Paula Montes, the Peruvian model who will represent the country at Miss World 2021
According to the criteria of
Paula Montes was not a stroke of luck . Rather, effort. Of those that are measured by drops of sweat and marks on the abdomen. Literally. With just turned 25, Paula is one of the promising models of the capital. Her first encounter with the catwalk was at the age of twelve at 'Maria Emilia', one of the most well-known schools of social etiquette in the White City. “La Frieda Holler Arequipeña”, as she calls her. There she learned the basics of makeup and the secrets of modeling, which accompany her to this day.
Five years later, already established in Lima, Paula caught the attention of the most sought-after designers on the local scene and soon after, she became one of the favorites. Her achievements confirm this: in 2017 she was crowned the image of Fashion Week in Lima, one of the first important steps in her long list of triumphs. But, like all the greats, the time came for a new challenge and she, Paula, left for New York, where she worked as a model until a few months ago, when she decided to return to Peru to embark on a new path: to become Miss World 2021. .
Days after being crowned Miss World Peru 2021, we spoke with the model through a telephone link in which she told us the details of her career in New York, her arduous preparation for the beauty pageant and her dreams. from her to her future.
— You have been forging a career as a model for years. Why did you decide to change course and apply to the 'Miss World' beauty pageant?
—It always caught my attention to see international beauty pageants. I always thought about participating one day, but I saw it as a distant plan. There are many Peruvian figures who have been models and then Miss and I feel that this title opened doors for them. For example, Natalie Vértiz, Valeria Piazza... they have been able to use the platform to jump to other media and expand their careers. It is a very good exhibition. After two and a half years I went back to Peru to visit my family, and started to find out about the auditions. I sent my information to Miss World, I did the casting and I was chosen to lead the Lima band. Miss World is very focused on social work, and that is aligned with my goals. So I decided to do it.
— How was the training during all those first months?
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— Eva Naaz Thu Jul 01 17:49:02 +0000 2021
-Not easy. I hired a runway tutor. The model catwalk is totally different from that of Miss. Miss's catwalk focuses a lot on facial expression, smile, hip movements... it's you who shines. The model no. The model sells the clothes, she parades with a serious face… the more serious she is, the better. What matters is the garment. On the other hand, in the case of the Miss, it is she who must shine. That is something that has been difficult for me to achieve. She wasn't used to it. It was hard for me to smile (laughs).
— How do you feel about being chosen Miss World Peru 2021?
—After all the effort, I feel happy. It is an honor to have the band Peru and also; a great responsibility. I gave everything in the national contest and now I have much more desire to leave the country on high. I have stopped being Paula to be Peru. Everything I do will be before the eyes of Peru and I want to play the best role I can.
— There are only a few months left for the great international contest that will take place in Puerto Rico. How do you face the situation and what are your expectations?
- Very excited but also nervous. My goal is to bring the crown back to Peru.
— In your early days, you dreamed of becoming a Victoria's Secret Angel. After the contest, what is the dream? keep modeling? do you still target the american lingerie company?
-Not anymore. Victorias Secret is no longer my dream. The company has changed a lot. I think it was a teenage dream, but nowadays it's not something that would fulfill me anymore. It is no longer important to me. I am a 'health coach' too, certified in New York. Healthy eating has always caught my attention, it is something that I practice in my day to day. I would like to help people by sharing my knowledge with them. After Miss World, my challenges focus on continuing to model and spread balanced nutrition.
— You are a woman who goes after her dreams. You started modeling in Peru and shortly after you left for New York when you were only 20 years old. How did you launch yourself into such a tremendous challenge, I feel so young?
—I am a very disciplined person and I had the goal of Victoria's Secret in mind. I wanted to go out to a bigger market, I felt that I had reached the limit here. I started writing emails to different agencies in the world, in the United States, Australia… I did a lot of research. I received some positive answers but nothing very serious and in other cases, they didn't even bother to answer my emails. It was very frustrating, but I didn't want to give up my dream. So, I decided to travel to New York to try it in person.
— You spent three months in New York auditioning for different agencies and only in the last week of your stay did you achieve your goal. How did you deal with the constant rejection? Did you ever think of giving up?
-Of course. There was a moment when I almost threw in the towel. I was thinking about leaving him and going back to Peru, but my mom didn't allow it. My mom had cancer when she was very young and she was healthy for ten years. But just a short time before leaving for New York, she got sick again. Obviously I stopped her plans and I stayed to take care of her in Peru. But when she got really bad, she told me that she felt very frustrated for having interrupted my dreams. She begged me to travel and fulfill my dreams. At that point, there was nothing to do with her illness, her diagnosis was already clear. It was one of the most difficult decisions I have made in my life, but I decided to listen to him. I left for New York and I said goodbye to her, I told her that I was going to pursue my dreams, I was going to get a modeling agency to sign me there and I was going to keep her promise. I left. Every day we talked on the cell phone and she was happy because she saw me motivated, on track. In my last ten days in New York, I received the news that she had passed away. I started to pack my bags to travel to Peru but she called me my brother. He asked me if she had the contract, I told him no and he told me not to come back. I promised my mother that she was going to get that contract and she was not going to return to Peru until she did. So it was. Six days before my visa expires, they hired me. That was my mom. Anyway.
— Clearly, perseverance is one of your virtues. That is the secret of success?
-I think so. I like the difficult, the high goals, the things with high standards have always caught my attention. I have never liked easy. Overcoming the biggest challenges I think is the most rewarding. But for that you have to have a lot of discipline. Many people have the skills, the talent... but few manage to transform their dreams into reality due to lack of discipline. That is the key.
