50 years after winning Miss World, Cindy Breakspeare is a ‘dolly’

If Fashion Elevation were a dancehall show, its full title might read something like ‘Fashion Elevation: Queens and Dolls’ or, perhaps, ‘Fashion Elevation: Di Dolly Dem Come Out’. Last Saturday night at The Summit in New Kingston, Miss World 1976, Cindy Breakspeare; Miss Jamaica 1978, Joan McDonald; Miss Jamaica World 2025-2026, Nevaeh Allen; and the Queen of Reggae, Marcia Griffiths, all strutted into the “dolly dem” conversation – and, naturally, took it to another level.

All queens, they know exactly what it’s like to get glammed up and step out looking like a dolly. And now, courtesy of event organisers Mahogany Entertainment Network and Beverley Robotham-Reynolds of Island Dolls, they have been fashioned into real dolls.

Robotham-Reynolds told The Gleaner that Weston Haughton, one of the organisers – and himself well known in the worlds of fashion and modelling – called to ask if she could create dolls for the four queens. He also invited her to showcase a display from her collections.

“I called him back and said yes to creating the dolls ... and then I wondered what should I dress them in, and I decided to be nostalgic. So I did some research and, for example, the outfit which Miss World 1976, Cindy Breakspare, is wearing is almost a replica of her coronation gown. We were able to get the fabric, we were able to get the trimmings, and I must say that my seamstress did a fantastic job. If you look at the actual outfit that Cindy wore and the one on the doll, it is so similar,” shared Robotham-Reynolds, who has been in the doll-making business for 30 years.

The doll of Joan McDonald is also wearing one of the famous pieces from her wardrobe while Allen’s doll is an elegant blue gown – a special creation inspired by Robotham-Reynolds’s research showing that the beauty loves the colour blue. The Reggae Queen’s doll even features her signature mole. All four queens were ecstatic.

“It’s been 50 years since I won Miss World, and I’ve never been a dolly before,” a beaming Breakspeare said on being presented with her look-alike doll at Fashion Elevation.

“It’s very special. It’s a unique experience after all these years,” Breakspeare told The Gleaner, adding, “It doesn’t feel like 50 years since I won ... it’s feels like the blink of an eye. Can’t believe all those years have passed,” said the mother of three, whose youngest child is reggae legend Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley.

And she added, with her winning Miss World smile, “I’m now a proud grandmother of eight grandchildren. I’m a bashment granny.”

Reggae Queen Marcia Griffiths was equally pleased with her doll and shared an anecdote with The Gleaner.

“About 20 years ago, my son and I were walking in Marketplace and some young girls looked at me and said ‘A di original dolly this you know’. I didn’t really know the term, but I come to know more about the dolly, and it’s a wonderful feeling to get my dolly tonight,” declared Griffiths, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by The University of the West Indies, Mona, at its most recent graduation ceremony.

Joan McDonald shared that she had always been fascinated with the artistry of dolls and becoming a dolly certainly ranked high on her list of proud moments.

“I’m so very grateful to that lovely lady who sat down and put this all together for us. And it was certainly a surprise to see myself ... Miss Jamaica World 1978 ... as a doll. I’m honoured, and excited and joyous because it’s not only a title. It is a lifestyle. A lifestyle of being beautiful, of sharing my fashion with the world ... fashion was my foundation even before pageantry,” McDonald said.

A grateful Allen also shared; “I got a custom doll from Island Dolls, and I did not expect to receive this, especially one that is so similar to my likeness. It was such a personalised gift, and I could not be more grateful to receive it. After all, it’s every little girl’s dream to have a doll made that looks like her.”

Jamaica’s first supermodel, Althea Laing, was honoured as a trailblazer and received a specially blended perfume named after her. It was also a night that recognised Weston Haughton for his contribution to the world of fashion and modelling.

The fashion showcase brought together designers, models, creatives, and cultural tastemakers from across the globe for an evening celebrating couture, creativity, and cultural expression. The Mahogany Entertainment Network partnered with the globally recognised fashion production company LA Fashion Closet. Headlining the event was Grammy Award-winning Septimius The Great, an actor and fashion designer, who also showcased his fashion-forward Septimius Couture Collection.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com