In a green training suit and with a pink hair band on, 17-year-old Stacey Sanders is relaxed on a dressing table. Concentrated, she looks in the mirror to stick long eyelashes. Nervous? She’s a bit, yes. She has been dreaming of participating in a miss election since she was small and she is in the final of Miss Teen of Noord-Holland tonight.
She keeps two earrings close to her ear. “Which for the bikinironde and which for the Galaronde?” She asks the girls in the dressing room. Then she removes a chain with blue stones from her bag. “Is there anyone who is wearing a blue dress tonight and wants it? I received from my grandmother, but he doesn’t fit my dress. ”
Music from Lil Kleine pops out of a phone. The atmosphere is exuberant. It is Sunday, Theater Cool in Heerhugowaard was taken over by the 41 partinalists of Miss Teen, Miss Beauty and Miss Universe Noord-Holland. They compete for a place in the national final in July. The women share live streams, make selfies and wait for their turn for the make -up. In the changing rooms, suitcases have been thrown open, gala dresses hang in covers, towering heels are displayed and there are toilet bags everywhere with makeup and jewelry.
In December, the organization behind Miss Nederland announced that it would stop the election, because the focus is no longer of this time. But there are more organizations active and they continue, such as Miss Beauty of the Netherlands, which also includes Miss Universe Netherlands and Miss Teen. A total of 5,000 girls and women registered last year for one of the three competitions, the oldest was 60 years old.
But why?
Preparations for candidates For Miss Beauty Noord-Holland. The women are getting ready for the opening dance.
Photos Dieuwertje Bravenboer
It is the early afternoon in Heerhugowaard. The general rehearsal is in two hours, the final in the evening. The atmosphere is relaxed. Ariëlle Kropf (23), Maria Harrabi (40) and Charissa Promes (36) are in a quiet dressing room. They are in the race to become Miss Universe Noord-Holland. Harrabi eats a salad, Kropf sits on a couch, the hair in a tail. The hair from Promes is in Bantu Knots, tightly turned buns. They have not yet been to the make -up, wear comfortable clothing. Harrabi and Kropf participated before. Kropf: “It was so empoweringI gained a lot of confidence. ” Harrabi’s first experience was less nice. “But now someone asked if I didn’t want to register again. My first reaction: I’m too old for that? ” But she is not, the rules have recently been relaxed: Miss Universe can now be older than 28 years, and she can also be married, divorced or mother. At Miss Beauty, an age limit of 28 years still applies.
Women who register do so also because they want to draw attention to something. Promes, for example, is committed to the mental health of mothers. “This seemed like a nice platform for that and the organization was open to it.” But she was also curious about how such an election actually goes. And? “My image has changed completely. As a spectator you see the appearance. You see us walking over the catwalk and you see the photos on social media. But the entire process we have followed is really about much more. ” Among other things, she mentions the coaching project, which ensures more self -confidence. But there are also photo shoots, catwalk training and charity days. At the beginning of January the participants of all provinces walked 6 kilometers on heels and in the pouring rain to raise money.
In the dressing room with candidates For Miss Beauty Noord-Holland. The women are getting ready for the opening dance.
Photos Dieuwertje Bravenboer
Every participant has to choose his own ‘Advocacy’, a topic for which she wants to draw attention. Mental health is often mentioned, but climate change, for example.
But in the final it’s not about involvement in the climate or the well -being of mothers, then the participants are especially beautiful in bikini and gala dress. The explanation of Milou Verhoeks: It is very boring for the public when all the participants on stage tell how smart they are, what they all know and what they stand for. “We have separate days for that, in which the girls come by one by one,” says Verhoeks (38), founder and director of Miss Beauty of the Netherlands. In Noord-Holland, for example, the final only counts for 35 percent, the rest of the points has been distributed earlier. Among other things, the jury looks at how the aspiring masses present themselves and at their commitment to charity.
But that bikinironde … he has been abolished in the international Miss World election, says Verhoeks. Other international elections still have him. There is freedom of choice: at Miss Universe last year 20 of the 130 women did not wear bikini. The Top-3 wore a bikini, number 4 a swimsuit. Verhoeks says that in the Netherlands she is holding a poll among the participants every year. “And with us the girls always say that they like the bikini round best.” Not necessarily because they are allowed to wear a bikini, but because of everything around it: there is exciting music and they can walk faster than during the Galaronde.
I like to discover where our strength lies as a woman
The trajectory from preliminary round to the provincial election takes two and a half month. Among other things, the women receive media training, learning to walk on a catwalk, visit sponsors. The women are committed to Simavi, an organization that helps women and girls in Africa with clean drinking water and toilets.
The 37-year-old Nanyamka Geldorp has sometimes participated in an election. But the people of the make-up in that election had no makeup that suited her dark skin color and her mother had to come backstage to help with her hairstyle, she says. “I was so disappointed that I had put participation on the back burner.” Now that the age rules are relaxed, she wants to try again. She is a welcome guest with the energetic teenagers: this afternoon she often walks by and hand out compliments or advice. “I like to help people support. I really like to discover where our strength lies as a woman. “
Photos Dieuwertje Bravenboer
The opening dance marks the start of the final. Dressed in silver -colored packages, the participants introduce themselves. The audience claps and shouts names of acquaintances. Most people are dressed chic, some women wear a gala dress. (Prospective) Miss in the room are easy to recognize by their sash and-sometimes-crown.
When are you a good miss? Verhoeks: “Being friendliness and social standing on one. Children should like her, too older people. And she must also have a good couple of brains. Or at least be able to communicate well. ”
And then the focus on the appearance? Well, says Verhoeks, that sometimes causes schizophrenic reactions. “The moment someone wins who is not the most beautiful according to the public, people go wild. While that profit is the proof that it is not just about appearance. “
Faith Landman (28) is the current Miss Universe Netherlands. She was the first winner to be a mother last year. A hectic time followed, she says on the phone. Seven years ago she participated for the first time in an election and became eighth at Miss Universe. “I was 21, still lived at home. Now I have a child, a house for sale, partner and own company. I have to keep up many more balls. “
After her win, she participated in the final in Mexico on behalf of the Netherlands. Miss elections are much larger there, she noticed. She lived as a celebrity for a month. “Every day fans were waiting in the hotel, sometimes for hours, with banners. We also always had chaperonnes, you were not allowed to do anything alone. “
In Heerhugowaard it is time for the bikini round. The women wave exuberantly with a kind of cape that hangs around their waist.
Faith Landman Miss Universe Netherlands is finished in July. Who knows, she might pass on her crown to Charissa Promes. Her Bantu Knots are out, she stands on stage with a huge bunch of curls. In addition: a crown. She is on to the next round.
