Designer Dexter Gardener has been selected to represent Guyana at the Mr Grand International Pageant in Panama City on December 4 and will be the first representative from Guyana to compete in the pageant.
The 28-year-old Dexter, who has competed locally in Mr Guyana International 2016 and Mr African Roots 2017, shared that he is thrilled to be representing Guyana internationally.
“I am excited and honoured,” he said. “To be completely honest, I see this more as a responsibility than anything else. This is not a show but a [privileged] task in representing my country internationally. Overall it’s an amazing opportunity especially when males in Guyana [rarely] come by these opportunities.”
With no local competition, Dexter was selected last week by a local committee. Recently, Roshini Boodhoo-Persaud took on the responsibility of national director for the Mr Grand International here.
Dexter is still overwhelmed by the idea of it. He recalled that when he got the call informing him about the selection and was asked whether he was up for the task, it was surreal, yet he jumped at the opportunity to represent Guyana.
While Dexter took a hiatus from competing in pageants after 2017, he was not entirely done with pageantry. He instead settled for working behind the scenes after pursuing a career in designing. The designer has created costumes for Mr and Miss African Roots Guyana and national costumes for Guyana’s representatives in the Miss Earth 2019 and Mr and Miss Model Tourism of the World 2021. His national costumes took first place in both the Mr and Miss categories at the international leg Model Tourism of the World competition.
Mr Grand International Guyana and his team are slated to arrive in Panama on November 25 where he will be involved in preliminary rounds as well as other pageant related events. Guyana will be among over 60 countries competing.
Dexter chuckled as he rhetorically asked, “Who prepares for an international pageant in three weeks?” Nonetheless, though his hands are full, he cannot get enough of the excitement. Every day since his appointment, he has been ticking tasks off of his to-do-list in preparation for the pageant. An expert in costume designing, Dexter has already created his own costume. Owing to his connections, he was able to secure the skills of some of the finest designers in the country like Mwanza Glen, Mark Junor and Shan Seecharran to take care of the rest of his wardrobe. He is only now awaiting his talent wear and his culture wear to complete his wardrobe. “So I’m very excited and very grateful,” he said.
Dexter, who was preparing for another pageant which he will no longer be participating in, said he was all set when it came to his physique as he had been visiting the gym. He recently began further research on this pageant as he gets in gear for the big day. He will have to compete in the Panel Interview and the Swimwear, National Costume, Evening Wear and the Question and Answer segments.
In keeping with COVID protocols, the contenders of the competition are required to be fully vaccinated. While Dexter was already fully vaccinated, he explained that he had been given the Sputnik vaccine which is yet to be approved by the World Health Organization and therefore not recognised in Panama. The answer was to take an approved vaccine and once he was given permission to do so by the Ministry of Health, Dexter took the Johnson & Johnson single dose shot.
Dexter, who works full time as administrative clerk at the Human Rights Commission said he has the support of his colleagues and boss who have told him to, ‘go and do it and bring back the crown’.
Speaking of sponsorship, the designer explained that in preparing for the other pageant he had contacted many companies requesting financial support but was unsuccessful. However, with the help of the national director of this pageant things are looking up. But even so, he added, they could always use the support of the local businesses in Guyana and encouraged them to be a part of his journey.
Dexter said it is really his family and friends who have been supportive so far and welcomes others to come on board. “We’re trying to get as much as possible because you’re never too prepared for an international pageant. Because of COVID, there are other tests I have to pay to do. Also, my luggage isn’t light so we’ll have to cover that. My national costume alone is more than 50 pounds. All of these small, small things add up and we’re trying to cover all of that by the time we’re ready to leave. We leave the following week but we want to have everything wrapped up by this coming week,” he explained. Dexter needs his airfare covered as well as per diem.
To assist Dexter with his expenses, persons could reach out to him on Facebook at Dexter Gardener or on Instagram @Dexter Gardener92. Boodhoo-Persaud can also be contacted on Facebook at Roshini Boodhoo or Roshini Khushi Persaud.
The pageant will be hosted live on the Mr Grand International Facebook page.
