From Fashion Week ramp to exciting world stage
Four queens: From Left, Fiona De Silva, Tamara Makalanda, Avanti Page and Uddima De Silva
It was a select gathering invited to sit back on the couches that lay scattered around the Colombo Hilton’s Grand Ballroom as four young ladies took to the stage last Sunday at the Lite87FM Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2014.
This year’s competition crowned four young hopefuls who will go on to be global ambassadors for Sri Lanka at several international pageants. Crowned , sashed and decked in bedazzling evening wear – Uddima De Silva as Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Tourism International, Fiona De Silva as Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Bride of the World, Tamara Makalanda as the winner of the Miss International Sri Lanka and Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe Avanti Marianne Page enjoyed their moment of glory.
Sitting down with the Sunday Times the next day, the newly crowned Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe, Avanti Page was still having a hard time recognizing her new status as beauty queen. “It still hasn’t hit me,” she admits though her phone has been ringing off the hook.
Standing at 5 feet 10”, it came as no surprise that people always suggested Avanti try out modelling and as a student at the Colombo International School, she first took to the ramp at the fashion shows produced by the students themselves before getting her first big break at the age of 17. “Before getting on (the ramp) I used to be very nervous,” she recalls remembering the quick changes and countless eyes fixed on her as she walked the ramp in high heels; a feat she considers still being tricky.
Clearly a performer, Avanti says she owes her confidence to her roots in dance, having taken lessons in ballet under Kanthi Ranchigoda and learned to play the piano and violin. By the age of 19 the young model found herself on the runway of the prestigious Colombo Fashion Week, an event she would continue to model for in the years to come. But working the catwalk wasn’t a permanent fixture for Avanti, although she was keen on pursuing a career in the fashion industry. Wanting to finish her studies first she’s ready to dive into a career in design having finished her degree in Commerce specializing in Commercial Law.
Describing herself as a quiet, shy child, Avanti discovered a new found independence and confidence when she travelled overseas to Australia to complete her higher studies. Manoeuvring her way in a new country and maintaining her own house wasn’t difficult for the 24- year- old who is a self-proclaimed perfectionist. “It’s an experience ( living abroad) I think everyone should have,” she says, reflecting on how her laid back timid approach to life changed once she was on her own.
With just about four months before the Miss Universe pageant, Avanti is a mixture of nervous butterflies and excitement. “It scares me,” she confesses, but can’t seem to contain the thrill of taking part in a competition she used to watch ardently while growing up, never dreaming that she would one day be a part of it. She owes a lot to her supportive family, some who even flew in from overseas just to see the final, along with her friends, she says.
Down to earth, and a realist by nature, Avanti is no stranger to the clichés that are attached to pageants and beauty queens. “I don’t think our perception of beauty has changed completely” is her honest opinion, “it’s going to take some time, but that’s why I wanted to take part.” Looking back at the late nights she spent in front of the television as a youngster, watching the Miss Universe pageant, she says, “I never thought I was pretty or smart enough to do it, but I think anyone can do it if they want to.”