Miss Samoa

Featured as a main event in the nation’s annual Teuila Tourism Festival, the Miss Samoa pageant has become a tradition in Samoa. The pageant was created to select a Samoan representative to send to the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants. However, after the Miss Samoa pageant lagged for a few years in the early 1980s, a committee charged with assessing the pageant’s continuity concluded that the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants were not marketable avenues for Samoa’s limited resources. What resulted was the birth of the Miss South Pacific pageant, which is a South Pacific-wide contest customized to focus on the cultures, current issues, and marketing of the region.

The use of a sandy runway, leaf sashes and an island-esque stage help to set the Samoan theme of the Miss Samoa pageant, but the culture is most evident in the pageant categories. There is a sarong category in place of swimsuits, in which contestants demonstrate a unique variation on tying a sarong. Instead of evening wear, contestants don traditional Samoan dress, which in recent pageants has been more of a contemporary interpretation of traditional garments while utilizing mostly traditional materials and motifs. Similarly, the talent portion features a contestant’s interpretation of her culture, and the range is always a diverse mix of traditional and contemporary approaches. Not surprisingly, a growing number of aspiring designers and choreographers have seen the pageant as a platform to showcase their work, including Samoan boutique designer Mena and up and coming designer Lindah Lepou.

While Miss Samoa’s role is primarily to be a Samoan ambassador­–promoting tourism and raising awareness of issues important to the country­–the pageant is also a great opportunity for young Samoan women to learn more about themselves and their culture, all while making a difference. Ah yes, the world peace aspect of the pageant is certainly not amiss, even here.

The pageant has evolved over the years as particular categories won or lost favor with the committee. Categories that have come and gone include Ofu lau la’au (showcasing clothing made from Samoan plants) and Siva Samoa (traditional Samoan dance). Perhaps one of the more eccentric categories to have made the cut is the Coconut category, in which contestants use an actual coconut to depict some aspect of their culture. It gets quite creative, trust me. One year, a contestant made a turtle shell from coconut fiber, and showcased it by strapping it to her back and crawling across the runway. She won. The addition of the Miss Internet category (the contestant with the most online votes) and the online coverage of both Miss Samoa and Miss South Pacific, show that the pageants are moving forward with the times.

The interview category, like most pageants, expects the contestants to be well versed in current events. I recall one pageant when a contestant stated that her strategy to address the growing AIDS problem in Samoa would be to “stay away from those areas.” While reminiscent of Miss South Carolina’s bombing of the map question in Miss Teen USA, this particular contestant won, and went on to do a lovely job in her reign.

To be fair, these mishaps, while fun for the spectators, are minor compared to the work many of these girls do, attending trade shows and hosting charity events. Many contestants and winners of both the Miss Samoa and Miss South Pacific pageants are educated young ladies that conduct themselves with the utmost decorum.



When asked about any negative experiences, several of the contestants complained about the unreliability of pageant organizers and overall lack of organization. There was also admittance to the cattiness involved when putting a dozen young ladies in a room for a week. “I got the sense from some girls that this was just an opportunity to strut around Samoa without having any ‘practical’ goals to achieve during their reign, if it were awarded to them,” said one contestant.

Suffice it to say, there have been a number of “surprise winners” over the years, stirring controversy around the winners and calling into question the integrity of the judges. Which is the reason, in my mind anyway, that I often hesitate to describe Miss Samoa as the epitome of the Samoan woman, though by and large the pageant does accurately portray us. And that’s really the beauty of it. These dusky maidens are not just dusky, with long, billowing hair and a pretty smile. Nor do they walk around in swimsuits and high-heeled shoes or need to be a particular shape or size. The pageant is really a rich celebration of Samoan women, as well as the beauty of Samoan culture and values.