In 2012 at the University of Benin Nigeria, Mrs. Esther Eke organized the first beauty pageant, a pageant to give other young girls like herself a start in the world of pageantry and a platform to achieve their goals.
She has always appreciated pageantry for giving young women a platform to showcase themselves, not just through participating but also by watching. Participants learn how to communicate, leadership, attitude, personality, and poise. Which are skills that are all developed through rehearsals and after the show and some see it as a stepping stone for entertainment and social work.
In 2001, when she first watched Ms. World and saw Agbani Darego win, it motivated her and gave her confidence to not only participate but also organize pageants. She wanted to create a platform to give girls the same opportunities she had gotten from contesting and after she graduated she ensured to set up a system for other students to continue the pageant.
The pageant has seen break-out stars like:
Moses Akerele from MTVs SHUGA who got his start hosting the contest
Ugochi Ihezue who went on to win MBGN 2017 and compete in Ms. World
Tessy, who is now the CEO of a fashion house
Today, over 10 years later, the pageant is still organized by other students every year.
Following her experience in both competing and organizing here are 5 tips and advice she has for girls looking to win beauty pageants.
1. Showcase Beauty and Poise
Of course one of the important aspects of competing in a beauty pageant is to have symmetrical facial and body features. While many contests do not adhere to one beauty standard, to participate, contestants must-have looks that stand out, and not just that, they should know how to bring out their best features. For example, if a contestant has been told she has a stunning smile, she should enhance her beauty and chances by smiling as much as possible.
DO NOT let other people look over your beauty, draw their attention to it through careful selection of costume, makeup, and poise.
2. Personality
As an organizer of beauty pageants, she mentions that personality is often a determinant in the selection of winners. During the camp and even while showcasing, showcase a strong, likable, and affable personality that will draw the judge’s attention.
3. Pragmatism
Pragmatism also has to do with personality, however, anyone can pick up this skill. Do not have a bad or unfriendly attitude, try to be outspoken, and friendly, and maintain a countenance that draws people, judges, and other contestants alike to you.
4. Have Confidence
Confidence is a defining quality when contesting in beauty pageants. Be confident in your walk, skills, while speaking and of course in yourself. Judges and organizers often want a face that can represent the mission of the contest properly and are most likely to select a confident lady as a winner.
5. Align with the contest
Her contest was Ms. Hotlegs and Photogenic which means one of their focal points was on the legs and photogenic contests. Therefore, when participating in any beauty contest, research their mission (this might change yearly) or theme and do your best to align yourself with what they are looking for to stand out.
Today, Esther Eke is a married mother of 1 and still works in the beauty industry, designing clothing through her fashion brand.
