Beauty and brains

Several beautiful young women represented the nation in contests around the world and some did very well in certain areas.

But unlike their counterparts in Japan and China who took home top awards, Vietnamese beauties have yet to make a name for themselves o­n the international pageant circuit.

Industry experts believe that Vietnamese women have great potential to do well in international pageants, they just need to polish their approach and capitalize o­n their strengths.

Moreover, international contests are placing more emphasis o­n o­ne's brains, and not just beauty, so it's important for Vietnamese girls to showcase their knowledge as well.

During his working trip to the Miss Earth 2007 pageant in the Philippines, Thanh Nien Editor-in-Chief and veteran pageant judge, Nguyen Cong Khe said “I have high regard for international contestants. They are not o­nly beautiful but also intellectual. And I believe intellect helps establish confidence.”

Being well-spoken is also a must when competing at high-level events and being able to speak English is a definite advantage.

However, Vietnam has no special schools or pageant training centers like other countries do.

While many girls spend months or years practicing their poise and fine-tuning their skills for the talent portion, Vietnamese women have less opportunity to develop such skills.

Speaking with Mai Phuong Thuy a few days ago, the 20-year-old beauty queen said that since competing in international competitions, she has made education her top priority.

Thuy, a great symbol of modern Vietnamese beauty, revealed she was applying for a scholarship to study overseas this year.

Other areas

Some complain that because of limited budgets, Vietnamese entrants don't have the same access to professional hair, fashion and make-up teams.

However, with sponsorship from agencies like Elite Vietnam and local fashion designers, experts say that Vietnamese women can look just as stunning as their international counterparts.

In the past, Vietnamese competitors were not as tall as those in Western countries.

Nowadays though, most Vietnamese representatives at inter-national contests are no less than 1.7 meters tall.

At a height of approximately 1.8 meters, Miss Vietnam 2006 – Mai Phuong Thuy – was the second tallest and voted among the 16 most beautiful contestants at the Miss World pageant finale two years ago.

Local competitors also need to prepare them-selves better for the rigors of international competition.

Arriving in a country with a different climate, different time zone and new foods can be stressful and it's important to be ready mentally and remain adaptable.

In the past, Vietnamese competitors have complained of stress, illness and weight loss saying they could not tolerate the “strange dishes” of other countries.

Miss World 2006 contestant, Mai Phuong Thuy, became ill in Poland while her friend, Truong Tri Truc Diem said she lost nearly 3 kg while competing during the Miss Earth 2007 pageant.

In addition, some say that Vietnam lacks experienced event directors and training coaches that could give local women the edge they need.

Without proper feedback, Vietnamese competitors may not know what they need to improve o­n.

Witnessing the Filipino experts training 30 contestants at the Miss Earth 2007 pageant held in Nha Trang last November, many raved at how professional they were.

For the first time ever, Vietnam will host the Miss Universe 2008 pageant this summer.

The prestigious global contest will be a great opportunity for local organizers, spectators and competitors to showcase the natural beauty of Vietnam and its people.

Until then, competitors will be studying hard in all areas to present themselves to the world beautifully.