Designer reveals Miss SA creations for pageant in US
DESIGNER J J Schoeman is Mr “Miss South Africa” – having scored the coveted job of creating seven garments for the reigning beauty queen to showcase at next month’s Miss World pageant.
Schoeman has been the man behind the country’s most beautiful women’s gowns for more than a decade.
This year, Miss SA, Ntandoyenkosi Kunene, will compete in the 66th Miss World competition in Schoeman’s designs.
Despite having been involved with the South African pageant since 2002, this is only Schoeman’s second shot at designing the national dress for the Miss World competition.
He said: “With Megan Coleman [Miss SA 2006], I was asked to do her traditional costume . . . everybody had something horrible to say.
“They ripped me apart. I was shredded. I thought I would never survive,” he said.
Ironically, that dress won the silver medal and ranked second in the world, Schoeman said, making him realise he could not please everyone.
Now more confident, Schoeman said each Miss SA was unique and his designs were always informed by her personality and set of strengths.
He said he had deliberately steered clear of any cultural references, instead opting for drawing inspiration from Kunene’s home province, Mpumalanga – the sunrise yellow dress with burnt orange fade represents the place of the rising sun.
Kunene leaves for the competition next Friday, and the 66th edition of Miss World will be held in Washington DC on December 18.