WESTERN BUREAU
BEAUTY AND fashion are poised to take centre-stage in Montego Bay on Saturday, March 8, when the city plays host to the inaugural staging of the 'Miss Jamaica Universe Cornwall Coronation & Eye on Fashion' at the Half Moon Conference Centre, in Rose Hall.
"This is going to be a unique event as it is the first time that beauty and fashion is being package this way in the Caribbean," said businessman Lachu Ramchandani, who recently resigned from local pageants but has decided to take on this event as a special project. "This is something special and I just could not resist the temptation of doing it."
According to Ramchandani, whose Blue Diamond Shopping Mall will be staging the event jointly with OM Promotions, when Kingsley Cooper, the chief executive officer of Pulse International, asked him to take on the project, he was only too happy to do so as he saw it as an opportunity to showcase Montego Bay.
While he is still working out sponsorship details, Mr. Ramchandani said Air Jamaica and the Coral Cliff Resort have already confirmed their involvement. Expecting good support from corporate Jamaica, Mr. Ramchandani said he is looking at a total sponsorship package of about $5 million.
"We are looking at generating quality sponsorship as it is our plans to have the overall winner walking away with close to $2 million in cash and prizes," said Ramchandani. "If you thought the last staging of the Miss Jamaica World Cornwall was glamorous, wait until you see this event, it is going to be something special."
While applications are open to contestants all over rural Jamaica, especially the county of Cornwall, there will not be an elimination show to decide the finalists. According to Ramchandani, a special committee will be put in place to vet the girls and decide on the twelve finalists.
In regards to the 'eye and fashion' segment, Ramchandani said the models would be contestants from the various Miss Universe Pageants across the Caribbean alongside the local contestants. According to him, the event, which will be choreograph by renowned pageant personality Weston Haughton, will be rich in style, fashion and beauty.
"We will definitely be pulling out all the stops to give this event a truly Caribbean flavour," said Ramchandani. "Olav Monteith (of OM Promotions) has promised that he is going to pull out all the stops to ensure that patrons are given a special treat."
According to Ramchandani, the winner of the Montego Bay contest will automatically qualify for the Miss Jamaica Universe Contest, which is slated for Saturday, March 29, in Kingston. The winner in Kingston will represent Jamaica in the Miss Universe Contest, slated for Panama in June.
