Laura Gnjatović to represent Croatia at Miss Universe in Thailand

by croatiaweek
April 28, 2025
in Entertainment

Laura Gnjatović – Miss Universe Croatia 2025 (Photo: PR / Direkcija Miss Universe Hrvatske)

Laura Gnjatović, a 23-year-old from Zadar, has been crowned Miss Universe Croatia 2025.

The ceremony took place tonight in the Emerald Ballroom of the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, where Laura beat 13 other finalists to claim the prestigious title.

Standing 191 centimetres tall, Laura will now go on to represent Croatia at the 74th Miss Universe competition, which will be held in Thailand on 21 November.

Currently living in Dubrovnik, Laura is completing her third year of undergraduate nursing studies at the University of Dubrovnik.

(Photo: PR / Direkcija Miss Universe Hrvatske)

Alongside her studies, she works at a local clinic and plays professional volleyball for the Women’s Volleyball Club Dubrovnik.

Laura is fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish. In her spare time, she enjoys nature, spending time with animals, dancing, painting, playing the guitar, make-up artistry, and creating video and photo content.

Throughout her education, Laura has earned awards for her excellence in foreign languages. Most recently, she won a gold medal playing volleyball in Croatia’s First Volleyball League.

Her passion for health and well-being inspires her mission to raise awareness about the importance of investing in both physical and mental health.

(Photo: PR / Direkcija Miss Universe Hrvatske)

As Miss Universe Croatia, Laura hopes to use her platform to give a voice to those who are often unheard and to inspire real change in society.

Fourteen finalists competed for the crown and valuable prizes, including a preliminary competition that involved interviews with the jury and a swimsuit segment assessing their intelligence, education, physical fitness, and confidence.

The top ten were then chosen for the final, which included evening gown and swimsuit competitions and answering questions on global issues.

(Photo: PR / Direkcija Miss Universe Hrvatske)

Joining Laura in the Top 5 were Dolores Kraševac, Lea Turkalj, Rafaela Bartulović, and Ana Čulina. Lea Turkalj was named first runner-up, while Ana Dolinar was voted Miss Congeniality.

Laura received many rewards, including a stunning crown and necklace from Zlatarna Dodić, clothing, footwear, jewellery, beauty treatments, eye care services, and language training.

She also won a scholarship worth up to €20,000 for undergraduate or MBA studies at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management.

(Photo: PR / Direkcija Miss Universe Hrvatske)

“Being Miss Universe Croatia is a job. It’s not just about a beautiful face or a good walk down the runway. It’s about a responsible attitude and giving back to the community through humanitarian work,” said licence holder Vladimir Kraljević.

A key element of the Miss Universe competition is the ‘Voice for Change’ programme, where contestants advocate for important social causes.

As former Miss Universe Croatia Ivana Delač explained, each contestant presents a project focused on issues such as education, climate change, women’s rights, mental health, or violence prevention.

“Each contestant represents a project or initiative aimed at addressing global challenges such as education, climate change, women’s rights, mental health, or combating violence. This part of the competition evaluates not only the contestants’ eloquence and passion but also the real impact their projects have on the community,” said Delač.

This year’s finalists shone in evening and cocktail dresses by Bariba, swimwear by Pletix, and shoes by Baldinini. Their stunning looks were completed by the talented make-up artists from Profokus and Aura Cosmetics, and hairstylists from Studio Ivana in partnership with Schwarzkopf Professional.