Organizing a beauty pageant is not a walk in the park, especially if it’s the biggest one in the world — the universe, rather.
Davao-based designers on Tue expressed their disappointment over the decision of the Miss Universe hosting committee for picking a “non-Mindanaoan designer” to dress the contestants in a cultural fashion show that will be held on Jan 19 in Davao City.
The fashion show will feature Mindanaoan textile and the designs will be by Batangas-born designer Rene Salud, ABS-CBN reports.
“Call it proper and befitting, the Mindanaoan designers have all the rights and benefits to best represent the distinctive fashion and style of Mindanao, in the first place,” said the Davao Fashion and Design Council (DFDC) in a statement.
According to the group, they felt insulted with the committee’s proposal to have them dress up local models instead.
“DFDCFI will continue to uphold its stand and will use all its resources and capacity to have this issue properly addressed by the Miss Universe committee, at the soonest. Should it not be, this turn of events will continue to become a blunder for local pride of place, where the President himself is coming from,” it said.
Defending the choice of the committee, Renee Salud said that the decision was approved by Tourism secretary Wanda Teo.
Moreover, Salud said that he considers himself a Davao native since he had a store in the city which operated for 15 years.
He also added that the event is not about the designer but the textiles that will be shown and the weavers who made them.
“Friends tayo. Peace,” Salud said to the Davao-based designers.
Some 40 candidates are expected to attend the pre-pageant event in Davao City.
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