The organisers of the Miss Apone Lao contest selected 105 young women in Vientiane last week to move on to the next round of this year’s contest.
About 190 young women aged between 18 and 25 had filled in their application forms for the contest at the K&C Company Ltd in Vientiane.
The selection committee from the K&C Company Ltd and the Lao Women’s Union then interviewed applicants, asking them about their background and education.
“We’re surprised so many young women applied,” said the General Manager of the company, Ms Anongkhane Sengvixay.
“But we promoted the contest earlier this year and widely in the local media,” she said.
Organisers also visited the National University of Laos and other major colleges and educational institutions in Vientiane to encourage as many applicants as possible.
She said that this year organisers had selected young women who had never worked as models. This year’s applicants, she said, were more enthusiastic about the contest than last year’s.
Organisers travelled yesterday to central and southern Savannakhet and Champassak provinces to consider applicants there. The selection in these provinces is set to take place over four days, ending on Saturday.
Organisers are scheduled to visit educational institutions in these provinces, as well.
In northern Luang Prabang province, registration will take place at the Villa Santi Hotel from July 2 to 5.
Contest applicants should display good manners, behaviour and attitude, organisers say, and should be clever, intelligent and friendly. They should be single and have no plans to marry for one year after the contest.
The winner will win 30 million kip in cash, a sash and other prizes. She will act as a cultural ambassador to promote Lao culture and traditions nationally and internationally.
Apone is not 'costume' Costume (suit teng tua) is like something you wear to protect yourself or to pretend you are someone else - like an actor (suit sa deng lakon) or a swimmer (suit loi nam)
Apone pa = cloth or clothing
but 'Apone' by itself can mean 'jewelry' or 'ornament' or 'decoration'
So Miss Apone Lao probably translates best as Miss Lao Jewel ('ornament' or 'decoration' make her sound like a strange object)
After all, it is not just the clothing she is getting judged on but her 'beauty'
