More than 200 people gathered to watch twelve hopefuls strut their stuff at the Miss Universe Australia NSW Preliminary held at St Ives Shopping Village this afternoon.
After a swimwear, evening wear and question and answer section, six women were chosen to progress to the NSW state final next year.
Among the five judges was pageant expert Peter Sereno, couture designer Sylvia Lee and fashion photographer Kent Johnson.
Mr Sereno, who helped style and coach former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins, said he thought there was some good potential at the preliminary.
"I'm looking for a winner. I'm looking for a girl who thinks there are only two kinds of people in this world - those who want to be me, and those who want to marry me. I'm looking for attitude,'' Mr Sereno said.Elizabeth Hay, 23, from Kellyville, was one of the six who made it through to the state final.Ms Hay, who works at an executive search company, said she thought she would throw herself in the deep end, and audition."I just did it for a bit of self-confidence and for the experience,'' Ms Hay said.
"All the girls are so beautiful, so it's a surprise when you get through.''
The preliminary's come after Scherri-Lee Biggs - this year's Miss Universe Australia winner - placed in the Top 10 at the International Miss Universe Pageant held last week. Miss Angola, Leila Lopes, was the country's first winner.
Miss Universe Australia marketing and event manager Paris Ogden said they had a huge number of entries this year, from women from all professions.
"Each year it grows, it's becoming bigger and bigger in Australia,'' Ms Ogden said.
"We get all sorts. Obviously you're going to get your models, but over 60 per cent don't model at all, or do it part time.''
Miss Universe Australia 2012 preliminaries run until June next year, with the National Final Crowning Ceremony held in July.
Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes, from Angola when found in a press conference his visit to Indonesia, at the Ritz Carlton, Jakarta, Tuesday (10/04/2011). Leila Lopes planned to attend the Election Night 2011 Puteri Indonesia, next Friday, October 7th.
Miss Universe, Leila Lopes, confirmed it took place on October 11, with the agenda inaugurated World Fashion clothing boutiques in Jalan Setiabudhi. London organizers asked residents take advantage of the moment to promote the cultural, culinary riches, and the clothing industry there.
It is expressed Communication Director Esa, Dadan Hendaya, when asked readiness to event organizer (EO) Lopes during the event in Bandung, Friday (07/10/2011).
While in London, Lopes will go to two places namely Imah Artists and Fashion World boutiques. Charity evening held another EO, Viseta Gemilang Main, canceled because of the negative spotlight.
"We also request that the visit of Miss Universe was not created as a polemic. His arrival has the potential to lift the image of the city of Bandung in the eyes of the international community," said Dadan.
Similarly, the fund-raiser event, the arrival of Miss Universe to Bandung is also not free from protests in some quarters, one of the Indonesian Ulema Council both city and provincial levels.
But there is also of those who look pragmatically that the arrival of Miss Universe can be used to promote the fashion industry and the culinary excellence of Bandung.
Lopes tonight will be pinned to the crown of Miss Indonesia 2011. A visit to London will end the tour for a week in Indonesia. (Kompas,Oktober 7 2011)
The first use of the title "Miss Universe" was as part of International Pageant of Pulchritude which began in 1926. These events, the first international contests, lasted until 1935 when the Great Depression and other events preceding World War II led to their demise. This pageant had no direct relationship with the modern event.
The winner of the later "Miss America 1951" pageant, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose in a swimsuit from its major sponsor, Catalina swimwear. As a result, the brand's manufacturer Pacific Mills withdrew from Miss America and set up the Miss USA and Miss Universe contests. The first Miss Universe Pageant was held in Long Beach, California in 1952. It was won by Armi Kuusela from Finland, who gave up her title though not officially to get married, shortly before her year was complete. Until 1958 the Miss Universe title (like Miss America) was post-dated, so at the time Ms. Kuusela's title was Miss Universe 1953.
The pageant was first televised in 1955. CBS began nationally broadcasting the combined Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants from 1960 and, separately, from 1965. In 2003 NBC took over the television rights. Xbox Live will be streaming the pageants online internationally starting in 2012.
2.Competition Formats
In 2006 twenty semi-finalists were announced, with these delegates competing in the swimsuit competition. The number of competing delegates was then cut to ten, with those delegates colpeting in the evening gown competition. After that round of competition, the final five were announced, with the finalists competing in the "final question" or interview round. At the end of competition the runners-up were announced and the winner crowned by the outgoing queen. In 2007 the format changed slightly with the top 15 moving to the swimsuit competition; from there, 10 selected contestants moved on to the evening gown competition where half were eliminated. The final five were competing in the "final question". At the end of competition the runners-up were announced and the winner crowned by the outgoing queen. In 2011, for the first time ever, one of the sixteen semifinalists was selected exclusively by fans via online voting.
3.Contestant Selection
Each year, Miss Universe organizers receive bids from organizations who wish to select the Miss Universe contestant for a country. This allows competition between different pageants to hold a country's license, as happened for Miss Italy and Miss France for example, when the licenses for their respective traditional organizations were revoked (the usual Miss France competition returned in 2004).
Usually a country's candidate selection involves pageants in major cities, with the winners competing in a national pageant, but this does not always occur. For example, in 2000 Australia's national pageant was abolished as a relic of a bygone era, with Australian delegates instead chosen by a modeling agency. Such "castings" are generally discouraged by the Miss Universe Organization, which prefers national pageants that preserve an aura of respectability and competition. Despite being "cast", Miss Australia, Jennifer Hawkins, was chosen as Miss Universe 2004. Later that year, Australia resumed its national pageant and chose Michelle Guy as Miss Universe Australia 2005.
Some of the most successful national pageants in the last decade have been Venezuela, USA, Puerto Rico, etc. which command consistently high interest and television ratings in their respective countries. Recent arrivals in the pageant include China (2002), Albania (2002), Vietnam (2004), Georgia (2004), Ethiopia (2004), Latvia (2005), Kazakhstan (2006), Tanzania (2007), and Kosovo (2008); there have also been efforts to revive strong national pageants in South Africa, Canada, Spain, Japan, Philippines; Latin America (especially Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil) among other regions. Prior powerhouses are Finland, Germany and Sweden. England is the most successful non-winning country with nine Top five positions.
The organization makes continual efforts to expand the pageant, but the participation of some countries such as Algeria has proven difficult due to cultural barriers to the swimsuit competition, while others such as Azerbaijan, Mozambique, Armenia and Nepal have balked at sending representatives due to the cost (in fact, of all the major international pageants, the franchise fee for Miss Universe is the most expensive). As of 2010, only four countries have been present at every Miss Universe since its inception in 1952: Canada, France, Germany, and the United States. Many European countries allow 17-year-old contestants to compete in their pageants, while Miss Universe's minimum age is 18, so national titleholders often have to be replaced by their runners-up. Miss Universe also prohibits transsexual applicants and age fabrication.
