There is lots more in store for Uzuri International after outfitting all 112 women in the opening sequence of the Miss World competition in December.

The Uzuri International duo of Karl Williams and Mark McDermoth said they have been receiving praises for their designs that were shown during the competition. As a result, they believe they will only gain from participating.

"I think our biggest accomplishment to date would be our Miss World affiliation. The girls, they all loved the pieces. On stage, they went out and did a great job in them. Julia Morley (Miss World organiser) really loved the stuff and she was happy with the outcome," said Williams, who does most of the hands-on work at Uzuri International.

"It was so magical just having them (contestants) all in one room. Just having ladies from all over the world in our outfits was an amazing experience."

Williams said the designs took a lot of hard work but they had two months to complete all of them. During this time, they made the designs and also had enough time to fit each dress.

Already, some of the contestants from the competition plan to purchase their designs based on the work the company did with other past Jamaican contestants such as Yendi Phillipps, who entered in 2007.

In addition to being seen onstage, Williams said the designs can be viewed on the Miss World website and there is also an interview with him online.

While there was some financial gain from Uzuri International's participation in the competition, McDermoth said he prefers to look at it as an investment based on the level of promotion they got from it.

"There are a lot of spin-offs. Morley is looking at having a South African and a United Kingdom (UK) entity carry our line. She also expressed a desire to work with us for future events. But, just being there alone generated a lot of interest. Some of the things we really can't measure," McDermoth told The Sunday Gleaner.

But, this is just the tip of the iceberg for Uzuri International.

"This is just the beginning. We are looking at capitalising on this investment. We are looking at aligning ourselves with the 2009 New York Fashion Week for fall," said McDermoth.

He said there are also plans in place to do major marketing and sales in the UK, South Africa and the United States. In addition, he said they want to do a summer tour of the Caribbean to expose the brand.

training

After starting Uzuri International in 1998 and dressing many contestants in the Miss Jamaica World and Miss Jamaica Universe pageants, locally and internationally, Williams and McDermoth continue to work hard at their craft for the love they have for designing.

With some training in clothing construction, they began designing in the 1980s, mainly for small events, as well as friends and family. And, even when McDermoth went overseas to study hotel management in the early 1990s, they still continued. In addition to outfitting pageant contestants and having its regular clientele, Uzuri International also provides costumes for the entertainment arm of the company.

With the designing passion and the momentum from the Miss World pageant, they plan to stamp their mark on the fashion industry.

"We do it for the love and passion of it. We could have gotten much farther more quickly but we have been very laid-back. But, just seeing the pleasure of clients was our just reward. We have changed our focus and we are really going after the business. This is just the icing on the cake. We see potential and we are going to be very aggressive in 2009," said McDermoth.