KAMPALA: Nasasi Belinda, a Ugandan businesswoman, has won the east African country’s first-ever “Miss Curvy” beauty pageant, vowing to act as a role model for other women with “plus-size” figures.
“I am going to be an inspiration,” an overjoyed Belinda said after winning the title in Kampala late Friday, beating 24 other finalists for the grand prize.
“Being plus-size is not a problem,” she continued. “So be happy about yourself and make sure you don’t quit. Just keep going.”
The pageant was part of a government campaign to attract tourists to the east African nation.
But the campaign caused controversy in February when tourism minister Godfrey Kiwanda suggested Ugandan women’s curvaceous beauty was “a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from Nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction.”
Women’s rights activists were outraged by the comments and called for the minister to resign.
“This is perversion. To think women can be used as sex objects in this age and time is an absurdity and we condemn it,” Rita Aciro, executive director of the Uganda Women’s Network, told AFP at the time.
Ugandan entrepreneur and activist Primrose Nyonyozi Murungi launched an online petition to stop the campaign, which she said was “totally unacceptable and demeaning to us.”
“Women in Uganda have been attacked while on the streets. What happens now is that the government is confirming a stereotype that women are sexual objects and can be touched regardless and more so made a product of tourism,” she told AFP.
Former opposition leader in parliament, Winnie Kiiza, told AFP the move came “at a time (when) women face fear and stigma in a male-dominated society.”
Minister Kiwanda sought to play down the controversy on Friday.
“I also believe that there is a new wave that is going to come to Uganda, a new confidence that is going to be built among plus-size ladies,” he said.
Businesswoman wins Uganda’s first ‘Miss Curvy’ beauty contest
Businesswoman wins Uganda’s first ‘Miss Curvy’ beauty contest
- Former opposition leader in parliament, Winnie Kiiza, told AFP the move came “at a time (when) women face fear and stigma in a male-dominated society”
Georges Chakra presents new couture collection in Paris
- Chakra introduces ‘new Parisienne attitude’
- Top Arab designers also have shows in city
DUBAI: Lebanese designer Georges Chakra has presented his Spring/Summer 2026 couture collection at Paris Haute Couture Week, offering a contemporary interpretation of the house’s established design codes through refined silhouettes and detailed craftsmanship.
Drawing on the heritage of the maison, the collection revisited classic elements of elegance while introducing what the designer described in an Instagram post as a “new Parisienne attitude.”
Soft pastels, ivory and metallic tones defined the palette, moving between pale blue, blush, lavender and gold across the runway.
The show featured a range of sculpted looks, with structured bodices balanced by feathered appliques, floral embroidery and layers of sheer tulle.
Strapless gowns with petal-like embellishments appeared alongside column dresses finished with subtle shimmer, while ruffled sleeves, organza capes and sheer overlays created volume and movement.
White gowns formed a central part of the collection, ranging from minimal silhouettes with clean lines to more elaborate designs incorporating veils, hats and lattice-style embroidery.
Sequins, hand-applied florals and intricate beading appeared throughout the collection. The show concluded with a bridal look featuring sheer embroidery and floral detailing.
After beginning his career in Beirut, where he initially worked at his home studio following his graduation from an institution in Canada, Chakra founded his fashion house in 1985.
He later expanded his atelier to Paris, debuting on the Haute Couture Week calendar in 2002, and has since built an international reputation for couture and eveningwear, dressing a wide range of regional and global figures for major red-carpet appearances.
His designs have been worn by celebrities including Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Beyonce, Cara Delevingne, Tyra Banks, Jennifer Lopez, Helen Mirren, Molly Sims and Andra Day.
Chakra was among several Arab designers featured during Paris Haute Couture Week this season.
Georges Hobeika and Tony Ward had already presented their Spring/Summer 2026 couture collections earlier in the week, while Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Ashi Studio and Rami Al-Ali are scheduled to show later on the official calendar.
