World peace is out, God is in: Inside the sequined drama of Melbourne’s Miss World pageant
Apparently world peace is out and God is in. At least that was the case as beauties descended on the ‘burbs to talk self-worth, motivation and ambition.
Fiona Byrne
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The sequin dream of being a queen and changing the world is still alive and well.
Times might have changed but the power of a pageant remains.
In a case of beauty in the ‘burbs, Maidstone in Melbourne’s inner west was the beating heart of Australia’s pageant scene on Friday evening with White Night Receptions hosting the gleaming and sparkly confection of ambition, accomplishments, positivity, motivation, and self-improvement that is the Victorian final of Miss World Australia.
While the state final was an explosion of colour with frothy princess gowns, sleek shifts and sequined show stoppers, spray tans, hair extensions, fake eyelashes, towering heels and shellac nails, there was not a swimsuit to be seen. That section got the boot from Miss World a few years ago. Miss World positions itself as beauty with a purpose rather than an ogle-fest of bikinis and defined six-packs.
The world peace catch phrase has been usurped, it was not mentioned once; mental health and wellness is now the new focus for beauty queens. It this evolution or revolution?
God also has a hand in the pageant game. “God is working through me,” one contender told the crowd, another said from the Maidstone stage that God was “why I am here.”
So, what is a show without a little drama?
One contestant fell up the stairs onto the stage (her Jennifer Lawrence moment) after becoming caught in the acres of fabric in the skirt of her dramatic evening dress. Another could barely traverse the stairs so tight was her fishtail gown and had to be gallantly assisted on her ascent and descent by the compere.
The 28 Victorian State Finalists were an impressive bunch, among them law students, a civil engineer, a Bollywood dancer, a surgeon in training, medical students, an aspiring pilot, a surfer, a vet student, a journalist, real estate agents, a body builder, an actress, and a spiritual and holistic healer studying quantum healing.
Not surprisingly nerves caused a few fumbles; “I travelled through 20 different states including Canada,” one would-be queen said of her recent USA travel adventure.
The Q&A section has traditionally been the pothole that has tripped up many royal pageant aspirants and contenders were faced with some curly questions from current Miss World Australia, Melbourne’s Kristen Wright.
Q: Should people be obligated to do charity work? A: “If you can, you should.”
Q: Is the spirit of ANZAC lost on the younger generation and are ANZAC eve parties responsible for this? A: “The actual ANZAC Day Dawn Service, I feel like people are missing out on going to that because of being hung over or still out.”
Q: Is beauty only skin deep? A: “Beauty comes from inside. It does not matter if you have a pretty face and a pretty figure if your soul is ugly.”
The contestant who landed the question ‘Where do you see yourself in five years time?’ did not muck around: “I would like to change the world.”
Eight ladies, Violet Hall, Becky Wolfe, Navya Passi, Melani Murdjevska, Karlee Davis, Louise Child, Katelan Pittick and Hilary van Herwaarden, were selected to represent Victoria at the Miss World Australia national final later this year.
Pageants are a curious mix of nostalgia and empowerment and they have never gone away despite the naysayers poo poo-ing them.
If anything they give participants, particularly the winner, an even stronger platform to pursue their interests in this day and age.
Good luck to #TeamVictoria” at the national final.
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