Thirty-five-year-old theatre arts teacher, model and dancer Tristana Roberts will head to St Vincent and the Grenadines next month to represent Guyana at the Miss Plus Size Universe pageant, which she hopes will help to reduce insecurities with body image throughout Guyana.
Tristana was sashed and crowned earlier this week by Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud, where she also took the ICAN pledge against domestic violence.
According to Tristana, she joined the modelling world in 2010 after she saw an ad for plus size models in the newspaper. She said she wanted to try something new and after receiving encouragement from her mother she decided to go ahead, discovering in the process that it was something she loved and enjoyed greatly.
After throwing herself into the world of modelling, Tristana said she noticed there were some difficulties finding clothing for her, as in some cases designers did not create clothing for her “curves”. This, she said, was one of the main challenges she has encountered thus far in her career. “I have a really small torso and a larger bottom half and for persons to sew to suit my curves not everyone is able to do that so sometimes I do not get chosen to walk in certain shows,” she said. She stressed that more designers need to be realistic and create clothing to fit the various body types throughout the country.
She said she never saw her modelling career projecting into this and landing her on an international stage celebrating the curves of women around the globe. “I was just going with the flow and enjoying that time,” she said, adding that her family is extremely proud and supportive of her with her siblings and cousins congratulating her in their “Guyanese style.”
Tristana added, “I feel happy to be given the opportunity and to be able to go out and represent Guyana. Wave my flag, promote my country out there. Most people when they hear Guyana they think of Ghana so it is a good opportunity to promote Guyana.”
Furthermore, in addition to promoting her country, Tristana hopes to also pave the way for younger plus size women to feel confident to get into modelling and on the mainstage. “Just be yourself, be confident, just go for it,” she said.
She added, “Take the chance, if you want to be a part of modelling, it starts with your first step… Nothing wrong with trying to accomplish something, you will never know if you don’t try.”
She hopes to play a part in breaking the stereotype that only one body type can hit the runway, stressing that she believes that everyone is their own shape and size and should be celebrated for that.
She pointed out that some people’s body types are due to their genes and medical conditions and as such, they should not lose opportunities because of this. She said, “Everyone’s body is unique to them and they love it as it is.”
She then explained that another challenge is locating footwear. Noting that she wears between a Size 11 and a Size 12, she said it is always a challenge to find functional and dressy footwear. However, she said, Shoe Source is one of the few places where she is often lucky to find footwear in her size, other than that she usually has to shop online.
Tristana told The Scene that she hasn’t had time to properly process the news that she will be representing Guyana on such a large platform as she has been focused on securing additional sponsors for the pageant. She explained that she is set to leave Guyana on August 1 for a week of activities in St Vincent prior to the pageant itself.
As such the local organisers are putting on a luncheon on July 30, at the Umana Yana. Tickets cost $5,000, and all proceeds will go towards funding for Tristana to represent Guyana on the big stage.
Meanwhile, she disclosed that after news broke that she was selected to represent Guyana, people began questioning her nationality, which was somewhat surprising to her. She unequivocally stated that she was born and raised in Georgetown and is “Guyanese to the bone”.
She was also accused of having work done to her body, to which her response was, “My body is all natural. I got it from my mama.”
Tristana said her curvy shape runs in her family. However, she stressed that she does not see an issue if persons wish to get work done on their bodies as that would be a decision they would have to make for themselves and one they should never be judged for.
She pointed out that accusations like these often lead to body image issues. She called on people to stop accusing others of not being Guyanese just because they might not look like them. Tristana noted that she seemingly inherited her colouring from the Portuguese roots in her family and reminded that Guyanese can be all colours, shapes, and sizes.
Anyone desirous of assisting with sponsorship for Tristana can contact the Miss Plus Size Universe Guyana Facebook page or contact 618-9833.
