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Remembering Her Royal Majesty Queen Agbani Darego: The first Native African Woman to win The Miss World Beauty Pagent.
11:56:00frankola
Young,
beautiful and natural, Agbani Darego is a young woman
full of promise. Born in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the Sixth of Eight Children. At
the age of two, she was moved to Port Harcourt, Nigeria of which she recalls
her Childhood as loving and memorable, although tainted with the loss of her mom
who died of breast cancer, when she was eleven. She attended Bereton Montessory
Nursery & primary school, Federal Government Girls College (F.G.G.C)
Abuloma, of
which she was awarded “Most distinguished Alumni” later in 2010, and the University of Port Harcourt, where she studied
Computer Science for a year before her foray into the
pageant
world.
" Agbani Darego Shocked Nigeria
and other African nations
When She was announced as
Miss world 2001 "
" Agbani Darego Shocked Nigeria
and other African nations
When She was announced as
Miss world 2001 "
Agbani
Darego, MFR born Agbani Asenite Darego on the 22nd December 1982
is a Nigerian model and beauty queen, best known as the first native
Sub-Saharan African to win Miss World. Darego's
family roots are in Abonnema, Rivers State. she was
sent to a boarding school in a bid to shield her from her mother who had become
very ill with breast cancer. Darego's mother died two years later. As a
teenager, Darego longed to
be
a model, and despite her conservative father's wishes, she auditioned for the
M-Net Face of Africa modelling competition, but was not chosen as a finalist.
After finishing her secondary education, she attended University of Port
Harcourt where she studied Computer Science and Mathematics.
Nigerian has been sending girls to Miss World and other major various beauty pagent as of the early 60s. unfortunately our girls didnt do to well.
The sixties saw Miss Nigeria competing at international level; Yemi Idowu, who had won the contest in 1962 was a semi-finalist at Miss United Nations 1963. Her successor, salesgirl Edna Park, was the first Nigerian at Miss Universe in 1964, and is best remembered for disrupting the show by collapsing on stage after failing to reach the top fifteen. Park was carried away by policemen and contest officials before spending the night in a Miami hospital under sedation, where she was consoled by Nneka Onyegbula, wife of the Nigerian ambassador, who reportedly stated: "All the judges are White and they aren’t really competent to judge [a] dark girl's beauty". After Park, no other Miss Nigeria competed at Miss Universe. Rosaline Balogun became the first official Miss Nigeria at Miss World in 1967.
In 2001, she achieved great success when she won Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN). Contrary to popular belief, Darego did not replace Valerie Peterside after the latter was dethroned, as she had won Miss Nigeria. A few months later she was a contestant at Miss Universe. During her reign as MBGN she represented Nigeria in the 2001 Miss Universe competition, held in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. She placed among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh. She was the only black semi-finalist that year – and also the first Nigerian to place among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh overall.and the only finalist to wear a maillot as opposed to the more popular bikini.
The sixties saw Miss Nigeria competing at international level; Yemi Idowu, who had won the contest in 1962 was a semi-finalist at Miss United Nations 1963. Her successor, salesgirl Edna Park, was the first Nigerian at Miss Universe in 1964, and is best remembered for disrupting the show by collapsing on stage after failing to reach the top fifteen. Park was carried away by policemen and contest officials before spending the night in a Miami hospital under sedation, where she was consoled by Nneka Onyegbula, wife of the Nigerian ambassador, who reportedly stated: "All the judges are White and they aren’t really competent to judge [a] dark girl's beauty". After Park, no other Miss Nigeria competed at Miss Universe. Rosaline Balogun became the first official Miss Nigeria at Miss World in 1967.
In 2001, she achieved great success when she won Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN). Contrary to popular belief, Darego did not replace Valerie Peterside after the latter was dethroned, as she had won Miss Nigeria. A few months later she was a contestant at Miss Universe. During her reign as MBGN she represented Nigeria in the 2001 Miss Universe competition, held in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. She placed among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh. She was the only black semi-finalist that year – and also the first Nigerian to place among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh overall.and the only finalist to wear a maillot as opposed to the more popular bikini.
Encouraged
by her position at Miss Universe in 2001, Agbani then competed for Miss World,
in November 2001 of which she won, becoming the first native Sub-Saharan African
to claim the title (Although past winners such as Penelope Coelen and Anneline
Kriel are South African, they are of European descent, and Antigone Costanda,
who represented Egypt in 1954 is of Greek heritage).
Darego also emerged has the Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty.
Darego also emerged has the Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty.
Prior
to winning MBGN, Darego featured in print commercials for boutique chain
Collectables, and following her stint at Miss Universe was invited by Naomi
Campbell to participate in Frock 'n' Roll - a charity fashion show in Barcelona
and soon negotiated a modelling deal with Donald Trump's management to
establish links with modelling agencies in America. Shortly after her reign as Miss
World she was represented by the London and Paris branches of Next Model
Management.
In 2003, she made
the move to New York, where she signed with
Next Model Management NY for four years (2003 –20 07), where she landed a
three-year contract with L'Oréal, which ended in 2005, Becoming the only
second Black model to accomplish this feat after Vanessa Williams, and was
photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue, She later moved to Ford Models NY.
Other
brands she has modelled for include Avon, Christian Dior, Sephora, Target, and
Macy’s. Darego has also appeared in Elle, Marie Claire, Allure, Trace, Stitch, Cosmopolitan,
and Essence magazines, working with numerous designers including Oscar de la
Renta, Marc Bouwer, Tommy Hillfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Gianfranco Ferre.
In
2011, Agbani was announced as the brand ambassador for two of Nigeria’s leading
brands – Arik Air and Nature’s Gentle Touch.
In
her homeland Nigeria Darego has appeared in advertising campaigns for hair care
brand Gentle Touch with model Oluchi, and is served as the face of Arik Air. She
has also graced the covers of Complete Fashion, Mania, ThisDay Style,
Genevieve, True Love, and TW Magazine.
Agbani
Darego Since then, has made appearances
at and has judged
numerous pageants, and fashion and modelling competitions such as Miss World
2014 t, Miss England 2002, Miss Bulgaria, MR Scotland 2002, Miss Tanzania,the Most
Beautiful girl in Nigeria pageants. , and the Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012 and
2014.
In
2010 she launched a style and fashion reality show Stylogenic on Nigerian
television, and three years later announced her denim range, AD by Agbani
Darego, which includes jeans, dresses, sunglasses and bags.
Due
to her busy work schedule, Darego left the University of Port Harcourt, but
after moving to New York she then decided to finish up her education in 2007,
enrolling at the prestigious New York University (NYU) where she majored in
Psychology, graduating in 2012 and making the Deans list a number of times.
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