Guys find me intimidating- Winnie Amangele, Miss Curvy Nigeria Ebony

'I have what it takes to make any dress look good'

Ever winning Winnie Amangele, a beauty queen

Winnie Amangele studied Fine Arts and majored in painting. Amazingly, she is a beauty queen, although when she was growing up, she never thought she would one day  be a  beauty queen.” I was always tagged as the fatty one of the house right from when I was a child. And seeing slim ladies go for stuffs like Miss Nigeria, Miss World and all that made me  think those ladies were awesome. And I looked at my stomach and asked myself if I was ever going to get there. But right now, I feel great about myself. I am the way I am because God made me this way and that has earned me this beautiful position. So, I feel blessed,” she enthused.

Have you regretted being a woman?

I have never regretted being a woman. In fact I am outstanding because I am a woman. I always stand out because guys find me intimidating. I am bold, tall, beautiful and of course smart enough to make them understand that the world is made of women and men not just men alone. I once came out the best in my department in a course that seemed to be dominated by men. So what are you talking about. Being a woman doesn’t make me less a person it adds more to me. That is the way I see myself, I don’t know about you. It depends on how you see yourself. If you see yourself as a proud, strong, reliant, confident lady, you would never feel less. You would always feel good about being a lady.

Can you describe yourself in a short phrase?

I am black and beautiful. My skin is flawless and it always makes me stand out.

You are the current Miss Curvy Nigeria Ebony, what would you use the platform to achieve?

I will use this platform to create more awareness on the beauty and richness of  our skin colour.  And why we should love and nurture it. The natural gift God has given to us should be appreciated. The use of drugs like hydroquinone has to be eradicated if possible. It is slowly ruining our beauty. I once overheard a lady saying that  black doesn’t sell. That was wrong! I am where I am because I’m black and I’m proud to be black. So, I want to use this platform to make people especially  ladies to understand that if you maintain your skin and its colour, you will always come out looking flawless. I don’t step into room or come in the midst of people without being noticed. We should love what we have. We indeed have  beautiful body and lovely  skin. Let’s learn to  embrace it. Black is beautiful. I have never tried bleaching. I have always loved my skin colour.

To those who have made the mistake of bleaching, can you reach out to them?

With this platform I have been given, I will reach out to ladies who  made the mistake of bleaching or toning or whatever they call it and ladies who feel less confident because they are black. I would  talk to them, give them reasons they should take out all the wrong ideas of bleaching  and completely embrace our complexion. It is part of our pride as Africans, come sun, come rain it works for us all. What you have to do is put on the right level of charisma, walk into any place, be confident and trust me you will be noticed and appreciated.

Are you black and proud?

Yes, I am black and proud. God made us like this for a reason and one of the reasons is because of our climate. It is hot here, very hot but we have the body to withhold any level of heat . Mother nature is got stock for us. So my complexion is a gift from God, why wouldn’t I be happy and work with what I have. I love my skin, in fact, it is a part of my body I am really and honestly proud of. I have embraced who I am. I am black and proud. I am a Nigerian and I’m proudly African. Having this knowledge has kept me going and I have no regrets.

Can you reach out to plus-size ladies as well?

Every plus-size lady should be proud of who she is. Be confident because you are beautiful the way you are. Don’t feel downcast because you are fat. Work on yourself, be the best you can be, walk around with your shoulder high, dress right, take good care of yourself, eat right, stay fit and prove to the world that you can be anywhere you want to be even if you are plus-size. Everyone is created for a purpose. Don’t slow down yours because you are hiding behind your shell of inferiority complex, no! Break out of that and be who you want to be.

Now that you are a queen, what positive changes are you going to make with regards to your lifestyle?

I will get more organized. I’m already organized anyway, but improvement  is never disallowed. People would look up to me, so I have to live the kind of life that promotes organization. Then another major thing I would strive for  is to get rid of procrastination. As a queen, that shouldn’t be part of me anymore because if I need things to be done, after laying it down and prioritizing all that I need to do leaving it at that won’t help the work move forward. I have to get it done as promptly as possible. Then of course  I would be calm in the things I get involved with. As a queen, decisions have to be made and it cannot be made when one is not calm and cool-headed. I also remember that  boosting my confidence is important  because I would  meet people and they would  want to see how confident I am about anything I do. How I talk, carry myself, how I walk, the kind of ideas and suggestions I come up with and most of all the atmosphere around me.

What part of your body can you flaunt proudly?

Part of me I love to flaunt proudly is my curves. I have what it takes to make any dress look good. Another is my height. I am 6ft tall. That makes me truly outstanding. Another thing is my beautiful skin, what more can I say. I am blessed.

What words do you have for the lady Mrs Choice for discovering you?

I am saying a big thank you to this wonderful lady that has given plus-size ladies this huge platform to be appreciated better in the society. Mrs Choice is a woman with big dreams in promoting ladies like myself. She has given in a lot to make it a reality and it is a huge honour to work with her. So, I say a big thank you  to her. May God bless her mightily.

Do you hope to give other plus-size ladies a platform to work on?

Yes, I would, most definitely. If Mrs Choice could do this for me through the Miss Curvy Nigeria Pageant, I don’t want it to end with me. I want it to go on and on till every plus-size lady on planet earth realizes that being a plus-size does not make them less in life. It makes them more than what they think. I won’t rest till this is achieved.

Who is the very woman you admire in life?

My mum, she is smart and curvy as well. She inspires me a lot. She is a woman of honour, she is strong and confident. She is my inspiration.

Who is your role model?

I don’t have a role model that inspires me because I don’t know who they really are and how they got to the positions they found themselves.

What was the craziest thing a male fan has ever done to you?

Stalk me till it was obvious and I had to walk up to him and talk to him. He even gave me a bracelet that day. We still talk till date.

What very lesson has life taught you?

Never give up on what makes you happy. Never displease yourself to please anybody because you will end up being unhappy. Do things because you love doing them and with the help of God it would come out flawless.

What is your life philosophy?

Have a big heart to love unconditionally and a broad mind to embrace the differences that make each of us unique

What is your best colour and why?

I like green a lot. It is a symbol of ecology. It signifies growth, fertility, it is associated with nature generally and I love nature.

When you are down, what do you do to derive inspiration?

I draw, paint and listen to music; the kind that would inspire me to sing along and I just enjoy myself in it.. Or I do both-draw and sing and I am back like nothing ever happened.

Let’s talk about fashion, can you define your personal style?

Easy does it, simple and trendy

What fashion item forms a larger part of your wardrobe and why?

Jean- trousers, shirts, T-shirts, jackets and corporate wears.

When you are ready to attend a red carpet event, what do you bear in mind when dressing up?

I hope to look glamorous and elegant