There’s an exciting new competition for alternative ladies in Australia. I’m so pleased to announce…
Their mission? To crack open the ideals Australia holds for the alternative fashion and lifestyle industry.
As the organisers state:
Miss Alternative is here for all the Aussie girls out there who want to get amongst the lifestyle and truly support it. We’ve seen tattoo pageants and pin-up pageants, although Miss Alternative encompasses it all!
You don’t need to have tattoos, you don’t need to be into burlesque dancing, you do however need to encapsulate the ‘alternative’ lifestyle. This may be reflected in your hair, fashion or body art.
Miss Alternative are looking for entrants to apply from all over Australia to compete in Australia’s BEST Miss Alternative. The pageant will be held in early December 2010 and will play host to some of Australia’s best designers, models, photographers and musicians.
It’s time to show the beauty that we see in our own subcultures: be it fair skin instead of permatanned; black, blue or pink hair instead of honey blonde; pierced noses, lips or cheeks instead of just earlobes; or sassy corsets instead of the ubiquitous blue jeans we see in the bland-o-culture around us.
Entries must be received by August 13 with these guidelines:
Photographs sent in to Miss Alternative MUST be of high professional quality. Please do not use Myspace/Facebook style photos or group photos. You must submit a minimum of 2 photographs, however 3 is preferred for your initial application. Please make sure the images you upload are not branded/watermarked and that you have the permission of your photographer.
If it hadn’t crept up so suddenly, I might almost be tempted to enter myself (if only to be the oldest). But I think I’ll be a strong sideline supporter.
If you live in Australia and would like to enter, hit up the Miss Alternative facebook page, or the Miss Alternative website. Check those pages also for dates of the heats for the various states.
Saturday 14th August sees the Sydney event Girls Night Out, where the first round of entrants will be there for you to see and start judging! (in the nicest of ways, natch)
Australia has a lot of catching up to do compared to the US, UK & Europe with regards to the size of our alternative scenes and recognition of the various subcultures. But this is one fab step – and here’s to many more!!
Cool idea for a contest. Must be some real lookers turning up.
I'm not much a fan of this concept, though I'd enjoy watching it nevertheless!
The Ghost – haha, if I attend this Sat night I'll be sure to take pictures!! (But another fave club of mine is on the same night)
Hexotica – is it the focus on the outer beauty, rather than the person inside, that you don't like? I certainly get that. I just hope that whatever "grows" the scene will help it in the long run, I guess 🙂
Ok, had to re-write that last comment after I discussed my feelings with some mates!
The thing I find about pageants is that, no matter the supposed criteria for the judging, the girl with the most conventionally natural attractiveness will inevitably be the winner. If alternative pageants were truly based on the girl's styling herself against the mainstream in an artful way than I could support them, but time and time again it's the same conventionally objectifying standards that the girls are judged within. Take away the winners' tatts, piercings, colored hair and clothes, and inevitably you'll have the same cookie-cutter standard of what society deems as beautiful.
No thanks.
I get what you're saying. Hmm…a thoughtful response. I'd like to think a girl's personality comes through and helps form judges' opinions too (but honestly I don't watch pageants so wouldn't know!)