Fashion Files: Miss Mexico's Controversial Pageant Gown

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

16 Apr 2007 08:55 PM

Typically, it's the swimsuit portion of the Miss Universe pageant that draws the most attention, but not this year. Thanks to Miss Mexico, it's the national costume portion of the televised beauty pageant that has lips flapping and fingers wagging.

According to news reports, Miss Mexico is being forced to tone down her Miss Universe pageant dress because of its religious connotations. The floor-length dress made of traditional natural cotton called manta is accented with crosses, scapulars and a sketch of a man facing a firing squad---all of which reportedly outraged Mexicans. The designers who helped select the dress argued it represented "the nation's culture and history," which is key since Mexico City is hosting the pageant next month.

Designers added that the dress is meant to grab people's attention and does so by depicting scenes from the 1926-1929 Cristero war, an uprising by Roman Catholic rebels against Mexico's secular government, in which tens of thousands of people died.

The dress was modeled by Miss Mexico, Rosa Maria Ojeda, in a preview of the pageant a few weeks ago. That's when the public and members of the media got their first look of the hoop skirt "adorned with sketches of Catholic rebels hanging from posts." In addition, the dress features rosaries and scapulars hung from a bullet-studded, bandolier belt; a large crucifix necklace, black halter-top and a wide-brimmed sombrero.

Needless to say, the reviews weren't very flattering.

"It would be like Miss USA wearing a dress showing images of the Ku Klux Klan in the deep South, with their hoods, their burning crosses and beer cans," one Mexican newspaper columnist wrote. "A beauty contest is very far from being the right place to vent political and religious ideologies."

But, the journalist wasn't the only one speaking out about the dress. Mexican church officials also argued, "using the war as a fashion statement was disrespectful to the thousands who died, some of whom were later named saints."

Many Mexicans didn't hold back their opinions about the history the dress evoked. Some said the dress "glorified violence in a country where a battle between drug gangs has brought a wave of killings and beheadings."

No word on what the replacement dress may look like.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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