One is a former IT programmer and the other a qualified HR professional but what connects the two long-time UAE expats is a single-minded passion for revolutionising the way, they say, beauty is perceived.
Meet Lamiya Lokhandwala and Apurva Trivedi, who are all set to organize what they say will be the region’s first-of-its kind, “all-inclusive beauty pageant” rolling out the red-carpet next March for ‘exceptional women’ from all walks of life including aspiring plus-sized models, single mums and cancer and acid attack survivors. And it will have a lot more than contestants “strutting their stuff and walking ramps”, they say.
“A lot is made of beauty or beauty with brains but what about those who overcome the odds with grit, gumption and real mettle?” asks Lokhandwala, MD and founder of Unify Events that will host the inaugural edition of Miss/Mrs Arabia international gala in Dubai on March 4, 2023. “It will be a show the kinds of which no one has seen before in this part of the world. There will be all the glitz and glam of a top international beauty pageant alright but there will also be plenty of inspiring stories of real women achievers from the entire Gulf on display,” said Lamiya.
“We are inviting entries from women all over the region irrespective of who they are, where they are from, what they look like, what they do for a living, what faith they follow, what they wear as long as they have the ability to inspire other women. And so this is not just for Arabs or Indians or Pakistanis but, in fact, for everyone that’s living here in the Middle East. An inclusive event like this has never happened before and that is what makes it a simple yet quite a revolutionary idea,” she added while explaining what the select jury of judges – that include some of the top names from the world of fashion and cinema including Bollywood – will be looking for particularly in the participants during the audition round on January 5.
When it comes to strutting down the runway, there’s a certain image that crosses one’s mind, a specific body type and age. But this duo wants to subvert that notion. “Our aim is to promote women who are used to staying at home and who want to take part in such contests, but can’t due to certain responsibilities and commitments,” says Apurva Trivedi, co-founder of Unify Events and the brainchild behind what she believes has the potential to become the Arab world’s answer to the Miss Universe and Miss World galas.
Currently taking entries for the pageant, with auditions being held on January 5, 2023, the platform challenges the meaning of beauty and creates new constructs for the word.
“We have plans to take it to the rest of the Gulf region eventually, travelling each year, city by city, country after country, reaching out to millions, involving some of the most loved superstars as jury members and showcasing winners after winners with the true ability to transform people’s lives,” says Apurva.
Apart from the glitz and glamour of the runway, this show will put to display the inspiring stories of real women from the Gulf and their achievements. Applicants applying for Miss Arabia International must be aged between 18 and 28 years, whereas those applying for the Mrs Arabia International Award must be a minimum of 20 years old.
