Misbah Arshad, Pakistan’s entrant for Miss Universe 2026, has set off for the pageant in Puerto Rico in a custom outfit she said was a way to begin the journey “draped in Pakistani fabric”.
The look was made by designer Patrik Henry Mergano. Arshad shared photographs of it on Instagram, posing with Pakistan’s flag, and wrote: “Let’s start this journey, draped in Pakistani fabric.”
“For the next few days, I’m not going to be only Misbah, I will be called Pakistan,” she wrote. She said she had spent her life “being a bridge between cultures”, and this time hoped to build one “between Pakistan and Puerto Rico”. “Pakistan, you are already united within me,” she added.
The crowning gown: Arshad won the Miss Universe Pakistan title in August in a white gown with an embroidered fitted corset and a flared skirt, covered in royal blue crystals. She said the white stood for hope and the blue for education, a cause she has campaigned for, including on a school visit in Lahore in July. The gown was by Vietnamese designer Nguyen Tien Truyen.
She is the fourth woman to represent Pakistan at Miss Universe. A psychology student, model and content creator, she represented Pakistan at Miss International 2023 in Japan.
What comes next: the 75th Miss Universe pageant brings together about 130 countries and territories, with the final on November 24 at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan. The national costume round, where contestants wear looks meant to represent their countries, is usually one of the most watched parts of the contest.
