The best, the worst and the ugliest

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate as a judge in the Miss Colombia USA Pageant. As much as I love fashion and beauty, truthfully, I absolutely was not looking forward to this event. But duty calls, and I was also trying to sell my upcoming fashion show to the largest Latin television network, Univision. It was their awesome cameraperson, Francis Colon, who had asked me to collaborate and be part of the panel of judges. I have to say that, at the conclusion of the event, I felt like Miss Congeniality! It was not due to a lack of respect for this type of event, but because of what all these absolutely gorgeous young ladies taught me. To prepare to be a judge, I asked some of my closest friends to suggest an interesting question to ask the contestants. In the end, I decided to learn from this experience. I simply asked each of these young ladies, “What is your definition of beauty?” I was a bit confused by the fact that not too many even understood the question. So, instead, as the one-on-one interviews continued, I rephrased the question: “What is your definition of a successful woman today?” Some contestants answered, “... to be the best family member you can be.” Others said, “... to have a career.” Some even went so far as to say, “... to help children in need.” After this interview, the second segment of the pageant took place. It was a complete turn around for the young ladies. The ones I felt had a very strong interview answer were not as strong on the stage. But the young woman to whom I had given some of the lower scores in the interview segment received first place!  where am I getting with this?  when I was listening to the answers of the young participants, I realize beauty has come a long way from the images we idolized when I was a kid.

 

I have a very extensive clientele who are past their fifties. I hear a lot of stories. It truly blows me away what, not so long ago, women had to go through to be treated equally. Today’s style is so linked to what we have to say, to what we believe, that it is almost as if the way you look tells the world who you are. This makes me believe there is such a thing as dressing for success: your interpretation of success, learning to be who you want to be, and, I am tempted to say, it goes further than education. While I was in school in Paris, I remember learning to follow very closely the person you aspire to be: find a hero and learn as much as you can from him or her. Only then will you truly know what to do, in order to become who you desire to become. The truth is, it is not the way someone looks that we consider beautiful. It is the underlying message that someone chooses to bring across with his/her image. Rarely, does it ever have to do with your natural external gifts, but with your natural ability to sell the right image of yourself to the right buyer. Yes, my dear, whether you want to accept it or not, you are in the business of selling yourself at all times. How far you want to make it is truly up to you and what you believe. All it takes is that first person "you" to believe how amazing you are and the rest will follow. Here is my message to you: consult with yourself what it is about you that you want to emphasize to the public. Learn to present that image at its best. By choosing your role models, you can learn what works and what does not work. And, as you do this, never forget that this is a work in progress that never ends. Nor is it always easy to learn. But, if you stick to it, experience and mistakes are all it takes to make you an expert at that person you want to be, that person whom no one else but you can present and interpret the way you do. Bottom line: the key to today’s beauty is to learn from others of your choice how to put your twist on the mix. This approach gives “The good, the bad and the ugly” a whole new spin. Think: “The best, the worst, and the ugliest” with no in-between. And, if you feel like it, put on a little lipstick!