Vietnamese beauty contestant to show off most beautiful old woman

Minh Tu’s crew has reveald the second outfit she'll wear for the national costume segment at the beauty contest held in Poland starting December 7.

Miss Supranational is considered one of the world's five biggest beauty contests and managed by the Panama-based World Beauty Association S.A. (WBA).

Designed by Dinh Van Tho, the outfit is a Vietnamese traditional dress ao dai paired with an extravagant cape. The cape features Bui Thi Xong – the old woman made famous by a photo taken by photographer Rehahn Croquevielle.

In 2011, as Xong was ferrying tourists on the Hoai River in the ancient central town of Hoi An and was shy of the camera, the French photographer captured the old woman who covered her face with one hand.

The photo, called "Hidden smile," with her eyes doing all the smiling earned Xong great praise, with one American news outlet calling her "the most beautiful elder lady in the world. Croquevielle used the portrait as the cover for his book "Vietnam: Mosaic of Contrasts" because for him it represented the joy of life despite old age and poverty. 

Featured in white, gray, and black, the image of Xong is surrounded by drawings of Hoi An, including the Cau Bridge and boats on the river.

The traditional ao dai is made of matte silk paired with the extravagant cape.

This outfit was displayed at a 2017 fashion show by designer Dinh Van Tho in Hoi An, in which model Truong Thi May was the vedette (leading star).

Previously, Minh Tu had revealed the first national costume she will wear at the upcoming contest. The costume is called "Con Rong, Chau Tien" (Children of Dragon, Grandchildren of Fairy), which is also an ao dai designed by Dinh Van Tho.

The cape for "Con Rong, Chau Tien" honors the noble origins of the Vietnamese people as well as the unity among various ethnic groups in Vietnam.