Bahraini Manar Deyani is living out her childhood dreams of representing her country and culture at the prestigious Miss Universe beauty pageant, which is being staged in the early hours of tomorrow.
The 25-year-old fashion design student is one of 79 contestants competing for the crown at the late night gala final being staged in the Israeli resort city of Eilat.
“I’m deeply honoured to be the one to represent Bahrain on such an international stage,” said the model and social media influencer known to her followers as Jess.
“I want to show everyone the beauty of Bahrain; the people, the rich culture and places because we have a lot to offer to the world.”
Ms Deyani has been busy in recent days with early round filming, photographic shoots, rehearsals and other activities revolving around the annual global pageant that is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
She aims to use the platform to help raise awareness about mental health issues as she suffers from a disorder that causes anxiety and depression.
“I’m a mental health advocate that have personal experience of this very serious illness,” explained Ms Deyani, who is the eldest of four, and is currently based in Dubai.
“I talked to a professional to help me cope with my condition.
“It was not an easy road and it has been very challenging, but the love and support from my friends and family has helped me get through it.
“If you are going through depression and anxiety, you need to seek help from your friends, family and a medical professional. You have nothing to be ashamed of. We can only normalise this condition if we talk about it.”
Aside from dealing with her own mental health battles, she also overcame self-esteem issues and insecurities over her height. She is the shortest final contestant in the competition’s history.
“When I was young, I always watched the Miss Universe pageant but I told myself it is not something for me because I’m too short,” said the 155cm (5ft 1in) tall Ms Deyani.
“Now there are no height requirements. I did not hesitate when I was approached to be the first Miss Universe Bahrain. I want to show everyone that dreams can come true.
“I overcame my insecurities by embracing my strengths, and now, I have the platform to influence the younger generation to be more confident. I want to be seen by those who like me are not the ‘standard look or size’ to be considered beautiful enough for pageants… we can also do it!”
Not all contest fans have been kind and accepting though. Nasty comments followed a post of a photograph with other candidates, with critical remarks made about her appearance.
She was labelled ‘tired-looking’ and ‘haggard’ but supporters soon stepped forward and responded by flooding her feed with inspirational messages, telling her to ignore the bullies.
Ms Deyani then uploaded a post highlighting some of the negative words and wished all the bullies ‘well’.
“I am here to have a representation for all women regardless of the shape, size, religion or colour,” she replied. “For the people who spread hate on social media – I have nothing but love for all of you. I hope that you find peace in your heart as me and my co-sisters unite to break the world’s stereotypes of beauty,” she responded.
“On a positive note – I wanna thank everyone who said inspirational things and for the kind messages!”
Inclusive
Now, Ms Deyani’s focus is set on the competition and representing the island she loves as well as promoting the message of inclusivity and equality.
“If I win, I will focus on my advocacy, including mental health awareness, equality and inclusivity,” she said.
“I want to make sure to use my voice and platform to inspire other people to step outside their boxes.
“You don’t know what’s waiting for you and the possible opportunities that may come your way if you are not going to try. Don’t be scared to go after your dreams. Failure is part of the journey. Just work hard and be patient and you’ll get what’s waiting for you.”
Her parents, who Ms Deyani asked not to be named, have send her messages of hope.
“I’m so proud of her achievements and where she is now,” said her mother. “She works so hard to reach her goals.
“Joining Miss Universe is a dream for those who have a very strong personality and self-confidence no matter what difficulties they may have been facing.
“Now that she is representing Bahrain on the international stage, it’ll be a learning experience for her. I’m happy she gets to meet a lot of amazing people from different cultures.
“My message to my daughter: ‘you are my love and the queen of my heart – we’re so proud of you. I wish you all the successes in life and I pray to Allah to bless you, guide you and give you more strength to achieve all your goals in life. You will always be my superstar’.”
Ms Deyani has already charmed the panel of judges during the contest’s interview section with her wit and wisdom, held ahead of the gala final.
Each Miss Universe competition starts with an appearance in a swimsuit or ‘athletic wear’. Instead, Ms Deyani made headlines as she walked onto the stage in a quarter-sleeved top and wide-leg pants ensemble.
Videos of her fashion choice went viral on social media with fans cheering her on. The preliminary competition is the driving force in selecting the semi-finalists.
The judges and fans have also seen the delegates’ personal style as they walked the stage in an evening gown of their choice. Although the gown does not count towards the total score, the judges’ focus will be on the ‘confidence’ they show wearing it.
“I also prepared a national costume inspired by pearls that symbolises the culture and progress of Bahrain as a nation in the national dress portion,” she said.
Her dress was designed by Dubai-based fashion designer, Safia Zulfiqar. She will be doing her own hair and make-up on the final night too.
“I was trained by some of the best glam teams in the region,” she added. They include Vimi Joshi, former head of make-up at Mac Cosmetics – Middle East, who have worked with top Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities, and Maggie Semaan, an international celebrity hair stylist, currently working for Balmain Hair Couture.
“They made sure that I’m ready to face the international stage by teaching me techniques that I could use for the preliminary and finals night,” she added. “I have an amazing team making sure I’m ready.”
Articulate
The live show and final competition kicks off with an announcement of the semi-finalists. From the scores given in the evening gown competition, the top six competitors will then be chosen, bringing them to the renowned Final Question Round. Each woman selects a judge at random who presents a question focused on various social, cultural and political topics.
This will determine the contestant’s ability to articulate themselves under pressure while sharing a thoughtful, well-informed response. All scores are averaged and the top three contestants move on to the Final Look.
The event concludes with the host, American TV, radio personality and comedian Steve Harvey, announcing the winner.
To find out who will follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Andrea Meza from Mexico, visit the Miss Universe YouTube Channel. Visit www.missuniverse.com for timings.
mai.alkhatib@gulfweekly.com
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