Miss Uganda’s C-Section gown puts spotlight on the reality of childbirth
The design dubbed The Layers of Life was made by Ugandan designer Abdallah Keesha. It represented the seven anatomical layers associated with a C-section, transforming the surgical journey of childbirth into a couture statement.
The design was showcased on Thursday, August 27, in Vietnam during the Miss World Beauty Fashion Fest’s 17th edition, themed Soul of Heritage, where contestants presented couture designs. (Courtesy photos)
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A gown worn by Miss Uganda Elle Trivia Muhoza recently during the Miss World beauty pageant has turned the spotlight on one of the most significant medical procedures in childbirth, which is the caesarean section.
The design dubbed The Layers of Life was made by Ugandan designer Abdallah Keesha. It represented the seven anatomical layers associated with a C-section, transforming the surgical journey of childbirth into a couture statement.
The design was showcased on Thursday, August 27, in Vietnam during the Miss World Beauty Fashion Fest’s 17th edition, themed Soul of Heritage, where contestants presented couture designs.
Keesha said the idea was inspired by her own experience as a new mother and her desire to portray the physical journey involved in bringing a child into the world.
The gown features layers of white, yellow, pink and red fabric, representing skin, fat, fascia, muscle, peritoneum, the uterus and the amniotic sac.
“Each colour and layer were chosen to represent a stage, a texture, or a transition within that story,” Keesha explained.
She said the design was intended to celebrate womanhood, the human body and the experience of bringing life into the world.
The unusual fashion statement has since attracted attention beyond the pageant world, including from World Health Organisation Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Tedros said that when medically necessary, Caesarean sections can make the difference between life and death for mothers and babies.
Although C-sections have become increasingly safe in many parts of the world, he noted that they remain complex medical interventions and can involve risks and a challenging recovery.
Miss Uganda Muhoza said the gown was more than a competition outfit. “This gown was created to be more than fashion. It was created to tell a story, to bring visibility to the realities of caesarean-section childbirth, the layers a mother’s body goes through, and the extraordinary strength carried through birth, healing and recovery,” she posted on X.
“To every mother who has experienced a C-section, this story is yours too. Your scar carries a story of courage, sacrifice, healing and life,” Muhoza noted.
Beyond the glamour
A Caesarean section, commonly known as a C-section, is a surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through incisions made in the mother's abdomen and uterus.
The national C-section rate in Uganda is around 14%, according to the ministry of health reproductive health report, which sits within the World Health Organisation's (WHO) ideal recommended range of 13%.
Doctors may recommend the procedure when a vaginal delivery poses a danger to the mother or baby. It can be planned in advance or performed as an emergency when complications arise during labour.
The procedure can be lifesaving in situations such as obstructed labour, foetal distress, certain abnormal positions of the baby, placenta-related complications or other conditions that make vaginal delivery unsafe.
But unlike a normal vaginal delivery, a C-section involves major abdominal surgery.
The procedure requires an incision through several layers of tissue before the uterus is reached and the baby is delivered.