Last week Friday Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi unveiled the national costume she will be wearing during the Miss Universe pageant in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 5.
Designed by costume designer Lloyd Kandlin from The Costume Department in Cape Town, the costume named "Waves of Love" features more than 2 000 ribbons of love notes written on recycled fabric.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Zozibini Tunzi(@zozitunzi) on Nov 22, 2019 at 1:37am PST
The ribbons each contain love letters written by South African men as part of her gender-based violence and #HeForShe campaign.
They have been sown together on the shape of the SA flag that appears to be draped around her on a steel structure. The costume is topped with a golden crown and beads hanging from the edge of the design which glimmers as she moves.
As with national costumes on the past, it's no surprise that there have been mixed responses to Tunzi's costume design.
Mzanzi took to Twitter to air their views on the colourful costume.
There are the ones who flat out hated it...
What are they doing ? To our queen 👇👇👇👇No man pic.twitter.com/5bvR939Ic6
— Minister of Transport |Mr Fix (@MbalulaFikile) November 22, 2019
Miss SA's costume is just ugly though.
— Vusi (@Vusi_Matlhoko) November 23, 2019
Whoever keeps getting that tender to dress Miss SA for National costume should be fired.
— Ps Naledi Irawo S. (@Naledi__S) November 23, 2019
Miss SA’s costume is so tragic 😭
— Blue Moon Diamond (@Rea_Walker) November 23, 2019
undefinedThey took the achingly gorgeous Miss SA, dipped her in adhesive...dumped the contents of a bin over her and called it a "National Costume" 💔
— #BrandNuOldSkoolOutNow (@NjabuloSeh) November 22, 2019
Who ever dressed her will never see gates of heaven
— Philisiwe Kwanda Mbotho (@philly_Kwanda) November 22, 2019
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissUniverse?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissUniversepageant. #MissSA dress is the best i have seen so far. https://t.co/Jlz3fPmlCm
— Gift (@Gift36402133)
This is a national costume for Miss Universe and Miss Universe national costumes are exaggerated yall are making a big deal out of nothing what did you guys want ? Take some time to look at other nations national costumes and you will see Zozis design is actually way better ! pic.twitter.com/3BvyDj1XbE
— 🍒● ℋℒℰ𝒮𝒞𝒪 ●🍒🐦 (@Just_Hlesco) November 23, 2019
Can’t we discuss this dress after the show coz there is nothing that will change now, this girl still needs to walk on this dress like it’s the best dress in the world and y’all are spreading negative energy
— 🤣 (@yosoyanita_M) November 23, 2019
It's a COSTUME Mr Minister, it is meant to be like that. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Sanudlala nge designer apha it's actually beautiful, have you seen the COSTUMES from other countries?
— Pam (@maphili_s) November 23, 2019
Then there are the die-hard fans who loved the costume as much as Miss SA herself.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissUniverse2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissUniverse2019is everything.. 👌🏾😍😍😍😍😍
Umuhle maan ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BQJj9BQWup
— IG:Bossb_n 🇿🇦 (@Bossb_n)
Well I think miss SA costume looks dope. Guess I'm the only one
— Mang'z (@JeffreyLeMangs) November 22, 2019
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissUniverse2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissUniverse2019 #JacobZuma #BlackFriday pic.twitter.com/bUjsLBBjM1
The dress is very symbolic. It is made up of the letter written by men for women as a way of promoting equality, which is the program of the United Nations. Men were asked, I think about a month ago, to write under the banner of #HeforShe
— Siyanda Sibiya (@Siyanda_Sibiya1)