The pageant which was held in the Martin Luther King Auditorium on the campus of Bowie State University- Bowie MD drew lots of attention and attraction as it was the highly competitive ever; with several primitive pageant Queens representing their countries respectively.
From Cameroon (who emerged winner) to Tanzania, Senegal, Cape Verde, and our own Ms. Ivy Preko delineating the country full of gold & cocoa, our very own Ghana- formerly known as Gold Coast.
The pageant begun with week of activities whereby contestants were able to attend seminars of empowerment, meet sponsors’ and interact with the previous Queen- Ms. Nereida Lobo 2016/17. Ms. Preko who is proverbial in the world of pageantry immensely prepped to gleam her country as much as she can; and undoubtedly, she outstandingly showcased an impeccable act of elegance on the night of.
This year’s pageant held on Saturday, November 11 marks its 12th year Anniversary and really portrayed the exuberance of our continent. The contestants participated in various categories such as: platform presentations, a traditional showcase, talent, Questioning and Answer session, among others.
Ms. Preko who was styled by @Phasodstyles, a Health & Beauty Bureau which composites of styling, designing, personal shopping & Make Up Artistry exuded urbanity and poise; and over-took as a fans’ favorite at the end of the night.
Despite not being crowned as the 2017 Queen, Ms. Preko has certainly delegated to feel more empowered toward the continuation of her platform and project she initially had established- which is to help enforce the well-living of widows in Ghana and creating entrepreneurship opportunities for them (Be Inspired Widowhood Org.)
She currently serves as the U.S. Ambassador for AWDF- African Women’s Development Fund and is the CEO of Fashion for Charity- a quest to raise funds for charity through the means of fashion and entertainment. In her own words, Ms. Preko stated that she’s extremely grateful for such an empowering opportunity and appreciate every second of it; as well as all the well wishes from supporters, family, friends, fans, etc. She will continually raise the flag of Ghana high, and definitely impact the society persistently.
Photography by Hans Spiegel © 2017