MPHO RANTAO
MISS Universe South Africa has revealed her costume ahead of her departure for the U.S.
Natasha Joubert will be jetting off to Florida, where she will participate, on her country’s behalf, in the 69th Miss Universe pageant.
The current Miss Universe and longest-reigning queen in its history, South Africa’s own Zozibini Tunzi, will crown her successor on the final night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Joubert, with the Miss South Africa organisation, unveiled her costume and evening gowns for the preliminary rounds of the pageant where each contestant will showcase their national costume and complete a variety of tasks.
The final costume is a dress designed by acclaimed South African designer Gert-Johan Coetzee. The fabric wings of her extraordinary gown have been printed with drawings made by young children from Diepsloot and Randburg.
The artwork tells the story of pre-school children’s very personal experiences of lockdown and how the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted their young lives.
Gert-Johan Coetzee, who also designed Demi-Leigh’s final dress when she handed over the Miss Universe crown to her successor in 2018, said that the costume was unique to South Africa’s skill and reflected a cause close to Joubert.
“We wanted to create something special and proudly South African. We not only created a garment to show off our skills and for dramatic effect, but it also had to be something truly meaningful and represent a cause close to Natasha’s heart.
“That is why we decided to take sketches from local children, to portray how they currently see the state of world in their own ‘words’. We took their actual sketches, digitised them and printed them on white flowy fabric and created an angelic silhouette for Natasha to symbolise overcoming hardship through guidance.”
Joubert sang her praises on the finished designs: “The children were amazing and came up with images that truly reflect the regulations of lockdown; some funny, others poignant and meaningful.
Joubert, a graduate from Pretoria, was announced as the runner-up from the Miss South Africa pageant who would represent the country at Miss Universe while reigning Miss South Africa, Shudufhadzo Musida, will represent the country at Miss World.
The third runner-up Thato Mosehle will represent South Africa at its first appearance for Miss Supranational pageant set for.
Along with the reveal of a number of evening gowns for the pageant, Joubert told the media that she believes that she is fully prepared for the international stage.
“My preparations started when I was crowned Miss Universe South Africa last year. I have been looking forward to this event from the moment of my crowning and will carry the Miss Universe South Africa title with pride. I know that I have big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of both Zozi and Demi-Leigh Nel- Peters”, she said.
The Miss Universe pageant was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Miss Universe organisation announced a new date when the USA began their vaccine rollout.
