Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 25) — The Miss Universe Canada organization has apologized to Filipino designers Michael Cinco and Rian Fernandez following a series of controversies about their work experience with the group.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, MUC aired its side about the issue and apologized to Cinco and Fernandez “for any damage these recent incidents have caused to them or their brand.”
“We strive to ensure our designer partners such as Michael Cinco and Rian Fernandez are always aware of our gratitude for their tremendous support,” it said.
“The Miss Universe Canada organization appreciates the relationships we have worked hard to build and maintain with designers all over the world. Like any organization in the pageant business, we enter into agreements with designers, in exchange for products we provide exposure and recognition to their brand,” it added. “We recognize the significant contribution they make, not only with beautiful couture gowns, but also financially with work hours, time and shipping costs that they absorb.
Last week, Cinco belied the accusations of MGMode Communications, the team behind Miss Universe 2020 Nova Stevens, that the gowns she was supposed to wear for the pageant arrived late and may have sabotaged her chances in the international pageant.
Cinco stressed that the gowns arrived on time and it was him who even shouldered the photo shoots of Stevens while wearing his creations. He also said the gowns he made for Stevens should not be called “ill-fitting.”
READ: Michael Cinco calls out Miss Universe Canada team for being ‘ungrateful’
MUC stressed that any statements made against Cinco in the past did not come from the organization.
It also condemned getting online messages “filled with hate, racism, and death threats” from other pageant critics.
Hours before MUC’s statement, Stevens also publicly apologized to Cinco on Instagram, but stood by MGMode’s claim that Cinco was not able to “deliver his end.”
“As you all know, even in the best-intentioned deals, things can and did go wrong. In my case, the preliminary gown did not end up fitting perfectly. This was important because it affects scoring. So we made the decision to wear a different gown,” Stevens said.
She, however, stressed that she has been thanking the Dubai-based designer publicly and in private.
Shortly after Cinco’s revelations last week, Fernandez also shared his own “awful” experience working with MUC, noting that he had wanted Canada representative Siera Bearchell to wear a brown, high-slit gown to the finals of the 2016 edition of the pageant. But without seeing the brown dress, the candidate chose to wear a white serpentine gown which eventually received backlash online.
He also alleged that MUC’s director Denis Martin Davila deceived him multiple times and did not return the gowns which he created. CNN Philippines has requested comment from Davila about the allegation.
Meanwhile, Bearchell expressed her support for Fernandez online, and said that they have remained good friends “after experiencing a lot of drama together.” She bared that Fernandez even designed her wedding gown.
She added: “I don’t know much about the current drama because I haven’t been involved with MUC for a few years. So grateful to have this amazingly talented Filipino designer in my life!”
