Miss Universe Canada organization apologized to two Filipino designers who previously aired their negative experiences working with them in the international pageant scene.
As of writing, the official Facebook page of the pageant organization can no longer be accessed after it posted the statement on Tuesday morning, May 24 (Philippine time).
The statement is still accessible on its official website. Some pageant Facebook pages also shared it on their accounts.
The organization initially explained that they value the MUC titleholder’s “input and comfortability” in the designs they commit to.
“We do not commit to any specific design for any specific event; instead we collaborate with the reigning MUC titleholder, and based on her input and comfortability in each outfit we decide which outfit to wear at which event. As a result of that, we are not able to wear all of the beautiful designs sent to us,” they said.
Following the controversy that erupted, they immediately apologized to Dubai-based Michael Cinco and another designer Rian Fernandez, who worked with former Philippine bet Rabiya Mateo and Miss Universe Cambodia Sarita Reth.
“We strive to ensure our designer partners such as Michael Cinco and Rian Fernandez are always aware of our gratitude for their tremendous support. However, based on recent online statements others believe that we as an organization are not doing as well as we thought. We will strive to do better going forward,” they said.
“We thank and appreciate our design partners tremendously for their ongoing support. We specifically want to apologize to Michael Cinco and Rian Fernandez for any damage these recent incidents have caused to them or to their brand,” they added.
The MUC also denounced the social media users who had been sending them messages filled with “filled with hate, racism and death threats.”
“This type of behavior is unacceptable, and nobody should be subjected to this level of cyber bullying, hate and violence. The MUC organization strongly objects to this level of abuse, and we refuse to partake in stooping to that level of ugliness,” they said.
Their statement ended with an expression of gratitude to those who continue to support them.
In a lengthy Facebook post last Saturday, Cinco expressed his outrage against MUC, MGMode Communications and the former candidate herself Nova Stevens over allegedly scamming and using him during the event.
The luxury gown designer also countered the publicists’ claims that the gown he sent to them were late, thus affecting Stevens’ chance to win.
Fernandez, meanwhile, also shared his own experience in working with them back in 2016.
In a lengthy Facebook post last Sunday, May 23, the Filipino designer accused publicist named Denis Martin Davila over cheating on him and his team twice, in 2016 and 2018.
Both incidents involved Fernandez making gowns for the Miss Universe Canada candidates. However, the latter ended up wearing the gown he did not choose for them.
Similar to Cinco, Fernandez alleged that they were also not paid well by the organization.
“To you Denis and your team, please have some gratitude and a little sense of professionalism when dealing with people who want to help your queen. Please have a little shame. May this be the end of your swindler personality!” Fernandez said.
Stevens previously urged Cinco and the people behind MGMode Communications to stop fighting and handle the issue in private.
