33 Men Represent Their Country's National Dress in Male Beauty Pageant

33 Men Represent Their Country’s National Dress in Male Beauty Pageant

Mister Global Beauty Pageant National Costumes

Vietnam

After a two-year hiatus, the Mister Global all-male beauty pageant has returned with new contestants from around the world. In the 7th rendition of this unique competition, men from 33 different countries travel to Mahasarakham, Thailand, to compete for the title of “Mister Global.” Similar to female beauty pageants, this event is made up of several different events—the most anticipated of which is the “National Costume” segment, where each competitor wears an outfit that represents his home country.

Photographer David Ryo returned for this year's competition to capture the array of colorful and imaginative costumes in a series of portrait photographs. The openness of the concept allows for huge diversity in style. While some men wear ensembles that resemble historic costumes from their country, others show off outfits that are designed with a modern flair in mind.

The five winners of this category were Indonesia, Nigeria, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, and the USA. Indonesia's representative wore a striking animal-inspired outfit with tiger-like paws on the man's hands and feet, a tail, and numerous gold jewelry details. Nigeria and Sri Lanka both featured bright red costumes with feathered details; similarly, Ecuador sported an exquisite cape with a colorful print as well as a peacock-feathered headdress with a lion face in front. Lastly, the USA costume derives its inspiration from the Statue of Liberty and the American flag, with a large spiked collar and a red, blue, and silver set of wings.

21-year old Spain representative, Miguel Ángel Lucas, who is training to become a firefighter in Madrid, won the top prize. As the new Mister Global, he will become a Global Goodwill Ambassador and take on environmental and charitable projects.

Scroll down to see all 33 amazing costumes from this year's pageant.