ARIAN Dahlia Richmond has made waves in the pageantry world and has put Guyana on the map, having won the Miss Global International title in the Cayman Islands on October 13. The vibrant 25-year-old from Bartica captured not just the crown, but also an unprecedented seven out of 10 prizes. However, behind the glamour and accolades stands a passionate entrepreneur and youth advocate who sees her crown as more than just a symbol of beauty.

Celebrating Guyana’s diversity globally
Sitting down with Pepperpot Magazine after returning to Guyana, Arian shared that she is happy to be back in the country that not only supported her, but also shaped her during the competition. “The Guyanese experience shaped my pageantry journey and even my entrepreneurship journey. We have six different races, and each race has something special. A lot of us are mixed-race, so we have family from Indian backgrounds [sic] and African backgrounds[sic]. Finding different things about different races and having this multicultural experience creates a melting pot of a person where you can be funny, quirky, and intelligent,” she said.

Miss Global International is one of the most coveted crowns, and it remains one of the most challenging. Recounting one of her challenges, Arian shared, “My internal challenge was knowing that I had what it takes to stand against Poland, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, the USA, Trinidad, Jamaica, and to be myself, knowing that, that would be enough to be crowned. You’re your own worst enemy. I think if you can face your fears, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish,” she said.

Beyond the crown
Now, with a crown and massive influence, Arian hopes to continue the impressive work she began, particularly with Youth Development Guyana. “In 2018, Youth Development in Guyana was born. We’ve done projects in Linden, Albouystown, multiple projects in Bartica, and multiple projects in the National Park in Georgetown. We focus not only on children; we focus on the volunteers that [sic] come with us. We have 20 solid volunteers who have been with us over the years,” she shared.

Guyanese across the globe have rallied around Arian. However, there are some misconceptions surrounding pageantry. Addressing these misconceptions, Arian says the world has changed, and so has pageantry. “Beauty pageants have, for most of their history, been about physical beauty. Things have evolved, and pageantry has too. We have queens who have taken intellect and implemented it in ways that advance the community around them. Yes, we have a crown, but we champion causes that address societal ills,” she said.

Words of Wisdom for Young Women
Arian has emerged as an inspiration for young women all around Guyana. Speaking to young women, she shared, “If you never start reading to speak a certain way, to learn more; if you never start saying no to things that make you feel uncomfortable or make you feel diminished within yourself, then you don’t get better. The more love, forgiveness, and grace you show yourself, the more you open up mentally and in your physical life for things to change,” she said.

The Director’s Perspective: Reneé Chester
Reneé Chester, the woman behind BROMELIAD.rnc and now the National Director of Miss Global International Guyana, highlighted her role in the pageant and the team behind Arian. “My involvement in the pageant community is very new in terms of the leadership role I took on, not as a contestant, not as a past queen or anything like that, but as a franchise holder and a national director, where I’m expected to lead, guide, set examples, and make the best choices for my team and for my queen,” she said.

Reneé also commended the Miss Global team for going the extra mile and celebrated the historic win of seven out of the pageant’s 10 prizes. “Seven prizes out of 10, that is something to proudly boast about because I want our future beauty queens to have this motivation of what you can achieve and the importance of making history in a positive manner for yourself, for your country,” she said.

Reneé further added that the support of the country has been phenomenal and played a major role in Arian’s win. “The way Guyana rallied around the Miss Global International Guyana Organisation and cheered, motivated, supported, helped, and contributed to Arian’s journey was truly amazing. I will never forget the tears that came to my eyes the night she was announced as the winner for the international leg,” she said.

Behind the Winning Look: The Designer’s Vision
Arian’s lilac dress was the subject of one of her prizes, winning the Best Gown Award. Designer Quinton Pearson said that both the gown and the custom design required plenty of collaborative effort, with the gown’s design being a year in the making. “Last year in Jamaica, we decided what the colour of the gown would be this year. We also decided on the detailing, and I came back home all pumped, excited, and inspired to create something that is still aesthetically pleasing from House of Pearson, but at the same time, reaching the international standards we understood were needed.”

A great track record
Guyana also stole the show with the national costume, winning the best in that category. The custom piece was a partnership between the House of Pearson and Roberto Teekah. Other prizes included Best Interview, Best Talent, the People’s Choice Award, Best Smile, and Miss Community Service.

Guyana’s participation in the Miss Global International Pageant has consistently resulted in excellence. As per a press release from the Miss Global International Guyana organisation, “In 2017, under previous franchise holders Hashim Alli and his wife, Melicia Partab-Alli, Guyana’s Cynthia Dookie won the international title in Jamaica. In 2016, Poonam Singh earned First Runner-Up and secured the Best Talent award.

In 2023, the Miss Global International Guyana Pageant came under the leadership of Award-Winning Makeup Artist Reneé Chester, who assumed the role of National Director. Chester’s first year at the helm resulted in outstanding achievements, with Guyana’s representative, Lateefah Ford, securing a Top 5 spot, while winning the Best Interview and Body Beautiful awards. Chester herself was awarded the Best Director award that same year.”