Kerre Woodham: Cut beautiful Ria some slack

Pity poor Ria van Dyke, the Miss Universe New Zealand contestant waving the flag for us in Las Vegas.

She has come under fire for wearing an American-designed evening dress in the national costume category.

It's black and the bling gives it a bit of silver, so she's sticking with the national colours.

Local designer Natalie Chan designed a silver fern headpiece and cuffs to accessorise the outfit.

She was making an effort but the national director for Miss Universe New Zealand, Val Lott, was upset the outfit wasn't 100 per cent Kiwi.

Give the poor girl a break. She had to find more than 25 outfits to wear and before she left for Las Vegas. She and her mum were trawling op shops to get enough items together.

It seems the competition here runs on the smell of an oily rag, unlike the dollars that are thrown at the contestants in the South American countries, so what on earth did Mrs Lott expect?

Besides, she looks beautiful alongside the other contestants, who look utterly ridiculous.

Perhaps the organisers would have been happy if Miss Universe New Zealand had appeared in her bra and undies - as long as they were Bendon, she'd be wearing a local designer.