Miss Canada hockey dress designed by horror seamstress

Alex Kavanagh is a Toronto-based TV and film costume designer, speaks with CTV News.

The horror!

As Miss Canada stepped out onto the stage Wednesday night during the "National Costume" round of the Miss Universe 2015 pageant in Miami there was an audible gasp.

Caledon, Ont. native Chanel Beckenlehner was sporting a Stanley Cup crown, hockey stick wings, a maple leaf-adorned corset, knee-high boots tied up with hockey laces and a working scoreboard attached to her back.

The mind behind the design of Beckenlehner's twisted hockey-fused dress, which shocked, horrified and was praised by many, is also responsible for bringing Jigsaw -- from the splatter film franchise "Saw" -- to life.

Alex Kavanagh is a Toronto-based TV and film costume designer. She met with Beckenlehner in August to come up with the design.

Kavanagh is aware of the divisive reaction to the dress, but stands by the costume that sticks out among the competition.

"Some people really, really hate it and others really, really love it – but everyone has noticed it, that's for sure," she told CTV News.

"If we just had her dressed in hockey gear, well that wouldn't say much about Miss Universe," she added.

This is the first time Kavanagh has designed a dress for a pageant, as much of her work is in the horror movie industry.

Miss Universe's National Costume round asks contestants to wear attire that best represents their home country.

Kavanagh and Beckenlehner started with 30 concepts, six of which were selected for sketches. Outfits inspired by the Canadarm and Hudson's Bay were also in the final running.

But eventually Beckenlehner settled on the sport that is synonymous with Canada.

It remains to be seen whether the attention garnered by the dress will translate into Miss Universe success, but Kavanagh stands behind Beckenlehner's candidacy.

"Chanel is Miss Universe material," she said.

With files from the Canadian Press and a report from CTV Toronto's Scott Lightfoot.