga gowns na isinuot ni Miss USA Evelyn Abena Akuaba Appiah at kinoronahan bilang 2020 Miss Grand International sa Thailand.
Sina Mark Lixcel Lantican ng Los Banos, Laguna kasama ang kanyang creative team ang nag-design ng “black lives matter-inspired” national costume na inirampa ni Miss USA sa pageant night.
“I started dressing her since Miss Earth Ghana for her Philippine Terno which she bagged gold. Aside from the Black Lives Matter USA national costume, she also wore our creations at Miss Supranational, Miss Grand USA and the rest of her dinner and day to day outfits at Miss Grand International,” kuwento ng designer.
After makuha ang korona sa Miss Grand International ay nagpasalamat din si Appiah sa kanyang Pinoy mentor na si Rodgil Flores at sa Kagandahang Flores beauty camp.
Sa hindi pa nakakaalam ay nag-training si Appiah noon 2019 kay Rodgil para sa laban niya sa Miss Earth pageant journey where she represented Ghana.
Nag-iwan ng marka si Appiah sa Pinoy audience dahil sa mg Tagalog phrases na pinag-aralan niya noon tulad ng “Ang batang malakas kumain ay laging may Ghana!” at “Gumamit ng tabo at palang-Ghana!”
July 2020 nang sumali sa Miss Grand USA si Appiah. Siya ang nanalo at naging representative ng USA sa MGI. Dito ay niyang pinasalamatan ang mga Pinoy.
Post niya sa IG, “Mahal kita! Do not think I will ever forget you, I am Aeta and forever will be.”
“Maraming salamat Philippines, mahal kita at sambahin kita. Tinanggap mo lahat ako at pinayagan akong tamasahin ang iyong magandang kultura.
“Ako ay Filipino sa pamamagitan ng puso, mahal na mahal kita, pinagdarasal ko na mapasaya kitang lahat,” bahagi pa ng kanyang post.
Sa kanyang latest post naman sa Instagram pagkatapos manalong Miss Grand International ay masaya niyang ibinahagi na natupad na ang dream niya when she was only three years old.
“Last night I walked down the stage of @missgrandinternational surrounded by beautiful women from all across the world.
“I want to highlight them for being examples to the girls and women in their countries and around the world. I want to encourage them to continue to stand on their platforms. It is true that together we can make this world more extraordinary for the future.
“With that said, I stand here today as your @missgrandinternational I accomplished the unthinkable for all the girls that look like me; I want you to know your hair is beautiful, your skin is flawless, and that you should wear all of it with pride and grace.
“We are enough; we are beautiful, we do not have to fit any beauty standards because we set our own. The first BLACK MGI Queen, the first to bring the golden crown home to the USA, and finally, a dream as a young three-year-old is now a reality,” lahad pa ng bagong MGI.
