Representing Ukraine at "Miss World 2024," Sofia Shamia will appear in the national costume competition dressed as The Forest Song, inspired by the work of Lesya Ukrainka "The Forest Song."

The images were published on the official "Miss Ukraine" Instagram account.

The Miss Ukraine Committee presented the costume in which Ukraine's representative at "Miss World 2024," Sofia Shamia, will compete in the national costume competition. The Forest Song costume was created for Sofia by the Kharkiv brand "Maivo" under the direction of designer Anna Chyrva.

"The team of masters developed the costume over 2 months in difficult conditions of war: under constant rocket attacks on Kharkiv. The workshop where the costume was born was repeatedly damaged. But despite the enemy's attempts to break us, our designers once again proved that Ukrainians are invincible," stated "Miss Ukraine."

The Forest Song was created based on the motifs of Lesya Ukrainka's work "The Forest Song" and the internationally famous Ukrainian animated film "Mavka."

"In 'The Forest Song,' Mavka embodies the immortal power of nature — the source of eternal life. The main character is the embodiment of the beauty, mystery of forest paths, enchanting enigma, and desired freedom. The earth flourishes and greens with each of her steps. Golden life-giving flowers coil around her wrists as bracelets: they tell her everything the forest feels, unfolding and hiding in the leaves. The heroine reflects the kindness, generosity, and depth of the human soul of our people. She is an image of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, a symbol of caring for the environment and its protection," explained in the description of the costume.

Furthermore, it is emphasized that the national costume "The Forest Song" is a way to draw the attention of the global community to the ecological disaster in Ukraine.

"Today, Ukrainian nature is a silent victim of war. Burnt industrial facilities and forests, poisoned air and water resources, contaminated soil with mines and shells, mass death of animals and plants," clarified in "Miss Ukraine."

The dress was hand-sewn using layered printed "leaves." Each leaf was crafted individually by artisans from Kharkiv. The golden fern flower behind is constructed using kirigami technique and embellished with various textured materials to create a "sparkling effect." The highlight of the ensemble is the kinetic flowers, a technology developed by an engineer specifically for the "The Forest Song" costume. They open and close (hide) with certain movements of the girl.