CELEBRATING MISS UNIVERSE 1983 – LORRAINE DOWNES

My interview with beautiful Miss Universe 1983 from New Zealand, Lorraine Downes.

What are you doing now?

I live in Auckland New Zealand with my husband Marty Crowe, my daughter Jasmine(12) and Marty’s daughter Emma(7) and my son Hilton(18) is studying in Wellington. I have my own image consultancy business and I work as a spokesmodel for a few different companies. Check out my website www.lorrainedownes.com

How did Miss Universe affect your life? Positive and negative consequences.

I had only just turned 19 when I won Miss Universe and I had never traveled out of NZ before the competition. NZ is a very small country, so my life changed dramatically! My year saw me grow from a young naive teenage girl into a sophisticated woman. This happened due to my traveling and the experiences that I had during that year. I chose to return to NZ after my year while I continued modeling for a year internationally. Then I opened my own model agency and grooming school. Having the credential of being a former MIss Universe, has definitely opened many doors for me over the years. I think the hardest part about being a former Miss Universe is sometimes people only identify you for this achievement only and for me, I have achieved many other things in my life. It is hard when people introduce you as ‘Lorraine was Miss Universe’. I always follow with ‘yes in 1983!’ I have never defined myself as a ‘former Miss Universe’. In fact I really have never continued an association with the Miss Universe pageant except I remain very close friends with my chaperon Ruth Romero to this day.

What should be the purpose of Miss Universe about, in today’s life?

I believe the purpose is pretty much the same as it was when I won, which was about being a positive representative of young women worldwide. As Miss Universe travels all over the world, her purpose is to bring joy, hope, and genuine warmth through sharing herself with the amazing people she will meet. She will meet a lot of people and some may be struggling in their lives and she has been given a wonderful opportunity to make a difference and touch someone’s life by her presence. So the charity work that she does and the public appearances is her chance to do something really positive for others. People get excited about meeting a Miss Universe and they will remember that meeting for a life and that’s the effect she can have on people.

Your message to teenagers around the world?

Always be true to yourself and what you believe in because you are your own unique special person. Be yourself, don’t try and be something you are not to get accepted. Know you are loved always by a higher power that is always within you to protect and guide you. That little voice that you hear sometimes is your guiding light, learn to listen to it as it will never let you down. Find out what you love and do lots of it as you will be successful when you do something you love! Listen to older people because they have lived through what you are about to live through and awareness can save you a lot of pain!

Photos by Monty Adams

a message from Lorraine this morning:

Dear Ines,

Here are some pics that were taken in the last week (pics are by Monty Adams). Also I have attached the information on what the pics are all about, open the document and have a read Ines. Living Nature is a NZ company which is all about producing 100% natural skincare products, which is something I truly believe in.

Lorraine

Press release

Forces of nature combine to create the perfect partnership

Lorraine Downes, NZ’s only ever Miss Universe and Living Nature, pioneers of healthy natural skincare solutions in New Zealand, are joining forces to create a strategic partnership. The focus of the new partnership is to encourage women to take their first step into natural skincare as a move into Authentic Beauty. Natural beauty.

Ms Downes says, “There is a change coming, I see it and hear it everyday. Women today want more than just beauty; they want energy and they want vitality. These are important by-products of good health. I don’t just hear women today say they want to look great, I hear them say they want to feel great. Women really want to be the best they can be everyday – for themselves and for the ones they love. There are many conflicting beauty messages out there, making it difficult for women to know what’s right for them. For me, Living Nature is a perfect fit for the way I live my life. The ethos I explain on my website is just that, to live by my own authentic truth. I love the fact that Living Nature is made here in Kerikeri from unique New Zealand botanicals – and that it is sold in both health shops and department stores whereas most of the beauty solutions available today are sold only in department stores . Perhaps we should ask why that is?

John O’Toole CEO of Living Nature, says “Lorraine and Living Nature are a match made in heaven. Lorraine is not just a much-loved face here, she is a proud New Zealander by choice. She chose to return here from a successful career in New York and is a voice of reason – a wife and mother, and a role model. As a beauty professional she is lighthouse and we are delighted that she has chosen to shine her light on Living Nature above all others.

Lorraine’s Authentic Beauty Tour will commence in Wellington – her home for 23 years – on November 23 and continue on to Christchurch and Auckland before concluding in Hamilton on December 1.

For media enquiries, images, interviews requests and product queries contact lou@hendo.co.nz 021 883 229