Hastings Model and Mom Organizes a Beauty Pageant With a Twist

Some mothers, when their youngest children leave the house, join book clubs, take up gardening, volunteer or take classes in a foreign language. Hastings mom, model and actress Laura Giannone organized a countywide beauty pageant.

"When my kids were home, they were literally my life," Giannone said, as she simultaneously prepared herself for a commercial audition in New York City. "But reviving the Miss Westchester competition came out of my love for Westchester and desire to see poised, knowledgeable and articulate young women out promoting the great things we have here."

This year, Giannone and her longtime friend Dee van Eyck, a Larchmont resident, became inspired by the experience of preparing van Eyck's daughter for the Miss New York Teen USA pageant, deciding they wanted to provide a similar opportunity just for locals.

"When you walk into a room for an audition or business interview, the first thing any potential director or boss sees is how you stand—your overall presence," Giannone said, also pointing out that her emphasis on posture and strength has saved her from back pain and sports injuries. "That's what this competition is about. We have girls of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and income levels. But what they all have in common is self-awareness and character."

Separated into two groups—Miss Westchester and Miss Teen Westchester—participants will be judged in three categories: interview, swimsuit and evening gown. Titles will also be given out in each division for: congeniality, style, spirit, service, photogenic-ness and people's choice. There are 19 contenders this year, 10 vying for the Miss Westchester title and nine for the Miss Teen Westchester.

Dobbs Ferry's Ciara Lopez, 14, is competing in the teen division, and Giannone believes she brings to the mix a wealth of talent and dedication to community service.

"Ciara's so lovely and philanthropic," Giannone said. "She regularly goes to Panera and packs food to be distributed to the homeless in soup kitchens."

Lopez, who has been a serious dancer since she was 5, was also recognized for her grace.

"We practiced the show's opening number recently, and Ciara definitely stood out for her skill," Giannone said.

The pageant's organizers were determined to seek out young woman as distinct as possible, making sure to advertise their "need-blind" policy.

"We were proactive about making sure money was not an issue for girls who wanted to enter," Giannone said. "There are some girls for whom special arrangements were made so they could borrow outfits and accessories for photo shoots." 

Besides teaching the girls how to apply make-up and get dressed-up—all the young women are required to perform these tasks completely on their own—Giannone and van Eyck also emphasize interview skills and community service.

"Though most of the girls do some sort of volunteer work on their own, each pageant will also have a mandatory service component," Giannone said. "This year's charity is Queen for a Day."

The last Miss Westchester pageant was held in 1969, and Giannone believes much of the philosophy of pageantry has changed since then—or at least in this particular competition, it has.

"We've taken much of the focus off of the physicality and redirected it toward exhibiting passion and leadership," Giannone said.  Though their workshops are not mandatory, van Eyck and Giannone do offer contestants training sessions in walking, standing correctly and speaking articulately. Next year, they hope to open the workshops to all young women, even those who don't have their sights set on wearing a crown.

"Some girls don't want to compete in pageants," Giannone said. "But that doesn't mean they should be excluded from the life skills our trainings have to offer." 

Skillfulness and drive were two attributes Giannone kept returning to, almost laughing at the idea of any of her contestants being doted upon by the "pageant moms" sometimes depicted in movies and reality TV shows.

"These girls are older and completely independent," Giannone said, candidly adding: "Seeing little girls in these competitions actually makes my stomach turn. They're too young to know what they want or to be able to benefit from the experience."

In fact, Giannone would not even allow her own daughter—who wanted to model from a young age—to attempt it until she was 16.

"But by that time she didn't even want it anymore," she said, laughing. "She was a basketball player and wanted to become a magazine editor."

Prizes for this year's pageant winners include: an entry fee to the NY State pageant, a cash prize, a crown adorned with Austrian crystals, an official pageant pin, a photo portfolio, a two-week externship with Kraft Foods Inc., fitness classes and spa treatments. The winners will also be booked for multiple events such as the New Year's Eve party in White Plains and restaurant openings.

Although the higher-level pageants do offer sizeable academic scholarships, Giannone admitted, many people still write-off the entire cultural scene, deeming it superficial and regressive. 

"I've definitely had to defend pageantry quite a bit," Giannone said. "But I often compare pageantry to baseball—some players do steroids, but many don't. The best way to describe our girls is that they are positive role models. They're not out drinking or doing drugs."

She added: "Yes it's competitive, but life is competitive."

The competition will be held Sunday, September 5 at 7 p.m. at the White Plains Performing Arts Center.