Since Miss Namibia 2019 Nadja Breytenbach revealed her official national costume for Miss Universe, social media has been abuzz with many Namibians expressing their disappointment.
Breytenbach showed off the costume at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino last Wednesday, 20 November. The 24-year-old left for Atlanta in the United States last Thursday, where she will be taking part in the 68th edition of the Miss Universe pageant.
The annual pageant will be held on 8 December at Tyler Perry Studios, and will be hosted by Steve Harvey for his fifth consecutive year. A new crown made by luxury jeweller Mouawad will also make its debut.
On Twitter, @Foxyginnah said “is it a cow? Is it a Mexican mariachi member? No. Apparently it’s another Miss Namibia who won’t make it far in Miss Universe this year! So upset by this national costume”, while @OG_PEWA said the garment is “so embarrassing”.
Pageant national director Umbi Karuaihe-Upi said many members of the public have made comments about the costume without knowing what the art on it means. She said the costume celebrates and embraces the beauty and incredible diversity of Namibia.
Karuaihe-Upi said the costume is structured to celebrate the strength of our country, its broad spectrum of colours of flora and fauna and the angular, ever-changing shapes of the dunes and landscapes.
“The side detail of the garment is inspired by the Herero tribe. The headpiece reflects the formidable and unique collection of Africa’s wildlife, both domestic and the roaming wild heritage of the Big Five,” Karuaihe-Upi said.
She added that the body suit is inspired by and embraces references to the diverse tribes within the country. “The patterns reflect the amazing continually changing colourful landscapes and reflections of the semi-precious stones found throughout the country.”
Karuaihe-Upi said the costume was designed by South African Mzukisi Mbane from Imprint Design Collective.
News of the designer behind the costume did not go down well on social media either.
“I don’t know why we keep going to South Africa when we have our own designers who understand Namibia. Now we are being represented by a beautiful clown. Might as well bring out the face paint and balloons,” tweeted @nakablackksheep.
Karuaihe-Upi said this is one of only two times a South African designer has been used. “We’ve only used Namibian designers before, except in 2016 when Lizelle Esterhuizen was crowned.”
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