 INTERVIEW WITH LEAH MARVILLEMBW: Describe yourself in THREE sentences. LEAH: I am truly a very genuine and compassionate person. I am goal oriented and have a passion for knowledge. Friendships and good conversation are important to me. MBW: What don’t most people know about you? LEAH: Most people don’t know that I am a very grounded, humbled person and very compassionate. The modeling world can be very pretentious and superficial, concentrating on outer beauty and appearance. I value humility, genuineness and intellect, and hold them in higher esteem than what my profession expects you to believe. Beauty fades, and gravity has its way with you…lol. My father died, when I was very young, so I quickly understood the value of life, and that nothing lasts forever. I like to take time to know people and I enjoy REAL conversations. MBW: Which THREE songs must be in your I-Pod? LEAH: The songs that must be on my I-Pod are: ·Beyonce - Halo ·Shontelle - Battle Cry ·Bob Marley - Redemption song MBW: Tell us about your “Beauty With a Purpose” Project. LEAH: I chose to make my project revolve around increase the awareness of HIV/Aids: THE LOVE CAMPAIGN - “Abandon the Stigma: Don’t Judge, Just Love”. I have chosen to target the top entertainers and sports personalities as my vehicle to spread the message of love and to promote a movement, away from discrimination of People Living with HIV/AIDS. I am hoping that the message will be translated directly to the youth by their idols, by the people whom they are fans of. The Campaign is twofold. The first aspect of the Campaign is an informative advertisement and music video containing a song and video messages from entertainers across the region, encouraging people to Love and abandon the stigma and false beliefs they have of people living with HIV/AIDS. The second aspect of the Campaign in a Celebrity Fashion show and Concert which calls on some of Barbados’ top entertainers, designers and models to mobilise the audience through entertainment to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. The proceeds of the show will go towards the After School Club for vulnerable children and Food will be donated to the Food Bank operated by the Barbados Ministry of Health. MBW: What has been your most memorable sunny day? LEAH: My best friend from Barbados came to visit me while I was living in Cape Town, South Africa. I had recently concluded reading Mandela’s autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom” and visiting Robben Island, Mandela’s prison of 27 years, was a must-do. After seeing Mandela’s prison cell and reliving the moments in the book, I felt overwhelmed by the struggle that lay ahead of us as a people. The journey home was a half hour boat ride, back to the Victoria pier. As my friend and I sat their appreciating the breathtaking view -the prison behind us, the open Ocean and mountains ahead of us-, members of the Xhosa tribe with whom we shared our journey began chanting and singing the songs I read about. On that beautiful sunny day it became clear to me; the open ocean and mountains represented freedom and the struggles that still lay ahead of me, and the prison behind me, represented where we (as a people) were coming from… MBW: If you were invited to participate in the next LONDON Fashion Week, which fashion designer you would like to dress you? LEAH: It would definitely be Vivienne Westwood! MBW: Tell us about your favourite liming spot. LEAH: My favourite liming spot has always been The Coach House Beach on a Sunday afternoon. MBW: What has been your most embarrassing moment? Describe it. LEAH: ….upon entering the auditorium, my gait was confident and sure, complete with my new designer bag in tow. I noticed a group of men on the periphery waiving at me frantically… thinking that they were just being men, I continued on my way. I open the grand function doors and proceeded to my table, when a kind lady whispered in my ear “the back of your dress is caught in the handle of your bag”. It was then I realised what all the commotion had been about; all this time my pooch had been exposed! Lol. MBW: What facial products do you use? LEAH: I swear by Oil of Olay, a trait I learned from my mother. That’s about all I use. MBW: What is your X factor? LEAH: Through my travels, I believe I have come to appreciate that we do live in a global village and it is our differences in culture, custom, and language, that makes being human so special. I have come to appreciate differences between people and am therefore of the opinion that no one really possesses an X factor (advantage), we are simply privy to different experiences that shape our character and as such we (contestants) have different things to offer and learn from each other. MBW: Do you diet, work out or just wing it? LEAH: I’d not say I adhere to a strict diet regime, but I do believe in a healthy lifestyle. In my line of work, my skin is my business, so I have been trained to drink lots of water and I keep active through dance. MBW: What is your personal style? LEAH: I like to keep it simple, yet maintain an air of sophistication and elegance. Every now and then I like to jazz it up a bit with a bit of colour or a funky accessory. MBW: Where will the Miss World judges score you highest: interview, talent swimsuit or gown presentation? LEAH: The most important category to me is the interview. I believe an ambassador ought to be aware, knowledgeable and articulate. It would be a proud moment for me if I scored my highest in the interview. MBW: What message you would like to send to the other Miss World contestants? LEAH: I would like to tell the girls, that even though this is a competition, the Miss World message is bigger than anyone of us, and the platform that it places us on, should be used to further Miss World and promote a greater good. I believe we should use our time together to understand, teach and learn from each other, and graduate from this experience better individuals than we entered. |