Anyone who says there aren't any beautiful girls in this country is a liar.
Anyone who says that there are no beautiful, intelligent women who have participated in our national beauty pageant, Miss Mauritius, is also a liar.
Viveka Babajee, Miss Mauritius 1994
Laetitia Darche, Miss Mauritius 2010
So what's the problem?
Why, in Mauritian pageant history, has none of these women entered in the semi-finals or classed in the top 15/16 in the Miss World or Miss Universe contests?
Well you may say, it's a matter of luck - there are so many people competing, to win the local pageant is already prestigious enough, for them. And to be honest, that's what I thought myself for the last couple of years until I took a serious look at the statistics:
Take for example Miss Universe:
- The United States has performed the best throughout the pageant's entire history, with seven winners, eight first runners-up, six second runners-up, one third runner-up, five fourth runners-up, six finalists, and eighteen semi-finalists.
- After the USA, Venezuela is the next most successful nation in terms of overall placements in the semi-finals (37); it is followed in turn by Brazil, and Colombia (30 both), Sweden (29), Germany (21), Israel (20), England, India, and Puerto Rico (19 each), Finland, Greece, Japan, and South Africa (18 each), Philippines (17), Canada, Mexico, Norway, Peru, and(16 each).
That's a lot of wins for each country. The probabilities that these countries have such a high percentage of winners and semi-finalists is incredible, and leads to the inevitable conclusion, and the reason for this article:
The women who won this pageant were trained for this contest for years, or at least were trained so thoroughly, so impressively for the period of time they reigned locally to win this contest.
These women were taken care of professionally to the highest degree.
Pageantry is a serious business.
And we have never even entered the semi-finals. With such beautiful, intelligent women. Why?
It's not the fault of the participants, it's the fault of the management.
Yes, I am sure that all the organisers are doing their best, but:
You cannot let any organisation become a family business. Never. It's not only just a terrible way of working, it leaves no room for innovation, unless the family really are exceptional at what they are doing, which in this case I am sad to say they are not.
I recently checked out a video where one of the Miss Mauritius was asked to answer the question at the Miss Universe of World pageant. She was flustered; her head was bobbing to the side, she could not communicate effectively, she laughed awkwardly. It has nothing to do with intelligence, and it is not her fault - had she been given proper skills to answer any question the organisers had thrown at her, she would have fared much better.
And I won't go to elaborate on the numerous other problems concerning the organisation for the list is long, but I think one of the most flagrant incidents was when it was reported Ameeksha Dilchand was not eligible for the Miss World 2012 pageant. Now basic mathematics would have made this matter clear to the organisers much earlier, how could they have let this happen?
There is no point in ranting. What we should look at now, is how to make things better, and I have a couple of proposals:
Firstly, what are the other countries doing right?
I am not an advocate of any beauty queen going under the knife, and I believe that the woman who wins the title should do so with her God-given natural body. But this is an article you must read:
Because it shows how much people take this seriously. And if we could adopt what is good in their training and regimen, it would bring Mauritius up to a whole different level.
Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarette (Mexico)
These women have been trained, moulded to become a potential Miss Universe.
Our girls need to be trained properly.
Look for example at Grace Fontecha: This incredible women has trained 27 BEAUTY PAGEANT WINNERS SINCE 1980 (it deserves capital letters!).
Miss Venezuela Universe 2011, trained by Grace Fontecha (she made it to the top 16!)
On her website, it is stated that her coaching includes:
- Grace and Poise
- Walking / Runway
- Fashion
- Photo Posing
- Attitude
- Style
- Technique
- Accessories
- Projection
I don't think they are receiving this kind of training (and this is only a list of some of the stuff she offers), and if they do it's obviously not to international level.
So what do we do? You now ask. Hello, Alex, come back to earth! We are in Mauritius, not in Venezuela or the US!
Which brings me to my second point:
We are not far away from Reunion (or Reunion Island, if you prefer). And guess what?
Marie Payet, Miss Reunion 2010, was second runner up in the Miss France contest.
Which means that the people in Reunion are working things out very well, and that it would be stupid if we did not take advantage of their know-how and expertise.
Though obviously we are competing against each other, there must be some way for professionals to come over here and collaborate with the organisation.
And in my opinion, I would completely change the management. If something has not worked for the past 40ish years or so, it's not going to work today unless miracles really do happen.
I would also suggest getting the whole Mauritian fashion industry works together on the contest, so we get exposure on that level too; that is, every designer collaborates with fashion and design students to design several amazing dresses, which the experts (in the management) would then choose from to be produced for the pageant winner to wear internationally.
Our girls deserve the best they can get: we have potential. Let's give these women the best they can get, so they have the best shot at these contests.
Changing the way our pageant works for the better will give our country better exposure internationally, vital for tourism, and essential in maintaining our reputation for excellence.
Have an amazing week and weekend!
xoxo
Alex
Email: stylemauritius@live.com
Twitter:@stylemauritius
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