Communication student Faylinn Pattileamonia won the Miss Beauty of Overijssel election. Now she is preparing for her next adventure: Miss Beauty of the Netherlands 2024.
Between her studies, internship and private life, Faylinn attended beauty pageant training at the weekend and committed herself to charities. Last month it turned out that her high commitment and fighting spirit were not in vain.
“I always wanted to participate in a beauty pageant, but I didn’t want to sign myself up,” says the twenty-year-old second-year student. “Suddenly I received a message on Instagram from one of the presidents of Miss Beauty of Overijssel asking me if I wanted to sign up for the casting. I didn’t hesitate for a moment, of course I wanted to participate!”
Glitter, glamour, gala dresses, perfect speeches and the famous bikini round. On March 4, 21 girls competed in the final in Hardenberg for the title Miss Beauty of Overijssel. Faylinn took over the crown from the girl who won last year’s pageant as she dazzled on stage in her white glittery dress. “I thought ‘weak in the knees’ was just a saying, but I really had them. I thought the final was so exciting! I stood behind the curtains, trembling, waiting to get up. I didn’t do it for the memory or the experience, I did it for the victory. I just wanted to win.”
Advocacy
Faylinn is a big animal lover. She likes to walk with her dog Nala and she regularly goes for forest rides on her horse Unique. “I am a real animal lover and enjoy spending the day with my animals.”
The contestants choose a good cause for their advocacy. In preparation for the big theme of Miss Netherlands, their advocacy must be about the environment.
“I personally chose to reduce the meat industry because I have been a vegetarian since I was 12. I think it’s very sad that animals get killed. I already knew that theme quite well. Previously I wasn’t very concerned with the environment. But that’s also what I like about the beauty pageant: I learned a lot here.”
Her motto for the charity is: awareness plays the most important role in creating positive change. “That is a typical ChatGPT sentence, but I really support it. If people don’t know anything about it, they won’t care,” says Faylinn.
Busy weekends
The contestants met every weekend for catwalk training, posing lessons, group discussions and presentations on social themes and charities. Faylinn was committed to the Linda Foundation, for which she collected plastic bottles for deposit and recruited donors during her journey.
In addition to the lessons she learned about the environment, she also learned things that are important to herself: “I learned how to present myself in the best way and I learned to radiate self-confidence and how to be self-confident. These are things that you take with you forever and are not only good for the beauty pageant. I didn’t expect that.”
Because she had a preconceived idea about beauty pageants beforehand, just like everyone else. “A beauty pageant is a meat inspection, is what I thought, because you stand there in your bikini on your heels in front of a room full of people. But it is much more than that. I found that out when I noticed what I got in return.”
She wants to use those presentation skills and self-confidence as a stepping stone for the future. “I am also participating in this to achieve something and increase my platform.”
The election made her think more about what she wants to do later: “I always wanted to do more with social media and this was the push to become more successful in it. I think it would be fun to combine modeling with social media, as I now have a lot of experience with photographers. I have already entered the world a bit and I believe that I will eventually get to the right place. I can also apply the marketing techniques I learn during my study programme to broaden my social media.”
Study programme
She can put what she learned in her Communication study programme to good use at the Miss Beauty pageant. Such as techniques and strategies to promote herself. “For example, if I had studied Marketing, I would not have been able to do this so well.” And vice versa, she learned things at the beauty pageant that she can use in her study programme, such as how to present herself.
“I want to give everything to finish my study programme. I have already been granted a deferral on some things. If I were to win Miss Netherlands and go to the Miss Earth pageant, that could probably be arranged as well. The teachers are very helpful, so that’s great. Still, if I have to miss a training day because I have an exam, then so be it. School comes first and I don’t want my academic performance to suffer as a result of the election. I can be quite chaotic, so I always have to make proper plans.”
Miss Netherlands
Faylinn is looking forward to the final of Miss Beauty of the Netherlands. It will be in Hilversum on July 6. “I recently became acquainted with the winners of the other provinces and with the organization. When they explained the charity for which we as finalists will be raising money, I immediately got goosebumps. We will fight for women in Africa, among others, who offer their bodies for clean drinking water. I didn’t know that existed, it sounded unreal to me. I am proud that I will be raising money for that.”
Faylinn has completed a photography course and feels well prepared for the next final. “I am going to win the Dutch title with empathy and kindness. Appearance really isn’t that important in a beauty pageant. It is more important how you interact with others, how you are as a person and how you function in a group. Perseverance is also very important and I have that.” Her fighting spirit has not diminished: “I would go far for the win. Of course I wouldn’t mind to give the title to someone else, but I am now 100 percent committed to winning!”
Text: Nynke Lautenbag
Photos: Jasper van Overbeek
Photo of the Miss Beauty of Overijssel election: Roy Froma
