“Deconstructing the American idea of beauty” and celebrating diversity is a key talking point for the Miss Rotorua beauty pageant, says director Kharl WiRepa.
Upstairs at the Miss Rotorua Foundation in Pukuatua St, large, framed photos of Princess Diana wearing her crown feature on the wall more than once.
In the next room, previously crowned queens tell a story using a te ao Māori lens — inclusion, whānau, service, and a deep love and respect for the Rotorua community.
WiRepa says inclusivity is a strong feature of his brand and he likes to showcase women who are curvy, over 50, tattooed, or who have had difficult backgrounds.
Pageantry has a long history in Rotorua, with the first in 1947.
Rotorua district councillor Maureen Waaka, who died in 2013, added to that history in 1962 by becoming the first Māori woman to be crowned Miss New Zealand.
WiRepa revived the Miss Rotorua pageant in 2018.
He spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post before the Miss Rotorua pageant final this weekend and says he is proud to turn traditional pageantry on its head, adding some of his personality to what glam means.
“In New Zealand, we measure someone’s beauty from the spiritual attributes they have, which we call in the world of te ao Māori, mana.”
Miss Rotorua is about “whānau, hospitality and connectivity”, WiRepa said.
This year, 20 wāhine are in the running to be crowned. Reigning queen Pareuruora Rangirangi will crown the Miss Rotorua 2024 winner at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre on Saturday.
Leading up to crowning night, potential queens take workshops such as “walking in heels”, etiquette training and rehearsing the Q&A section of the competition.
Contestant Danielle Clarke, 24, said the energy this year didn’t feel competitive, but she was nervous about “showing off” on stage.
As a first-time beauty queen, Clarke said the pageant training did not feel like intense competition but more about “sisterhood”.
Contestant Kharmell Tawa, 26, grew up in Kawerau and moved to Rotorua for better opportunities for herself and her family.
She works as an online marketer and shares seven children with her partner, including a newborn son.
For her, organisation during pageant season has been key, “especially with my baby who is 4 weeks old — he’s breastfed, and showing up has been about me being really organised”.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, and you can do anything you put your mind to, even if you’re pregnant or postpartum, you just have this vision and you just do it,” Tawa said.
Pikirangi Ellis, 50, is one of the older beauty queens in the competition this year. She was inspired by 77-year-old Tiana Hodge who stood in last year’s pageant.
Ellis said etiquette lessons were put to practice during a recent high tea.
“We still had to be mindful of how we ate it. And you know, not to be our usual self and eat a pie.”
Ellis said the sisterhood in the competition showcased “various personalities” that she loves.
Her main message is mums, grandmothers and women from all backgrounds in varying situations deserve to feel beautiful and empowered.
“To me, mana means being my true authentic self, a Māori woman. As a mama, a nanny — but more importantly, as a woman.
“I think there is real power as well in that sisterhood.”
Miss Rotorua Foundation administrator and PA Kiara O’Leary said judges looked for a queen who was “always going to be there”.
“Reliable. There’s a lot of girls that like to drink, go out and party, which isn’t bad — everyone has their life — but it’s more about what the community can see out in the open.”
Miss Rotorua 2024 is on Saturday, July 20, at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.
This year’s pageant contestants will be judged by June Grant, Jill Nicholas, Hannah Tamaki, Kingi Biddle and Trevor Maxwell.
- NZ Herald