Elle Muhoza: Miss World Uganda's C-Section Inspired Gown Trends at Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest
- Miss World Uganda Elle Muhoza wore a custom gown at Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest's 17th edition that paid tribute to the C-section birth experience
- Designer Keesha Abdallah built the seven-layered gown around colours representing each physical layer a surgeon cuts through during a C-section
- The creation took a team of five roughly one month to complete and has set social media alight with emotional reactions
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
A gown worn by Miss World Uganda Elle Muhoza at the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest has stopped people in their tracks, drawing an outpouring of emotion from social media users around the world.
The annual fashion showcase, now in its 17th edition under the theme "Soul of Heritage," invited Miss World contestants to take to the stage in couture creations.
Source: Instagram
Miss World Ugandan: Story behind the C-Section gown
Muhoza arrived in a piece unlike any other: a custom multi-layered gown titled "The Layers of Life," designed by Ugandan designer Keesha Abdallah.
Abdallah constructed the dress around a striking concept the seven anatomical layers a surgeon passes through during a caesarean section: skin, fat, fascia, rectus muscles, peritoneum, uterine muscle, and the amniotic sac.
Each layer of the gown, rendered in white, yellow, pink, and red fabrics, corresponds to one of those stages, drawn directly from a medical illustration Abdallah studied during her research.
"The concept was inspired by the layers encountered during a C-section and, more broadly, by the extraordinary journey of bringing life into the world," Abdallah wrote on Instagram. "Each color and layer was chosen to represent a stage, a texture, or a transition within that story — not to represent a particular race."
She added: "This gown was created to celebrate womanhood, the human body and the miracle of life — something that connects us all."
The personal dimension of the project runs deep. Abdallah, herself a new mother who recently gave birth to her first child and is now expecting her second, drew on conversations with mothers who had experienced C-sections firsthand, even though she has not had one herself. She told Today.com: "When you interview a lot of moms around, you learn the sacrifice that goes in the C-section."
Part of the motivation was also rooted in challenging a persistent stigma. "We realized that there's a lot of stigma around C-section moms," Abdallah explained. "Most people think it's the 'easier' way to go. They think the pushing is what's hard."
The Instagram video is below:
Uganda's historic connection to the c-section
Abdallah also wove history into the design. She believes the caesarean section may have originated in Uganda, specifically in the Bunyoro Kingdom, one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa between the 13th and 19th centuries.
Long before European medical missionaries arrived, surgeons in Bunyoro were reportedly performing the procedure with remarkable skill.
In 1879, Scottish medical anthropologist Robert W. Felkin documented witnessing a successful caesarean section performed by a native surgeon on a young woman in Bunyoro.
It took Abdallah and a team of five approximately one month to bring the finished gown to life.
Reactions online have been deeply felt, with commenters describing the piece as moving and transformative.
"I love it when art brings so much soul to life. As a c-section mom myself, thank you so much @k.e.e.sha for your beautiful vision," one person wrote on Abdallah's post.
"This dress is an absolutely stunning work of art and brought tears to my eyes," another stated.
A third commented:
"WOW… This dress is an absolute masterpiece!! I am in awe of how you honored the profound reality of childbirth, transforming the physical and emotional layers of the C-section journey into literal art."
The Instagram videos are below:
Dominican Republic's Joheirry Mola wins Miss World 2026
Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote about Miss World crowned who its 2026 winner at the grand finale of the 73rd edition, held in Vietnam on Saturday, September 5.
Uganda’s representative, Elle Muhoza, captured attention during the preliminary stages with a striking C-section-inspired gown designed by Keesha Abdallah.
Outgoing Miss World Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand also attended the ceremony to hand over the crown, following her historic achievement as the first Thai woman to win the Miss World title.
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Source: YEN.com.gh
