Miss Universe Singapore is an annual contest held in Singapore to
select the country's representative to the Miss Universe pageant.
The 12 finalists of Miss Universe Singapore 2014 were unveiled on
August 2. The pageant was held on August 22 and was broadcast on cable
channel, Fashion TV.
This year's contest included Ijechi
Nazirah Nwaozuzu, a Singaporean of African and Malaysian heritage. Born
to a Nigerian father and a Malay mother, the 21-year-old is currently studying
law at the National University of Singapore. Raised in Bukit Panjang, she
also claims Chinese, Indian, and Portuguese heritage.
Regarding her unique circumstances, Ijechi states, "My sister and I were raised to be Singaporean in identity and
values, but global in our outlook and perspective." One of the more
challenging issues for her as a child was being identified as
"Other" in the school register. She felt it was harder to fit
in, as she did not belong to any of the major racial groups. While
Singapore is multicultural, ethnic Asians predominate. Seventy-five
percent of the population is Chinese, with significant minorities of Malays,
Indians, and Eurasians. "Part of why I joined this competition is to
show the world that we're cosmopolitan. We always talk about
Singapore being multiracial, but I don't think we show enough of that on the
international stage," said Ijechi.
Ijechi competed well, finishing second runner-up and also selected for the Best Legs award. Now, she can refocus on her studies. She is interested in international law, human rights, women's rights, and family law. As she says, "the most important thing now is to survive law school and graduate."
BONUS: Cecelia Chng - makeup stylist to blasians
Kimora Lee Simmons and Naomi Campbell - served as the makeup
artist for Miss Universe Singapore 2014!
Selected Sources:
* Asia One News, "Some Miss Universe Singapore finalists asked: Are you Singaporean?", July 26, 2014.
* Yahoo Entertainment, "Exotic mix of Miss Universe Singapore 2014 finalists unveiled", August 3, 2014.
