Rochelle Keane, Gleaner Writer

Known for remarkable designs, Uzuri International's Karl Williams and Mike McDearth, new franchise holder of Miss Universe Jamaica, put on a spectacular launch of the 2014 staging at the Spanish Court hotel on Monday.

With Key Motors as main sponsor, this year's winner will drive away a 2015 Hyundai Grand i10.

The launch featured a peek at the wardrobe pieces for the pageant - Williams and McDearth displayed their new evening-wear collection and the swimwear collection, themed Breakfast at Tiffany's, which will be provided by Polka-Dots.

The pageant places a strong emphasis on scholarships, life-skills training, and opportunities to give contestants viable and relevant options, beyond the pageant, into chosen career fields, locally or internationally.

This year the pageant will be initiating 'GO GETTER' - Giving Our Girls Educational Tools To Enrich and Reward. For this initiative, they will be raising funds, through various Miss Universe Jamaica activities, to award scholarships to primary-school children, who are academically gifted, to take them through the tenure of high school. This scholarship will be awarded every five years. However, they will be awarding annual associate scholarships to assist high- and primary-school girls in need.

Eliminations and sashing of Miss Universe Jamaica 2014 will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on June 29.

rochelle.keane@gleanerjm.com [2]