Perhelatan akbar pemilihan ratu kecantikan sejagad yang berlangsung di Nha Trang, Vietnam, Senin (14/7), berakhir. Dan, wanita cantik kelahiran Caracas, 1 Juni 1986, yang mewakili Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza, akhirnya terpilih sebagai Miss Universe 2008 menyisihkan 80 kontestan dari seluruh penjuru dunia.
Dayana Mendoza mengalahkan Miss Colombia Taliana Vargas, Miss Dominican Republic Marianne Cruz, Miss Mexico Elisa Najera, dan Miss Russia Vera Krasova dalam babak 5 besar.
Sebelum diumumkannya lima besar Miss Universe ini, penghargaan juga diberikan kepada Miss El Savador Rebeca Moreno sebagai Miss Congeniality, serta Best National Costume untuk Miss Thailand Gavintra Photijak.
Dalam ajang ini, terdapat insiden memalukan dari Miss Amerika Serikat Crystle Stewart karena tersandung saat memeragakan gaun malam. Diduga, insiden ini menjadi salah satu penyebab Stewart tak masuk ke babak selanjutnya.
Mendoza yang kini berusia 22 tahun mengaku memiliki obsesi menjadi desainer interior, di samping minatnya yang besar pada dunia fotografi dan periklanan.
Dewan juri Miss Universe 2008 yang terdiri dari Donald Trump Jr, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization; perancang busana Roberto Cavalli; Nadine Velazquez, bintang NBC My Name Is Earl dan model internasional, kemudian Jennifer Hawkins, presenter televisi dan Miss Universe 2004. Selain itu, ada pula Louis Licari, ahli tata rias, dan President of the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences Joe Cinque. Kemudian, bintang film Bollywood Eesha Koppikhar, Pimpinan Redaksi Harian Thanh Nien Nguyen Cong Khe, dan perancang sepatu Taryn Rose.
Sebelum terpilih satu pemenang, para kontestan melewati tiga kategori penilaian, yakni baju renang, gaun malamm dan wawancara kepribadian
On July 13, 2008, in front of one billion viewers worldwide, Dayana Mendoza's life changed forever when she was crowned Miss Universe 2008 in Nha Trang, Vietnam. The 22 year-old former Miss Venezuela was born in Caracas and speaks three languages - Spanish, English and Italian.
Dayana Mendoza was discovered at the age of 13 at a local bus stop. Since then, she has gained vast experience in catalogue modeling and has worked with prestigious companies like Max Mara and Costume Nacional. Modeling has allowed Dayana to travel the world, visiting places like New York, Italy, Germany, France, Athens and Spain.
Although Dayana had a successful modeling career, her lifelong ambition is to become either an interior designer or work in the field of advertising. About a year ago, she began taking classes on interior design to help refine her skills. Whenever she enters a room, she can not contain her sudden urge to start rearranging furniture and suggesting color palettes.
Dayana Mendoza was raised in a very close knit family, the result of sharing a two room home with her mother, father, uncle, grandmother and younger sister. She is anxious to start championing the official causes of MISS UNIVERSE®, which include increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on womenÃs health and reproductive issues and forging relationships with organizations committed to research and education, including the Latino Commission on AIDS, Global Health Council and God's Love We Deliver.
The Miss Universe Organization, producers of the Miss UNIVERSE®, MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® Pageants, is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture.
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