The world famous Dubai-based Filipino designer Michael Cinco recently called out the Miss Universe Canada team after being blamed for their delegate’s failure to secure a place as a semi-finalist at the recently concluded Miss Universe 2020. According to Cinco, the team has been spreading lies about him including the allegation of sabotaging Miss Universe Canada Nova Stevens’ chances at the pageant.

Michael Cinco cried foul over the lies and fake news allegedly being propagated by the team behind Miss Universe Canada. In a lengthy Facebook post, Cinco shared a screenshot of a comment made by MG Mode Communications, who handles Miss Universe Canada campaign that Filipino designer Michael Cinco's gown did not arrive on time and was sent late and when arrived none of them fitted.

Responding to the accusations, Cinco said he does not normally address unnecessary social media rants about his work but this one caught his eye “as it seems to put uncalled for blame on my team week after Miss Universe.” Addressing the whole Miss Canada team including Migüel Martinez, Denis Martin Davila, the Miss Canada Organization as well as Stevens, Cinco added, “You have been spreading fake news about me and my team being unprofessional days before the pageant but I chose to be quiet and calm. But this time, I need to stand up for me and my team, as it is just so unfair!”

“The gowns arrived on time. Or how could you have sent me photos and videos of her wearing them, showing how the gowns perfectly fitted her, days before each event,” said Cinco. Cinco shared that he strongly takes offense over their accusations because it involved his team and his credibility realizing that he has been used and scammed by “these low lives pseudo glam team.”

Cinco also denied implications that his team was trying to sabotage Stevens’ win. “Her life story was supposedly inspiring and I even went out of my way hiring a team of world-class photographer and film maker to shoot her in my couture gowns at a world-class location in Dubai just to give her extra publicity mileage and create for her a balance of glam and luxury as opposed to her humble homecoming in Africa. And everything in that shoot was paid for by me” he said.

A fiery Cinco also warned the team not to hire him or any Filipino designers anymore. “You all are ungrateful, vile, and professional users. Next time don’t ask me or any Filipino designers to dress up your candidates. Ask your Canadian designers to showcase their works in world stage,” said Cinco.

Cinco also pointed out that other Miss Universe candidates who wore his designs, such as Miss Romania and Miss Czech Republic, expressed their gratitude to him. Even eventual winner Miss Mexico sent him a message, despite not being able to wear his gown both in the preliminary and finals night. For his ultimate point, Cinco said the Miss Canada team have been using him and taking advantage of his kindness for the past three consecutive years to dress up their candidates without paying him any money.

Miss Universe Canada 2020 Stevens addressed the surrounding controversy saying the issue “breaks my heart.” Stevens took to social media to release a statement. She said that she’s really hurt by the situation because she has “nothing but love for both parties” who have both helped her in her Miss Universe journey.

She disagreed with Cinco’s remark that Stevens was “ungrateful,” saying that she has expressed her “gratitude publicly and privately.” “I will continue and will always be grateful towards you because you have been nothing but kind to me,” she said, referring to the designer. She added that she hopes both sides would stop fighting.

Fellow Filipino fashion designer Rian Fernandez has also spoken out about having a similar experience with the Miss Universe Canada Organization. In a post on social media, Fernandez said he made five gowns for candidate Marta Magdalena Stepien for the preliminaries in 2018 that were not worn, nor returned. “Let this be a lesson to all of us Filipino designers. Never shall we be scammed again by this MUC organization," Fernandez wrote.

The entire situation involving the Miss Universe Canada management and Michael Cinco’s team has fueled more than we expected it to be, revealing some shocking details from both sides of the ring. We hope the feud and the differences between both the parties are resolved soon.