Jaenique Swartz
Jameela |Uiras has unveiled her national costume for the 72nd Miss Universe pageant slated for 18 November in San Salvador, El Salvador.
The Namibian reigning beauty queen referenced the costume as the ‘Diamond Oryx’, stating that it was divine inspiration which struck her as upon the creation of her costume, the oryx followed her around. “I travelled to Oranjemund, where I saw a painting of an oryx running on water with three diamonds at the bottom. Later in Khorixas, I saw a spice brand by the name Oryx Dessert. It was then that I knew I couldn’t ignore the oryx anymore,” she beamed.
|Uiras highlighted that this costume holds a special place in her heart, as it reflects the resilience she had to embody after tragically losing her mother last year. She underscored the struggles and challenges she went through, but adapted nonetheless.
“I have a deep story to tell through the oryx, as I lost my mom last year. It was a huge shift for me, especially if you grew up in a single-parent home. One can see with the oryx that they rarely travel in groups; they live by themselves, and as much as we need one another, we also need to believe so much in ourselves that we do things by ourselves like the oryx.”
The “Diamond Oryx” is Namibian-made, and is the product of local designers Mwatile Kapolola and Nadia Wilson. Kapolola sang songs of gratitude as he thanked |Uiras and the Miss Namibia pageant committee for trusting him with the vision they had in mind.
“Jameela did not have anyone she believed could work on the costume, and told me I was the only one she knew who could pull it off. This is my first-ever costume, and for someone to believe in me without any other work done by me, is very rare,” said Kapolola.
Miss Nambia Pageant CEO, Umbi Karuaihe-Upi said this costume is truly Namibian. “The Namibian culture is big on freedom of expression. We have surpassed countries such as the United States of America when it comes to freedom of expression, and that is what Namibia is all about,” she noted.
“When we do the national costumes, we showcase Namibia, and each one of us can be proud today of who we are, and what we represent. Namibia is the one and only country in Africa which has ever hosted the Miss Universe competition. With that, we can take pride in who we are.”
“The oryx is a dry desert animal. It adapts in harsh conditions, just like Namibians, and reflecting on what happened to us during Covid, we all made it through. We may have lost people, but we are still standing, I want to show the world that’s how we are. It is not about endurance, but rather adaptability,” |Uiras added.
– jaeniqueswartz@icloud.com