The times are changing. So are the beauty contests. Today, they are about personalities more than about shiny fingernails or bikinis. But the beauty aspect is still important. In early 2020, the next Miss Germany will be crowned.
Are women who want to take part in beauty pageants less emancipated than women who do not? No. This is what the Miss Germany contest wants to prove. It became more modern, more politically correct and more digital than ever. “The new Miss Germany (contest) is emancipation”, Max Klemmer says. He is the CEO of MGC, the company that organizes the event.
‘More than Just Superficial Beauty’
There are sixteen federal states in Germany, and this is exactly how many finalists there are. The big question is: Who will win and live the dream of becoming a model? Probably all of them, but the winner will likely be offered more contracts.
Some decades ago, it was about cup sizes and bikini figures. Today, any German women between 18 and 39 years of age can register for the Miss Germany contest. The organizers pre-select ten ladies per federal state, before Internet users vote for one of the candidates.
This year’s finalists will be heading to Europa Park in Rust, located at the south-western edge of Germany, on February 20th, 2020. This is the big day on which the big question will be answered. The organizers, ‘MGC-Miss Germany’, say the contest was “the ideal platform for women who embody more than just superficial beauty.”
‘Pure, Authentic and Direct’
According to them, the ‘Miss Germany’ beauty pageant is “for women who go their own way, who gain acceptance and who impress society.” The participants are being asked to be confident and to convince their community. MGC says their contest was “pure, authentic and direct”.
Itanajama Akeri (see main photo at top of this page), whose name is more than beautiful, is the finalist from Saarland, the tiniest federal state in Germany. She says values and principles were very important to her. “I try to stay true to myself and to firmly stand behind my decisions.”
As a nurse, Itanajama Akeri is with people a lot. The same applies during the contest. Apart from fashion, travel and nature are her passions. Seeing the beauty of the world gives her new insights, which is something she appreciates. On top of it all, she wants Black women to be visible in the German fashion and beauty industry, and become a role model in this regard. She already is.
Names that Sound Like Music
Itanajama Akeri from Saarland is not the only contestant with a name that sounds like music. Maya Jolina Lu Wicht from Berlin definitely has one of those too. So do Jessica Bisceglia from Baden-Württemberg, Michelle-Anastasia Masalis from Hamburg and others.
The first Miss Germany contest took place in Berlin in 1927. Hildegard Kwandt won. When the Nazis brought World War II and the Holocaust to Europe, there was no ‘Miss Germany’. Until 1949, the contest was paused. The last two Miss Germanys, in 2018 and 2019, came from Baden-Württemberg, the province the beauty pageant takes place in.
All sixteen 2020 candidates can be admired here.