Miss SA finalists to be dressed by five leading fashion designers
The Miss SA organisation has announced that five proudly South African designers will be dressing this year’s finalists.
The Miss South Africa pageant organisation has announced that some of the country’s top fashion designers will be dressing finalists at the highly anticipated Miss SA 2023 finale on Sunday 13 August. Hosted by the one and only Bonang Matheba, the Miss SA finale show will be taking place at the SunBet Arena in Time Square, Pretoria.
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WHO ARE THE FASHION DESIGNERS TO DRESS MISS SA 2023 FINALISTS?
Gert-Johan Coetzee, Shelli, William de Beer, Sherif Tailor and Tracy B are the five leading fashion designers that will be dressing the gorgeous Miss SA 2023 finalist.
Fashion designer and owner of Willetdesigns, William de Beer is designing the opening number. Inspired by American fashion designer’s “flowy, exotic and contemporary” style Shelli from Shell9 Handcrafted and Traci B are collaborating to do the resort and swimwear collection.
“My signature style includes a high neck choker and shoulder epaulettes embellished with silver and gold tube beads and unique knot pattern combinations, allowing me to create a visually rich and captivating look and my luxurious macrame designs are handcrafted with attention to detail and are custom-made according to my clients’ needs, whilst also creating exclusive limited collections. For the Miss South Africa pageant, I was greatly inspired by the flowy, exotic and contemporary style of Michael Costello”, Shelli shared.
Sherif Tailor will be designing suits for the finale and says: “I have always wanted to create more suits for women, mainly because wearing a suit, regardless of gender, conveys a sense of refinement and sophistication. I wanted to create bold, strong suits that hold true power and character. If there’s anything that we’ve learned from the past, it’s that a suit symbolises freedom and power while representing the liberated woman”.
In addition to this Tailor notes that finalists should be able to wear power suits that are not only a reflection of who they are but suits that exude confidence.
“I believe the finalists should wear a power suit that reflects their personality, confidence, and screams ‘I am ready to take the crown and conquer the world’, so what better way to give each contestant a round of applause for the courage they have for embarking on this journey and for how far they’ve come, than by dressing them in a brocade fabric, a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics that makes luxury clothing. This material is highly valued because it is made of silk and contains fine gold and silver threads, which best describes the seven finalists. The admiration of various fabrics, colour schemes, and what Ican create with them serve as my sources of inspiration”, Tailor shared.
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Gert Coetzee, the designer extrodanaire will be designing the evening gowns for the auspicious event.
“In creating the gowns for the finalists, I’ve drawn inspiration from the captivating diversity of our country. South Africa’s spirit, especially embodied by its incredible women, is a wellspring of inspiration. These gowns are a testament to the power of unity and just as countless individual beads come together to form these dresses, our rainbow nation’s strength shines brightest when we stand together”, Coetzee noted.
In continuation Gert-Johan said: “These gowns aren’t mere clothing; they’re living symbols of South Africa’s heart and soul, a radiant example of what can be achieved when unique elements come together in perfect harmony. And a fun fact is that it took seven women more than 2000 hours to make the gowns”.
Miss South Africa Creative Director Werner Wessels has also noted that this year’s finale is a love letter to the African continent.
“The creative for this year’s Miss South Africa was a love letter to Africa and showcasing the country, its colours and its couture techniques. We want to bring the whole stage to life with Proudly South African designs by Proudly South African designers. I am so honoured that we will be able to showcase these incredible and distinctly African pieces on a global scale and global stage”.
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