Daniela di Giocomo, former Miss International from Venezuela, rocking a classical and very classy hairstyle
Category: Swimsuits competitions
KNOW THE RULES, FOLLOW THE RULES
This year, 2016, will probably be remembered as the Year of the Dethronements, as all over the world pageant winners, local, national and international, are being stripped of their titles. The reasons are quite varied and ultimately it comes down to a violation of the rules of the pageant involved.
As the recent, very sad, case of Genesis Davila clearly illustrates, it is imperative that you know your pageant’s rules and, more importantly, actually follow them.
Genesis’ dream was always to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. In 2012, after finishing as first runner-up to Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2013, Genesis represented her native Puerto Rico at Miss Intercontinental 2012 and ended up as first runner-up again. She later won the title of Miss World Puerto Rico 2014 and competed without placement at Miss World in London. It was evident that Miss World was not the right fit for her and that she was a Miss Universe kind of beauty queen.
Genesis moved to Florida and competed in the state’s prelim for Miss USA and lo and behold she won that title. Once again, she had a shot at the Miss Universe crown through the Miss USA pageant. Then it all came crashing down as Genesis was accused of breaking the Miss Florida USA pageant rules.
The saddest part is that in the scheme of rule violations, hers was a rather minor one. Genesis used professional stylists to prepare her on finals night and this is prohibited by her pageant’s rules.
Rules protect both the organisers and the contestants as they clarify where each stands with regard to the other and what is expected of each. Usually the rules clearly favour the organisers, however as long as they are clearly stated there is no excuse for violations.
When you register for a pageant, you are agreeing to their rules. You may think some of these rules are unnecessary or even ridiculous but you agree to them of your own accord. You give your word that you comply with and will follow all regulations and failure to do so demonstrates a total lack of integrity on your part, no matter what your opinion is of those rules.
So, the first step in joining any pageant is making sure you know all their rules, that you can comply with these and are willing to continue to comply and follow these rules.
Some contestants try to get away with not following the rules. Some even win their pageant. In the long run, the stress of having the Sword of Damocles hanging above their head will preclude them from properly enjoying their triumph. And in this day and digital age, you can be sure that eventually the truth will come out.
If the pageant’s rules are not for you, then the pageant itself is not for you.
WHY ARE YOU COMPETING IN A PAGEANT?
Over the many years I have been involved with pageants, I have heard different reasons why young ladies compete in them. Some are very lofty, some are simple and most of them are not the real reason.
The true reason you compete is what will ultimately determine how you react to the outcome of your participation. Therefore, it is primordial that you are very clear on why you are competing and what it would mean if you win or not.
It may very well be that you are not even aware of the real reason you are competing. Any objective that entails personal development, moving out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself, is a good one, because no matter what the outcome you will realise your goal.
Consider though if you are competing to prove your worth to someone else. Off course, if you win you will feel a great sense of accomplishment. If you do not, it will be a tremendous disappointment and you will probably make it mean that now the person(s) must think even less of you. I doubt that is the outcome anyone wants out of their participation in a pageant.
In preparing to compete in a pageant, be brutally honest with yourself. Really take a cold, hard look at your true reason for competing. Find out if you are prepared to deal with the outcome of not winning, given what your real motivation is. You may realise that another avenue of dealing with whatever is bothering you, will be more beneficial for you.
You will find that you are most successful competing in pageants when your ultimate goal is to grow as a human being. For most people, competing is stepping out of their comfort zone and that is probably the greatest benefit you can derive from pageants. At the end of the day, your success is measured by the personal achievement you walk away with and that doesn’t even have to entail a crown.
“TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF”, Part 2
Continuing from our previous discussion on the Pageant Interview, we will now look on how to conduct yourself in the actual interview.
The final piece of preparation is to select one topic which you would like to tell the judges about yourself. Then you are ready to face the judges!
The interview can have two different question formats:
- the direct question, in which you are asked a specific question on a specific topic, i.e. “What would you do to inspire the youth of your country?”
- the open-ended question, in which you basically get to decide what you want to talk about, i.e. “Tell us about yourself?”
Starting off with an open-ended question is off course ideal, because you can go straight in and talk about the topic you selected beforehand. Do, however, avoid the following pitfalls:
- do NOT start by saying your name. You have already been announced so the judges know who you are
- do NOT mention your age, unless it is relevant for the topic you are going to talk about, i.e. you are 20 years old, have been working since you are 16 and you are now the proud owner of your own home
- do NOT mention your profession or study, unless you are going to talk about why you chose that profession or study as an insight to the person you are
The trick with a direct question is to structure your reply in such a way that you get to talk about the subject you chose beforehand. Some questions are easily malleable, whereas other aren’t. It also depends on your topic.
If you find that you can’t direct the question, answer it quickly in order to get another question. When I say quickly, I mean without embellishment. It is extremely important to answer every question properly.
If you are asked a question that you are comfortable with and very knowledgeable about, keep talking so that you do not give the judges the opportunity to ask you something you are not comfortable answering. Make sure you do not start repeating yourself though. Only stretch your answer if you have a lot to say about the subject.
Body language is also an important aspect of the Personal Interview. It is therefore important that you know how your body reacts when you are stressed.
- if you have a tendency to fidget, sit in a way that will make make fidgeting more difficult
- if you use your hands a lot when you speak, hold one hand over the other in your lap so as to control your hand movements
- always address the judge that asked the question. Do however, take time during your answering to look at each of the other judges
- look the judges in the eyes. Averting their eyes creates the impression that you have something to hide. If looking at them straight in the eyes makes you uncomfortable, focus on the space between their eyebrows
- dress appropriately. Never wear cocktail outfits. You don’t have to wear a suit, but take into account the time of day and the fact that you are interviewing for a job
- make sure what you are wearing and the way you sit does not give the judges unexpected views
- do not wear distracting earrings or necklaces
It will for sure help you to practice, so invite some of your friends over and do some mock interviews.
If you are planning to compete, the best way to prepare for the Personal Interview portion of any pageant is to join a Toastmasters Club about a year before the date of your pageant. To this day I have found them to be the best coaches in the area of public speaking and structuring of your thoughts for communication to others.
“TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF”, Part 1
It only lasts about 3 minutes and all you have to do is talk about yourself. It should be the easiest part about competing in a pageant, right? NOT!
One the parts of pageants that makes contestants most nervous is the personal interview. Yet, you can easily prepare yourself for it because you talk about a subject you should know everything about.
The interview is the part where the judges evaluate whether you got what it takes to fulfil the duties that come with the title you are vying for. Pageant directors instruct the judges which are the qualities to look for and these can vary per competition. Yet in big lines it is all about being able to carry out a conversation, while being engaging and composed.
When I started in pageants, each contestant would get 3 minutes with each judge. This worked because we had 10 contestants and 5 judges. In most pageants nowadays, because of the large number of contestants, each participant gets 3 minutes with the whole panel of judges.
In some international pageants, a group of delegates gets interviewed at the same time by the whole panel. In my opinion, this is a waste of everyone’s time because it hardly gives a judge the opportunity to say good afternoon to the delegate.
Three minutes does not sound like a long time, yet it can be if the conversation does not flow. This is the key to a great interview and to give a great interview you need to prepare yourself. Preparation is not difficult, but it is time consuming.
The first step is to make a list of:
- your likes and dislikes
- people you admire and those who irk you
- your accomplishments
- things you want to accomplish
Next step is to look at why all those things are on your list, i.e. why do you wish to become an accountant?
Next, think of the event(s) in your life which determined the way you feel about the things on your list, i.e. did winning a math competition make you decide you wanted to work with numbers?
You should also keep abreast of current events and have an opinion about them. Again, look at what led you to form that specific opinion.
It is important to have clear plans for the future. Where do you want to go, how do you plan to get there and do you have the necessary tools to get there. For instance, it is very laudable to want to become a doctor of medicine. However, if you do not have the required secondary education, it is not a very realistic goal. So, be very realistic in your ambitions.
All these steps serve for you to have a clear understanding of who you are and how you got to be that way. Next, we will look at how to present what you know about yourself in the personal interview.
So, get pencil and paper and start making those lists!
NOTEWORTHY: This is How You Do Pageant Photography
Zara Nortley, Miss Galaxy England 2016
Photographer: Stacey Clarke
Make-up: Sascha Martini
NOTEWORTHY: This is How You Do Pageant Photography
Alexandra Krijger, Miss Curaçao World 2015
Photographer: Niko da Costa Gomez, www.instagram.com/nikodacostagomez
NOTEWORTHY: Gowns with nude material
THIS IS HOW YOU ROCK A NUDE FABRIC GOWN:
AND THIS IS HOW YOU DO NOT:
WINNING (HAIR) STYLES
Miss Venezuela 2012, Irene Sofía Esser Quintero, poses in her evening gown at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She will spend the next few weeks touring, filming, rehearsing, and making new friends while she prepares to compete for the coveted Miss Universe Diamond Nexus Labs Crown. Tune in to the LIVE NBC Telecast from PH Live at 8:00 PM ET on December 19, 2012 to see who will win the title of MISS UNIVERSE® 2012.?HO/Miss Universe Organization L.P., LLLP–LIGHT RETOUCHING–
Miss Switzerland 2012, Alina Buchschacher, poses in her evening gown at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She will spend the next few weeks touring, filming, rehearsing, and making new friends while she prepares to compete for the coveted Miss Universe Diamond Nexus Labs Crown. Tune in to the LIVE NBC Telecast from PH Live at 8:00 PM ET on December 19, 2012 to see who will win the title of MISS UNIVERSE® 2012.?HO/Miss Universe Organization L.P., LLLP–LIGHT RETOUCHING–
VARIATIONS ON THE COLUMN DRESS
The Pageant Consultancy 