Miss Uganda Trivia Elle Muhoza wore a gown inspired by the seven surgical layers of a C-section birth at the World Designer Award, part of Miss World 2026’s 75th anniversary edition currently underway in Nha Trang, Vietnam, and the design has since gone viral online.
The gown, created by designer Keesha Abdallah and named “The Layers of Life,” was said to trace a woman’s body from skin down to the amniotic sac that holds the baby during the procedure. Abdallah said the concept was shaped by her own journey into motherhood, which she said pushed her to think more deeply about what the process asks of a woman’s body.
The gown’s ombré palette, moving from peach and gold through coral and red into deep maroon and burgundy, was designed to mirror that same journey, while pearls, glass beads, and crystal detailing added texture to the piece. In an Instagram post, Abdallah said the design was about womanhood, the human body, and the shared experience of bringing life into the world, adding that the message applied regardless of a woman’s background.
Muhoza, an aviation graduate, is the founder of Wings of Hope, a project supporting single mothers and survivors of gender-based violence. She is currently a finalist in both the Beauty With a Purpose and Multimedia categories at this year’s pageant. The gown and its backstory have made her one of the most talked-about contestants at Miss World 2026 so far.
