DUBAI: Miss Universe Bahrain Evlin Abdullah Khalifa arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday to launch her bid for the Miss Universe title. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle The 24-year-old Bahraini Russian model and pianist wore a modern black and white abaya by Dubai designer Harvey Cenit. “My presence here in Miss Universe is about representation. Now as I arrive in New Orleans and meet my co-candidates, I would like to pay respect and homage to our traditional wear called abaya,” she wrote on Instagram. “Just a fun fact, abaya is our everyday wear — it offers comfort with its light and flowy fabric. Moreover, in the pre-Islamic era, people believed that wearing clothes that covered the whole body was much more about a status symbol rather than a religion,” she wrote. “It was a symbol of strength for women who stayed at home and looked after their families. Furthermore, along with this, some women wore veils to make them look more regal.” Abdullah Khalifa was named this year’s Miss Universe Bahrain in September. In a previous interview with Arab News, she said that winning the title “completely changed” her life. “In this short time, I learned and saw so many new things. I traveled to the Philippines. I have been training there with one of the best beauty pageant trainers,” she said. Abdullah-Khalifa said that her main goal in taking part in the pageant is to “let the world know more about (Arabs), more about our culture.” She added: “I think the world should know that we, modern Arab women, can combine modern values with centuries-old traditions.”