The first heat of Miss Swimsuit UK in Newcastle saw two North East locals reach the national finals.
The first Miss Swimsuit UK event took place in the North East hosted at Newcastle’s Bonbar. The event, created by Verena Twigg saw 16 aspiring swimwear models compete to win a place in the top three, which granted them entry to the National finals.
In the fourth year of running, the event has continued to grow and Verena Twigg believes that it can continue to grow even more. She said: “We started this event in 2014, but this is the first year we are taking it all over the UK because of word spreading. We want to bring women together, getting in swimsuits, feeling confident and build a family along the way. We work on the motto of Be Fun, Be Confident and Be You so that is what I’m looking for.”
The winners of the first event included two local ladies; Amelia Saunders, a student at a North East university and Natalie McKee, a mum of three from Newcastle. The overall winner on the evening was Sarah Ann, who is based in Palma de Mallorca, but travelled to the North East to be a part of the competition.
The event also saw a number of celebrity judges attend as well as celebrity designer, Zara Lena, from Ex On The Beach. Zara Lena had designed the swimsuits worn in the first round.
She said: “I’ve been dress-making for three years now, all the pieces are hand-made, ready to order. I’ve made up twenty swimsuits and hopefully all the girls will like the style I have given them.
I hope to see confidence and happiness and want the girls to enjoy the experience.”
Sponsoring the event in Newcastle was STAR Tanning, a new spray tanning company based in Glasgow who have worked alongside chemists to create the brand with a key aim being to provide a quality product to bring people away from the sun beds, hopefully eliminating the rates of skin cancer throughout the UK. Lisa Stewart, the owner of STAR tanning said: “We would like to think this is a revolutionary new brand, reacts to your melanin and helps that to produce giving you a natural colour. STAR stands for Safe Tanning, Avoids Risks.”
Another sponsor at the event was Arbonne, a Vegan friendly company who supplied the make-up for all contestants at Miss Swimsuit UK.
Melissa Howland, an Arbonne representative and make-up artist, said: “This company is for those wanting a healthier, more ethical brand collection. We want people to look good on the outside and feel good on the inside. We feel it is important to think about the products and how they are sourced. We have never tested on animals and never will.”
The event in Newcastle was an overwhelming success for Miss Swimsuit UK, who will now continue moving throughout the country as they continue their search for the next breakout swimsuit superstar.