VIDEO: Miss Universe Croatia presents national costume in Thailand
- by croatiaweek
- in Entertainment
Laura Gnjatović (Screenshot/IG/Miss Universe)
Croatia’s Miss Universe representative, Laura Gnjatović, took part in the presentation of national costumes at the Miss Universe pageant on Wednesday.
Laura took to the stage in an outfit inspired by the noble pen shell (periska). The elaborate creation, designed by renowned Croatian designer Juraj Zigman, carries a strong environmental message.
The noble pen shell, once a familiar presence in the Adriatic Sea, is now critically endangered.
Gnjatović’s costume aims to highlight the importance of protecting the Adriatic’s fragile marine ecosystem.
“Just like their coastline, Laura looks absolutely beautiful,” the host remarked as Miss Universe Croatia made her entrance.
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“Fan mussel (pinna nobilis) clams, also known as noble pen shells, are one of the most popular and beloved species in the Mediterranean Sea. An attractive sight on the sea floor, these huge clams can reach 120cm (47in) in height and live for almost half a century.
Their ability to filter water, using the nutrients for food and transforming pollutant particles into pseudofaeces that get deposited on the sea floor, combined with their large size mean they are also an important species for the marine ecosystem.
A single clam can filter up to 2,000 litres (440 gallons) per day. Meanwhile, their huge shells serve as small biodiversity hubs, harbouring up to 35 different species.
In Croatia, the clam is so beloved by the public that it recently got its own statue in the coastal town of Supetar as only around 30 living specimens are known to still exist in the open sea. Croatia has a strict conservation program and a ban on handling the species, with only a few dozen individuals remaining,” Laura wrote.
At 23 years old and originally from Zadar, Laura stands at 191 cm tall. She currently lives in Dubrovnik, where she works as an emergency medical nurse while completing her third year of undergraduate nursing studies at the University of Dubrovnik.
The final will take place on Friday, November 21.
