Johannesburg - Miss SA 2022 Ndavi Nokeri jetted off to the US to represent South Africa at the 71st edition of the Miss Universe pageant, where she is set to face off with more than 80 contestants from across the globe.
The coronation night is set to take place on January 14 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Centre in Louisiana, where Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at the end of the event.
As some of the activities leading up to the finale kicked off earlier this week, the pageant has seen a twist in the format of the national gift auction.
Instead of bringing a national gift from their country, the beauty queens were required to customise a blank cape that they received from the Miss Universe organisers, taking inspiration from anything that could be related to their cause or the country that they represent.
The capes will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to charity. The capes, which will be worn during the Miss Universe swimsuit competition, were revealed during the preliminary round.
Nokeri’s cape, titled “Perfectly Imperfect”, was inspired by the voices of South African women. Nokeri worked on the striking design with graphic artist Ashlyn Atkinson from iDesign South Africa, while Sinead Fletcher painted the cape.
Nokeri and Atkinson said: “Throughout the centuries, women have been made to feel unworthy based on any physical characteristics that might not have been desirable for the male gaze. With the South Africa cape, and also as part of a broader message of the Miss Universe platform, women are reclaiming the narrative around their bodies and what makes them beautiful.”
Nokeri added: “For me, the design represents liberation to be free from other people’s expectations of what I, or any woman, should look like in order to be considered beautiful. Beauty has no definition; it has no skin tone; it has no size; and it is definitely not perfect.”
Atkinson said: “I hope that the design emphasises that all women are beautiful in their own uniquely imperfect way. The Miss Universe contestants come from around the world and have different shapes and skin tones. The one thing that truly makes women beautiful is our shared womanhood: our cellulite, our stretch marks, our scars, our curves, our different-sized breasts, our different hair, and our voices.”
“The cape came from the voices of the South African women that we spoke to. We hope to inspire a movement of perfectly imperfect women with powerful voices to step into the light,” said Miss South Africa Organisation CEO Stephanie Weil.
Nokeri also revealed a dress by Juan William Aria during the preliminary rounds. The dazzling outfit was inspired by the sands of Limpopo and the Gabaza Village where Nokeri was born and raised.
The Miss Universe finale will be broadcast live on 1 Magic (DStv Channel 103) from 3am on Sunday, January 15, and repeated in a prime time slot (details to be announced).
The Star