Last Sunday in the Wyndham Aruba Resort & Casino ballroom, the new Miss Aruba was crowned. A much-surprised Fatima Salie, 21, won the race for the coveted title. While one of the audience?s favorites and a fierce competitor Fatima came up against fabulous candidates of significant caliber. The race to the top was fought by three capable beauties, namely Fatima Salie, Nathalie Biermans and Kendra Mathew. You, our visiting reader might have bumped into one or all three fair ladies as their life-stories are interwoven with the island?s tourism industry.
Fatima works at the concierge desk at the Marriott Aruba Resort & Casino. She is the ever-helpful agent who books trips and answers guest questions. Her brother is one the resort?s good-looking bellmen. The exotic beauty with light green eyes was born in Aruba. Her parents are from South-Africa, of Indian descent. Father Rashaad works in the hotel industry here as a cost controller, her mom is a great ethnic cook. Fatima?s gown for the final segment of the Miss Aruba gala night was designed by local wunderkind Ronchi de Cuba.
The white sheer lace, off one shoulder, accentuated her skin color and slender figure - winning Best Body that night, naturally, improved her odds even further. Her hair, by the Clyde & Georgie of the Star?s Hair Studio, a simple rumpled upsweep of casual curls, was the essence of elegance. Besides an assortment of small prizes and tokens of appreciation Fatima won her participation in the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, in Ecuador, and in the International Female Model contest unfurling next year on the island, with international model and talent scouts in attendance. Who knows, perhaps this is the beginning of a world-career, just like Cindy Crawford whose big break came with an Elite modeling contest.
Nathalie Biermans won First Runner Up, Sunday night. She will be representing Aruba at the Miss World pageant. She is the delightful mock-geisha in the Blossoms ads. Dressed in kimono and wooden flip flops the blue eyed Dutch-Aruban greets and meets all diners at the Wyndham?s famed Teppanyaki, Oriental and Japanese restaurant; she also handles all of the restaurant?s Public Relations. Her parents Kurt & Jacky Biermans now live in Holland yet their legacy remains as the founders of the defunct Boonoonoonoos restaurant ? remember those ribs, the 600 year old Jamaican recipe. Nathalie was practically raised on those, no wonder she turned out so well. With a professional interest in video and photography, the dynamic PR diva takes her place in front and behind the camera, interchangeably. In the final competition segment, true to the simple and natural philosophy now en vogue, Nathalie emerged her hair gathered in a playful ponytail, swishing left and right as she trotted on stage. Her dress, a changing aqua/sea foam green creation with a built in bustier and a small train flattered her coloring and her curves. The hair and the dress, courtesy of hair dresser Georgie Fuenmayer, the Star Salon, cleverly promoted all of her many assets.
Kendra Mathews, who placed in the final five yet didn?t bask in any of the final glory, was still a super-strong contender. Kendra is the only daughter of Astrid Muller, the former general manager of Costa Linda. The kid grew up around the hotel though Astrid made sure she has a life of her own. This week, literally on the same day, Kendra graduated Aruba?s premier high school and received her diploma at the end of a brilliant academic year. Kendra has been preparing for the Miss Aruba role since the age of fifteen. She entered the Miss Teen contest and won it. Later she represented Aruba overseas, winning five different pageants. A few weeks ago at the Miss Elegance contest, a sort of glamorous dress rehearsal to the Miss Aruba competition, she swept the ultimate title and also landed the Miss Popular recognition. Local superstitions state that the winner of Miss Elegance never wins the final race. It?s a jink. And indeed, Kendra didn?t place at the Wyndham?s Miss Aruba finals in spite of giving an almost flawless performance. Almost ? as in fumbling during the Q&A session, yet rebounding swiftly.
Insiders report she will still represent Aruba at the upcoming Miss International pageant, when they are announced. Kendra?s dress, a multi-colored diagonal sheath was designed by Ronchi de Cuba who has designed for Kendra since her fifteenth birthday. Her hair, a cascading, free flowing flood of layered curls, was a bit counter-trendy, heavy on the hair-extensions it went in spirit against the all-natural, super-simple decree issued to the competition judges this year, by Star Promotions, the foundation which organizes the event each year.
Two other untitled finalists were Falon Lopez, Miss Amity, and Ruthline Werleman. Sore losers, Caron De Kort and Dodi Lacle, two of the eleven candidates, were disappointed and abandoned ship mid-race. They did not appear on stage for the final coronation
Last Sunday in the Wyndham Aruba Resort & Casino ballroom, the new Miss Aruba was crowned. A much-surprised Fatima Salie, 21, won the race for the coveted title. While one of the audience?s favorites and a fierce competitor Fatima came up against fabulous candidates of significant caliber. The race to the top was fought by three capable beauties, namely Fatima Salie, Nathalie Biermans and Kendra Mathew. You, our visiting reader might have bumped into one or all three fair ladies as their life-stories are interwoven with the island?s tourism industry.
Fatima works at the concierge desk at the Marriott Aruba Resort & Casino. She is the ever-helpful agent who books trips and answers guest questions. Her brother is one the resort?s good-looking bellmen. The exotic beauty with light green eyes was born in Aruba. Her parents are from South-Africa, of Indian descent. Father Rashaad works in the hotel industry here as a cost controller, her mom is a great ethnic cook. Fatima?s gown for the final segment of the Miss Aruba gala night was designed by local wunderkind Ronchi de Cuba.
The white sheer lace, off one shoulder, accentuated her skin color and slender figure - winning Best Body that night, naturally, improved her odds even further. Her hair, by the Clyde & Georgie of the Star?s Hair Studio, a simple rumpled upsweep of casual curls, was the essence of elegance. Besides an assortment of small prizes and tokens of appreciation Fatima won her participation in the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, in Ecuador, and in the International Female Model contest unfurling next year on the island, with international model and talent scouts in attendance. Who knows, perhaps this is the beginning of a world-career, just like Cindy Crawford whose big break came with an Elite modeling contest.
Nathalie Biermans won First Runner Up, Sunday night. She will be representing Aruba at the Miss World pageant. She is the delightful mock-geisha in the Blossoms ads. Dressed in kimono and wooden flip flops the blue eyed Dutch-Aruban greets and meets all diners at the Wyndham?s famed Teppanyaki, Oriental and Japanese restaurant; she also handles all of the restaurant?s Public Relations. Her parents Kurt & Jacky Biermans now live in Holland yet their legacy remains as the founders of the defunct Boonoonoonoos restaurant ? remember those ribs, the 600 year old Jamaican recipe. Nathalie was practically raised on those, no wonder she turned out so well. With a professional interest in video and photography, the dynamic PR diva takes her place in front and behind the camera, interchangeably. In the final competition segment, true to the simple and natural philosophy now en vogue, Nathalie emerged her hair gathered in a playful ponytail, swishing left and right as she trotted on stage. Her dress, a changing aqua/sea foam green creation with a built in bustier and a small train flattered her coloring and her curves. The hair and the dress, courtesy of hair dresser Georgie Fuenmayer, the Star Salon, cleverly promoted all of her many assets.
Kendra Mathews, who placed in the final five yet didn?t bask in any of the final glory, was still a super-strong contender. Kendra is the only daughter of Astrid Muller, the former general manager of Costa Linda. The kid grew up around the hotel though Astrid made sure she has a life of her own. This week, literally on the same day, Kendra graduated Aruba?s premier high school and received her diploma at the end of a brilliant academic year. Kendra has been preparing for the Miss Aruba role since the age of fifteen. She entered the Miss Teen contest and won it. Later she represented Aruba overseas, winning five different pageants. A few weeks ago at the Miss Elegance contest, a sort of glamorous dress rehearsal to the Miss Aruba competition, she swept the ultimate title and also landed the Miss Popular recognition. Local superstitions state that the winner of Miss Elegance never wins the final race. It?s a jink. And indeed, Kendra didn?t place at the Wyndham?s Miss Aruba finals in spite of giving an almost flawless performance. Almost ? as in fumbling during the Q&A session, yet rebounding swiftly.
Insiders report she will still represent Aruba at the upcoming Miss International pageant, when they are announced. Kendra?s dress, a multi-colored diagonal sheath was designed by Ronchi de Cuba who has designed for Kendra since her fifteenth birthday. Her hair, a cascading, free flowing flood of layered curls, was a bit counter-trendy, heavy on the hair-extensions it went in spirit against the all-natural, super-simple decree issued to the competition judges this year, by Star Promotions, the foundation which organizes the event each year.
Two other untitled finalists were Falon Lopez, Miss Amity, and Ruthline Werleman. Sore losers, Caron De Kort and Dodi Lacle, two of the eleven candidates, were disappointed and abandoned ship mid-race. They did not appear on stage for the final coronation tableaux.
As always, while we try to look into the future and predict it all, results always have a way of surprising us, this year very favorably.
