Dubai, Nov 25: 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, both 34 year old, who are all set to organise 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 ahead of next year’s International Women’s Day. “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.
“We are opening the registrations nice and early from Thursday, November 10 because of the massive amount of interest this event has generated already. Today’s women are winners in their chosen walks of life and they just want to come out and express that,” said Apurva Trivedi, co-founder of Unify Events and the brainchild behind what she believes has the potential to become Arab’s world’s ‘answer’ to the Miss Universe and Miss World galas.
“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 peoples’ lives,” she added while expanding on the future plans of the show and the enormous possibilities it stands “to unlock for thousands of women from across the Middle East”.
