Full of excitement and nervous tension, months, if not years of preparation has led these ladies to this moment, in this dress.
Custom designed meticulously through one-on-one consultations to suit each woman’s poise, passion and potential.
Begitta is the woman who gets them there.
Begitta, a fashion label designed by Begitta Stolk was the creative genius behind the breathtaking ball gowns and beauty that walked down the runway upon the Queensland representatives of Miss Universe Australia 2017.
Establishing her place in the fashion industry from the youthful age of twenty-one, Begitta learnt her craft on the streets of Paris before refining her talent at an elite school in London, Central St Martins.
Known for her whimsical and feminine silhouettes and influences, Begitta’s essence of style is quintessential ‘Miss Universe’.
From involvement with individual competitors in 2012, 2014 and 2015 to being the sole Gown Sponsor for Queensland in 2016 and 2017, Begitta Stolk and her self-titled fashion label have created over 70 custom designed dresses in the past two years for the Miss Universe QLD women along with working one-on-one with three top-ten finalists in the years preceding.
An experience like this has lead Begitta to not only dress the Queensland ladies but to base her newest line on the one of a kind dress designed exclusively for the Queensland Miss Universe Australia 2017 competitors.
These gowns which have become key pieces of Begitta’s newest venture, her collection entitled ‘MERMAIDIA’.
‘MERMAIDIA’ is a line inspired by the sirens of the sea, the oceans depth and the serenity that surrounds you below the waters surface.
With the knowledge that these gowns were destined to have a future as a part of ‘MERMAIDIA’, Begitta set her sights on designing pieces that were interconnected between lady and label.
Both a genuine representation of the women they were designed for, but also items that reflected the purpose of the ‘MERMAIDIA’ line and the essence and serenity of sea that the line alludes to.
“The gowns were each individually designed with both the ‘MERMAIDIA’ collection and the ‘client’ in mind. Each gown was created for each girl, so there is a cohesion in pieces but a uniqueness that comes from the individual’s style,” said Begitta.
Stepping out from behind the curtain to before the stage, Begitta has been involved beyond in the Queensland leg of Miss Universe Australia in a way that uses her expertise and experience.
As a judge in the Queensland State Finals in 2016 and 2017.
“Backstage is full of excitement and nerves,” said Begitta. “It’s a crazy time for the girls, but they are still always smiling.”
After months of designing and creating custom gowns, Begitta dons a dress herself and walks the red carpet into the Gala and Crowning evening.
“After the incredible amount of work that goes into designing five custom gowns and working with a client for up to 6 months, it’s so wonderful to enjoy the ride and glamour of the event,” said Begitta.
The pageant world is often stereotyped to be reminiscent of ‘Toddlers and Tiara’s’ or Miss Congeniality. Begitta believes that the pageant style is one of its own and it has become more genuine as opposed to years passed with taffetas and too much tizz.
“There is an element of glamour and flirt to the fashion you see on the Miss Universe Runway. It’s wonderful to see a lot of more up to the minute fashion now in these events, I think it gives it a more authentic feel,” said Begitta.
With 2017 marking the highest level of involvement with Miss Universe for Begitta, it’s not difficult to see that Begitta Designs along with ‘MERMAIDIA’ are the ones to watch.
“Working with the girls under sole gown sponsorship for QLD has been a big milestone in my business. This year we had 27 girls in the State finals and 5 in Nationals,” said Begitta.
With the creation of over 70 Queensland Miss Universe Australia Begitta-designed dresses in the last two years, Begitta describes her time working with Miss Universe Australia as incredible.
With the approaching launch of ‘MERMAIDIA’, Begitta has bigger fish to fry with an upcoming announcement set to take Begitta the label to brand new shores.
If Begitta’s elegant impact on Miss Universe Australia 2017 has anything to say, she is the one to look out for.
