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The initiative is the brainchild of two women – one a former IT programmer and the other a qualified HR professional
A long-standing struggle is to turn the conversation toward a woman’s intelligence and personality, rather than her looks. The modeling industry has been trying to embrace this as it portrays greater diversity and focuses on stories of courage, struggle, achievement and greatness of women from all walks of life living bravely. The Miss/Mrs Arabian International Pageant, to be held on 4 March 2023, will provide such a platform for every woman, ahead of next year’s International Women’s Day.
The initiative is the brainchild of two women – one a former IT programmer and the other a qualified HR specialist. Founders Lamiya Lokhandwala and Apurva Trivedi, 34, have embarked on a journey to revolutionize the way beauty is perceived in the region, with the Miss/Mrs Arabia International Pageant set to be the region’s first all-inclusive beauty pageant and see A variety of women, including aspiring plus-size models, single moms, and cancer and acid attack survivors. Two expats guide us through the world beneath the glamor of the show.
“A lot of people talk about beauty, or beauty with intelligence, but what about the ones who overcome the odds with perseverance, drive and real grit?” asks Lamiya Lokhandwala, MD, founder and founder of Unify Events, which will be based in Dubai Held the first Miss Arabia/Mrs. International Pageant. “Beauty shouldn’t be for slim or fair people, there should be no prejudice, it should be for everyone,” Lamiya added.
When it comes to swaggering down the runway, a certain image always comes to mind, a certain body type and age. But the duo wanted to upend that notion. Apurva Trivedi, co-founder and creative behind Unify Events, said: “Our goal is to promote women who are used to staying at home and want to participate in these kinds of competitions but cannot due to certain responsibilities and commitments.” She thinks it is possible Be the Arab world’s answer to the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants.
Currently accepting entries for the beauty contest, with auditions set to take place on January 5, 2023, the platform challenges the meaning of beauty and creates new structures for the word.
“We’re inviting women from across the region to compete, no matter who they are, where they’re from, what they look like, what they do for a living, what they wear, if they have the ability to inspire other women. An inclusive event like this has never happened before, That’s what makes it a simple but quite revolutionary idea,” Lamia said.
For many, the value of beauty is discovered through inner joy. The same is true for Apurva, who believes that if we are happy inside, then we can achieve everything we want. The color, size or shape present is not important.
“Inner beauty is the real beauty. I am not on the so-called perfect or thin side myself, I have always been on the heavier side. If a person is very beautiful, but if they are fake, it is no use being beautiful ,” Lamia said.
The impact of inclusivity on the modeling industry is easier to put into words than to see it in real life. Is the modeling industry really making some progress in terms of inclusion and diversity?
“In today’s world, the modeling industry has definitely reached a level of inclusivity, and now they are mainly concerned with the more important intelligence. Beauty is one thing, but I think women are more intelligent. I think the whole world understands that if a woman sets her mind to do something They can do whatever they want,” Lamia said.
With the media’s powerful influence on people as it influences and educates them, Lamia believes it gives women the confidence and a platform to express themselves and be their most original selves.
The future of the pageant is all-female, and Lamiya and Apurva have high hopes for that.
“We plan to eventually take it to the rest of the Bay Area, touring every year, city by city, country by country, reaching millions, having some of the most beloved superstars on the jury, and showcasing award after award or the real ability to change people’s lives,” Apurva said.
Beyond the glitz and glamor of the runway, the show will feature inspiring stories of real women in the Bay Area and their achievements. Applicants for the Miss Arab International must be between the ages of 18 and 28, while applicants for the Mrs Arab International must be at least 20 years old.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com
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