It's all in a day's work for these French beauties

Theirs is a story of many ambitions. They want to be sports teachers, doctors and businesswomen, but for now all these dreams have been set aside. There is only one destination: Miss France 2014.

Thirty-three finalists for Miss France toured Sri Lanka this past week. Travelling between Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Cinnamon Bey, Beruwala, these young women have experienced the island from the wildlife of Kaudulla National Park to ancient Buddhist sites and beaches in the south west. The tour will run on French television, so no minute can be taken casually. They must always be ready for the camera. There is no place for frowns, bad days, bad moods. After more than an 11 hour flight from Paris to Colombo, the girls looked remarkably fresh. And they should be. They were first made to get dressed and redo their hair and make-up before stepping down to the arrival lounge at the Bandaranaike International Airport. There was no hint of lost sleep.

5.30 a.m: make-up, 6 a.m: breakfast, 7 a.m: photo shoot..a typical workday during the tour has been more than 12 hours long.

"It's difficult, but it's worth it. Yesterday we saw elephants in their natural habitat, today we are seeing sites nearly 2,000 years old. It gets tiring sometimes waking up at 5 in the morning and it's difficult to be with 33 girls all the time! But travelling makes you learn so much about yourself," said 21-year-old Rousillon Sabine Banet. "I want to discover the world."

A student of business studies, Ms Banet is passionate about horse riding and recently won a championship. She has seen some of Asia during a six-month study exchange in Istanbul, but this is her first visit to the south of the continent.

"From being an ordinary girl, this is a new life for one month. I feel like a princess," said Li-mousi Caroline Dubreuil, 21, who is studying Spanish and English at college.

They are still your ordinary young women though, taking 'selfies' with friends in their first tuk tuk ride and excited by this country in Asia where elephants charge at safari jeeps, iguanas are seen by the road and statues of Lord Buddha dot the hills. Their iPads and cameras are always ready to click.

"Some of these girls had never sat on an airplane before. One of them was praying when the plane took off !" said Marion Chambrette, stylist for Miss France 2014.

Stylist Arnaud Sol Dourdin describes the experience as a "Cinderella story."

Ms Chambrette plans their day-to-day clothes and hair styles months in advance. All 33 wear a uniform dress and the same shoes. The most variance is with colour, but this too is rare.

"Working with models is not as much fun because they are used to this life, I just love working with these girls, helping them groom themselves better and watching them transform," she says.

Mr Dourdin has been the official stylist for French contestants in Miss World for four years now. And he's proud of the work done. "For the past four years, France has been securing a position," he said. Last year Marie Lorphelin was the first runner-up in Miss World.

He teaches the participants to do their own hair, make-up and conduct interviews. "When I feel they are ready to handle themselves is when I send them off to Miss World." Preparations for Miss World start nearly two months in advance. On this trip, Mr Douldin has come solely as the stylist for Miss France 2013 Marine Lorphelin.

"There are times when I just want to have a good time," said Lorphelin as she nibbled at fried finger food at the Sri Lankan night held on their last day in Habarana, hoping to get some time away from the series of interviews and photographs. It gets tiring to smile all the time and make sure you always look beautiful. But on most days at most times, she loves what she does.

As the year comes to a close and a new Miss France replaces her in December, Ms Lorphelin will go back to her second year of medical school.

The pre-pageant tour runs for one month with time split between Paris and a foreign destination. For the first time the beauty pageant has come to Sri Lanka. In the past, destinations have included Thailand, Maldives, and Mexico. The tour, one year into planning, has been sponsored by SriLankan Airlines and Cinnamon Hotels.

French Ambassador Jean Paul-Monchau said the event "is a win-win situation for both countries". Tourism will get a boost in Sri Lanka when this event is aired." Posted in the country merely two months ago, this is an important event for him. "We might have some French businessmen visiting in 2014, but it surely won't be as attractive," he chuckles.

A fashion show held at Cinnamon Bey Beruwala was the last in a series of events planned at Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts for the visiting contestants of the Miss France pageant who had spent the week taking in the diverse sights of Sri Lanka. The show opened with an enthralling performance by percussionist band Naadro followed by international fashion designer Dinesh Chandrasena's Red Bananah's collection.

Chandrasena was the creative director of the show that unveiled local brand Avirate's new French collection titled "To France with love". The collection is expected to hit stores across the country by December.

Miss France 2014 contestants and reigning Miss France Marine Lorphelin adorned the high-street brand clothes that incorporated that quintessential French fabriclace.

"France is the undisputed fashion capital of the world and our special French Collection em-bodies an eclectic blend of European high-street fashion," Avirate's CEO Asim Younoos said in a press release. The 33 young contestants walked the ramp with great enthusiasm, Miss Guyane Henriette Groneveltd's catwalk stealing the show, followed closely by Miss Reunion Vanille M'Doihoma.

Ms Lorphelin was the last to walk the ramp. Moved by the country's hospitality, Ms Lorphelin said she will "definitely be back". "Thank you for making us dream and explore this beautiful country," she said in a short speech. Former Miss France Sylvie Tellier who is part of Miss France organisation thanked the organisers and said the event will put Sri Lanka in the spotlight. The fashion show will be watched by millions of viewers on TF1 when it is aired in December.

Miss France comprises contestants from both mainland France and French overseas territories, including Tahiti, Reunion Island and Mayotte.

The contestants and a team of nearly 50 stylists and media personnel flew to Paris early Saturday morning.

Published in The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/sunday-times-sri-lanka/20131124/283304635299079