Will the biased attachment over the left arm of Heidi Ann Rostant's gown slide further down her arm or will it stay put? Many must have asked this question last Saturday night as the winner of the Miss Trinidad & Tobago Universe 2000 title paraded on the Queen's Hall stage in her prize-winning gown, designed by Peter Elias for the Miss Trinidad and Tobago Pageant 2000.
One woman who was positive that the attachment was going to stay exactly where it was intended, on the left upper arm, was Eurice Benjamin of Arouca, the producer of the black and gold creation made out of matt, metallic panne velvet.
Benjamin, a very laid-back woman who barely wanted to let her address be known, much less have photographer Keith Matthews take anything more than a headshot of her, spoke strongly about a subject which has bothered her for years, not especially for herself, but for all dressmakers who make the clothes which are worn at the many beauty pageants and fashion shows in this country.
"The make-up artists, hairdressers and jewellers get recognition on stage, but there is none for those who bring the garments to life. They get no recognition and I think this is wrong. I want to be clear that I am speaking on behalf of all dressmakers."
The mother of four who celebrated her sixty-plus birthday, yesterday January 29, gives credit to her 96-year old aunt, Hilda Waithe, who taught her how to sew at age twelve.
After attending the Tunapuna Roman Catholic School, Benjamin did some sewing for factories and her very own clientele, until at age 35, she migrated to New York with husband and children.
While there she specialised in pattern making and draping at the Mayers School of Fashion Design; worked at the Singer Company in New York as a sewing instructor; and with Butterick Fashion Marketing Company for the Vogue section, as a dressmaker, making garments from the pattern-makers' original designs. "You make the dress from which the final patterns sold worldwide, are produced. That's why every notch has to be correct. You have to be precise in what you are doing. It was a job you really had to be perfectly accurate about."
"I enjoyed doing this, and was exposed to a lot of designers from all over the world. I remember making a garment for designer John Anthony, a suit which he really liked, and it was publicised in the Woman's Wear Daily."
After sometime with Vogue, Eurice studied women's tailoring at the Fashion Institute.
In 1983/84, she returned home with the intention of opening a boutique. Her husband who died about 18 months ago, became ill and Eurice stopped sewing completely.
Then about two years ago, Eurice went into Peter Elias' fabric store to buy some material: "he was showing me a design which needed cording and I told him I will make it myself."
Peter Elias remembers the conversation "I was serving her as I try to do with all my clients. We were talking about a garment she was going to make from the fabric. I offered her a suggestion for a cut, but she said what about this other idea, far more difficult and labour intensive, but much better. I was very impressed with her knowledge and we talked fashion."
However, at the time Eurice was not interested in sewing for anyone "I just wanted to do for myself and was fine with that." Elias never saw Eurice after that until one day he was fixing his show window when she walked by and told him he should arrange his window piece in another way. "I said to my right hand staffer, Allison, that's who's going to make the clothes for my show. My other dressmaker was ill at the time. I called her as she reached home and told her you are going to sew my clothes for the Miss Universe Pageant's Fashion Show."
Eurice was still hesitant, but Elias pointed out "this will be good for you to come out of yourself, now that your husband is dead. It was true, and really did something for me" says this self-confessed God- fearing woman.
Eurice made sixteen garments for Elias' Made in Trinidad & Tobago Fashion Show during the Miss Universe Pageant in May 1999. In her second outing with Elias for Beau Papillon in October, Mpule Kwelagobe, the reigning Miss Universe, wore one of Eurice's garments.
Peter's initial sketches for Rostant's gown were all Eurice had to work from, after which there was a lot of discussion as to the cowl drape coming up on the side. Then Eurice made her own pattern for the body-fitted, semi A line gown, draped on the left side from under the bust to the right hipline where it was reduced to nothing.
"Peter described, talked about it, and I followed" laughs Eurice "it was a whole deal on how to get this particular drape starting on the right shoulder, coming off on the left arm. This is where it was how are we going to finish this off the left upper arm, yet give her room to strike a pose."
Eurice enjoyed working with Heidi, whom she describes as "a very pleasant girl. From the time I met her, I found she was so sweet. She was the most friendly, she was different, her mannerisms were lovely, and then I met her mother and that covered it all as I thought this is probably where Heidi got it from."
The future for Eurice is " to continuing sewing for Peter on a part-time level, do my occasional brides for friends. But not to sew in a big way. Actually, I am encouraging my adopted daughter and niece to take over as I cannot personally handle all this, I really want to retire fully."