Miss SA shows off her traditional gown

MISS South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has revealed two of the outfits she will be wearing when the 66th Miss Universe pageant takes place at The Axis in Las Vegas on Sunday, November 26.

She also showed off her official national gift, a stunning piece of jewellery made from gold and diamonds, called “The Daisies of Africa”.

Nel-Peters’ national costume, which she showed off at her farewell, has been designed by Malikah Hajee and Lloyd Kandlin and their team at The Costume Department while Anel Botha has designed a number of outfits including the finale gown.

Say Hajee and Kandlin: “We were approached by the Miss South Africa Organisation’s pageant coach and stylist Werner Wessels to create the Miss South Africa national costume. Wessels had a vision of what he thought would be most effective.

“We then took his idea a step further and created our version of the South African national flower, the protea, which is also the official Miss South Africa emblem. We looked at the elements of the flower and colours and recreated it in a costume form.”

Botha, who is responsible for the Miss Universe finale gown, says she was inspired by what the Miss Universe Pageant is synonymous with – sophistication and glamour in a celebration of young women who are confidently beautiful.

Nel-Peters will be taking a piece of South African jewellery, designed by Miss South Africa sponsors, Jack Friedman Jewellers, with input from her, as the national gift to Miss Universe.

It is inspired by Namaqualand daisies and the map of Africa and is made with diamonds and gold and includes the artistic technique of vitreous enamelling. A quote by the late Nelson Mandela is engraved on the underside of the piece.

“The Daisies of Africa” will be presented in a wooden box made from one the oak trees that was damaged during the devastating fires in Knysna, near Demi’s hometown of Sedgefield, in June.