Bahamian designer Javotte Bethel and her winning costume "Sea Goddess" on Miss Bahamas Universe Tomii Culmer
|
January 3, 2014 – Nassau, Bahamas - I take special note with the exclusionary spiel in the form of a Press Release stemming from the Miss Bahamas Organization release short of an hour and a half ago. Usually, I don’t engage in non-starter discourse but from a professional place I must preserve my integrity as a designer - as such:
#1. The talented designer who will create the national costume for Miss Bahamas 2014 - April Jasmine and I are good friends and have referred each other’s expertise in the past – I want to make it unequivocally clear that my motives are not to “hog” or dominate the costume design market - certainly not that which involves the Miss Bahamas Organization.
#2. The notion that I “stole” a design from a previous Victoria Secrets fashion show is ludicrous! …every designer worth their salt understands that prototypes build on each other and variations of the same are expressed in their final products for example (the sweetheart dress, the "little black dress", angel wings and feathers to name a few) all of these styles are extensions and adaptations of an original concept, further (and prior to the construction of the Sea Goddess) my sketches were submitted with photos of the Victoria Secrets model wearing the design coupled with my commentary as to the vision to “Bahamianize” it with an aquatic theme. Those who were witness to the process could verify this.
#3. In as much as the “cumbersome” nature of the Sea Goddess is concerned – ANY costume that is worn for half a day (float parade began at 12:00 noon and ended at 5:00pm) would prove burdensome. When Tomacina [Miss Bahamas 2014] informed me of the minimal scratches to her skin and its weight, I invited her to my studio for me to make the padding adjustments for comfort and ease – I have yet to see her. Moreover, the costume segment at Miss Universe will require the delegate to wear her national costume for no less than 30 minutes – for Miss Bahamas, it would take a sole assistant to help her into her costume. During several fitting, I (140lbs and 5’ 7’’) effortlessly aided in outfitting our queen.
#4. Lastly, the lack of professionalism (as I have stated in a former post) left me slack jawed and baffled. It is only after Ms. Malcolm requested sponsorship of a gown and accompanying art piece that I was made to arbitrarily understand that Sea Goddess was not the national costume of choice. This would have proven to have been a departure in custom and VERBAL contract as I was assured at the costume judging that Seas Goddess was indeed in the words of Ms. Malcolm “going to Universe for sure” to which the committee member unanimously agreed!!
Be that as it may, and once again, I wish Tomacina all the best at Miss Universe.
MBO Statement on Miss Universe Bahamas Costume
