Miss Namibia crowned amid dazzling splendour

WindhoekGordon Joseph This weekend saw Paulina Malulu crowned Miss Namibia 2013 during a glamorous affair at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino. The event was hosted by Namibia's only former Miss Universe, Michelle McLean-Bailey. The show kicked off with a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by VM6. With the stage lights dimmed, the most celebrated former Miss Namibia of all-time, McLean-Bailey, appeared. The tall beauty was dressed in a glittering ivory dress. The evening was a true celebration of local fashion, with contestants showing off breathtaking designs by local designer Cobus Müller. The introduction gowns from Lorna's Fashion, however, didn't live up to expectation, as they either looked like summer wedding gowns or a Cinderella theatre production costume. The entertainment at the event was amazing. All-girl group Essence gave a powerful rendition of Aretha's Franklin's Natural Woman, while VM6 again proved why they are one of Namibia's most celebrated Acapella groups. South African songbird and Monica Bellucci lookalike, ChianoSky, gave a fierce performance and showed off her impressive vocal range, but was not everyone's cup of tea. All eyes were, however, on the 12 finalists, who with their undeniable beauty made the job tough for the seven-member judging panel that included Miss Namibia 1996 runner-up and clinical psychologist, Eunice Gonzo, Standard Bank public relations and communications manager, Surihe Gaomas and renowned photographer, Tony Figueira. While the girls were all stars, some stars just shone brighter than others. The top-five included the beautiful Tuyakula Muheko, the long-legged D'Alice Tshilemba and her younger sister, Faith Mudimba, as well as the shy Mbari Katanga and Paulina. The Public Choice Award, voted for by the public, went to Julia Gideon, while Weddy Hangue was voted by the professional photographers as Miss Photogenic. Both were very unlucky not to make it into the top-five. Faith was voted by her fellow contestants as Miss Personality. After a round of final questions, Paulina was crowned as the winner, while D'Alice and Mbari were crowned 2nd and 1st princesses respectively.