Latest news with #MissEarth
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Miss Universe New Zealand winner's surprising job
A police officer has been crowned Miss Universe New Zealand, posing in her uniform with her sash to celebrate. Abby Sturgin, a Waitemata police constable, was took home the title across the ditch over the weekend. To mark her win, New Zealand Police posted a photo of the young cop to Instagram wearing her full uniform — complete with taser — in front of a patrol car while wearing her sash and crown. Hundreds of social media users rushed to the comments to wish the 28-year-old congratulations. 'Miss Congeniality,' one person commented. Another said: 'Slay queen.' 'Wow congrats – gotta frame this pic,' another person added. Another added: 'Absolutely wonderful I hope she wins.' 'So exciting! Good luck honey,' one person said. 'How inspiring! A police officer who is able to show her feminine side, to show that she can wear dresses, wear a crown and represent New Zealand on the world stage, along with balancing her other hat as a NZ police officer, upholding law and order/ and safety for the public,' one said. Another added: 'Model Role Model.' Constable Sturgin, who is of New Zealand and Laotian heritage, beat 11 other finalists to claim the title. She first began competing in beauty pageants at 18, saying at the time she was 'figuring herself out' and 'didn't think she was good enough'. Just two years after she started in her pageant career, she won the title of Miss Earth New Zealand. After her Miss Universe New Zealand win, she told Ten One magazine that society has 'built a perception that you can't be pretty, have brains and work hard'. 'I want to be able to show girls that you don't have to dumb down your achievements and your aspirations,' she said. Appearing on TVNZ's 7Sharp, Constable Sturgin said she always knew she wanted to be in a first responder job. She said she loved the fast pace and the fact she had to constantly think on her toes. 'I want young girls — or any women really — to look at me and go, 'She's really cool. She's got a really interesting job but she can also put on a pair of heels, have curly hair and a crown and talk about really important issues',' Constable Sturgin said. Constable Sturgin will attend the 74th Miss Universe competition — held in Thailand — in November.
Fashion Value Chain
20-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Value Chain
Purpose is the New Power
How Women Are Redefining Impact at the Intersection of Fashion, Beauty, and Business At the 2025 Women of Impact Summit, hosted by Delivering Good, a new narrative emerged: one where purpose-led leadership and cross-industry collaboration are shaping the future of fashion and beyond. 2025 DG WOIS Photo Credit Layra Marte In an era where storytelling and social value are as critical as silhouette and stitch, the 2025 Women of Impact Summit at the Fashion Institute of Technology brought together more than 250 leaders to celebrate a rising shift in the fashion and textile world — the growing fusion of purpose and profit. Hosted by nonprofit Delivering Good, an organisation that connects individuals and families in need with new products that open doors to hope, dignity, and opportunity. The event focused on how women are leveraging fashion, beauty, tech, and finance to build more equitable, conscious, and community-driven futures. The Summit's panels reflected a broader movement taking hold across the creative economy. Fashion is about what your brand stands for. Industry veterans and new voices alike discussed how sustainability, inclusivity, and digital disruption are no longer niche concerns but foundational pillars. A standout trend? Radical reinvention. Journalist Lisa Marsh set the tone early by encouraging attendees to 'stay curious' and embrace multi-hyphenate careers — a nod to how today's fashion leaders are shifting from legacy roles into multi-sector entrepreneurship. This was echoed by Emily Hikade of Petite Plume, whose transition from CIA operative to luxury sleepwear founder shows how agility and vision are reshaping leadership pathways in the fashion world. Throughout the day, fashion insiders and adjacent innovators explored how impact is no longer measured solely by the bottom line. In the Beauty, Unfiltered panel, inclusive branding was reframed not as an initiative but as an imperative. As a panellist and 2020 Miss Earth, Lindsey Coffey noted, 'The next generation of leaders is not waiting to be handed power, they're creating it. And beauty, when it's unfiltered and inclusive, can be a catalyst for real change.' Key themes that emerged across the Summit included: Sustainable Supply Chains as Standard: From material innovation to end-of-life circularity, sustainability was not positioned as a trend, but the new baseline for ethical production. Financial Equity Meets Fashion: Executives from Blackstone, Salesforce, and Mastercard discussed how wealth-building tools must be accessible — particularly for women in creative fields navigating entrepreneurship. Tech-Enabled Creativity: From AI-powered retail platforms to digital try-ons and intelligent inventory management, the conversation spotlighted how tech continues to merge with fashion to elevate customer experience and reduce waste. Emotional Impact of Clothing : Stories from Delivering Good's partners revealed a quieter but deeply resonant trend — clothing as a form of emotional restoration. FIT President Dr. Joyce Brown and high school student Khosi Ahmed both emphasised how receiving new apparel builds confidence and dignity in vulnerable communities. The presence of powerhouse names like Danessa Myricks, Sarah Miyazawa LaFleur and KraveBeauty's Liah Yoo drove home one clear takeaway: the future of fashion belongs to those who lead with purpose and aren't afraid to challenge the system. Andrea Weiss, Board Chair of Delivering Good, shared, 'For 40 years, Delivering Good has been making an impact, not just the buzzword but a real impact in the lives of those facing poverty, disaster, and other social challenges. The intersection with the Women of Impact Summit lies in the fact that many of the recipients of DG's work are women: women rebuilding after natural disasters, young women ageing out of foster care, women fleeing domestic violence or trafficking. The link between the Summit and Delivering Good's mission is clear: when we engage and empower women, we can change entire communities.' From the C-suite to the supply chain, women are rewriting the rules of fashion and textiles, proving that conscious leadership isn't just aspirational, it's actionable.
Wales Online
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Zookeeper who cares for 42 penguins to represent Wales at international Miss Earth pageant
Zookeeper who cares for 42 penguins to represent Wales at international Miss Earth pageant 'It's very much stinking of fish one day, but by the evening, I'm all glammed up!' Abigail Wood pictured in her role as zookeeper at Folly Farm (Image: Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo ) By day, Abigail Wood has the dream job of looking after more than 40 penguins at one of Wales's best-loved family attractions. Feeding "stinking" fish to the vulnerable flightless birds three times a day, the unglamorous nature of the job is second nature to the Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo zookeeper. By night, however, things are completely different for the 25-year-old. Abigail has just been crowned Miss Earth Wales 2025, a beauty pageant entertainment contest recently held at the Memo Arts Centre in Barry. But whilst to most these would seem polar opposite ventures, for Miss Wood, originally from Swansea, now living in Pembrokeshire, the contest's integral promotion of environmental awareness very much aligns with her own values which she has cultivated since she was a young girl, after going on three-week trips with her family to areas with no phone signal, embracing nature. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Abigail holds a master of science degree in environmental biology: conservation and resource management from Swansea University, having studied there for six years. Earlier this year, she joined Folly Farm as a seasonal penguin keeper, helping to care for their array of vulnerable humboldt and macaroni species of penguins at their penguin coast exhibit. Article continues below She is also the founder of the 'wild about nature' initiative, a program dedicated to connecting children with nature and encouraging them to become passionate conservationists and future eco-leaders, including publishing a children's nature activity book. Abigail Wood pictured with one of the penguins at Folly Farm which she looks after (Image: Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo ) "It's very much stinking of fish one day, but by the evening, I'm all glammed up!" she said. "It all started for me when I was young. My grandparents have a caravan near Fishguard way, and we'd go there every summer for about three weeks of the year, and they would take us to different nature reserves and anywhere we'd be outdoors. "There was no iPads or phones - there was no signal there, so that was our only thing, to go outside, whether it be flying a kite, or me and my brother raiding our grandfather's lock-up and getting out some fishing nets, before going and catching butterflies. We'd have little ID books, and we'd find out what butterflies we'd caught. "I just absolutely loved doing that, and it was something I got to do at university, with different bird and butterfly and otter surveys. "I have been involved in pageantry for about three years now. It was a spur of the moment, enter and see what happens thing. I saw there was the Miss Earth pageant, and I went to watch it one year and said to myself, 'this is what I want to get involved in, this is me'. When you're in pageants, you have what is called an advocacy form, and for me it was conservation education. "Being in university, I was always developing my knowledge about conservation and what we can do to make a change, and then I got my zookeeping job, so my day-to-day life is conservation and educating others. "It all fell into place and I also wrote a children's activity book. There's plans for me to host some workshops in Folly Farm over the summer, and it's just about getting the word out that conservation and being outdoors is fun and can make a difference. "I absolutely love working at Folly Farm and they have been so supportive throughout this entire thing. They were so excited to find out more about it. When I found out I'd be working with penguins, that was such an amazing thing. I absolutely love it. "There's 42 penguins, humboldt and macaroni species. They get fed three times a day, which takes an hour to two hours, so a lot of my day is just feeding penguins. I do also look after flamingo and lots of different duck species. There's very minimal cleaning but a lot of feeding." Abigail has been crowned Miss Earth Wales 2025 (Image: Andrew Mee Photography ) Abigail is crowned at the ceremony (Image: Andrew Mee Photography ) Her win at Miss Earth Wales means she is the Welsh entry to the Miss Earth pageant, an international environment event taking place later this year, in October or November, channelling the beauty pageant industry as an effective tool to promote environmental awareness. She said: "When I was speaking to some of my coaches, we were discussing glamorising nature, and showing that you can be a queen and eco-friendly at the same time, and that's one message I'd like to get across in Miss Earth - yes I can be glammed up for a pageant one night, but also during my day to day job, be surrounded by penguins, and poo, and fish! Article continues below "There's a lot of prep to do before then and making sure everything is ready to go, as it'll be around four or five weeks out there doing lots of different activities, from tree planting, visiting rescues, sanctuaries and visiting universities and doing public speaking, before the actual competition. There's a lot going on, a lot of team building and learning about what they do and what they are passionate about." Get news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.
Western Telegraph
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Folly Farm penguin keeper crowned Miss Earth Wales 2025
Abigail Wood, who joined Folly Farm earlier this year as a seasonal penguin keeper, was given the title at the environment event, which was held at the Memo Arts Centre in Barry. Her passion for environmental issues and dedication to sustainability helped her win the title, aligning with Folly Farm's commitment to conservation. Ms Wood will now represent Wales at the international Miss Earth pageant, an event that promotes environmental awareness. In addition to her zookeeping role, Ms Wood holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Biology: Conservation and Resource Management from Swansea University. Abigail was crowned as Miss Earth Wales 2025 (Image: Folly Farm) She is also the founder of the Wild About Nature initiative, which aims to connect children with nature and encourage them to become passionate conservationists. This includes publishing a children's nature activity book. Ms Wood said: "My passion for wildlife began from a very young age and my advocacy is a reflection of the hard work that I've put into creating my Wild About Nature activity book. "The book aims to encourage children to embrace nature and inspire the next generation of conservation experts. "I felt immensely proud to have felt that my hard work and dedication to our environment has been noticed. "I cannot wait for the sash ceremony at Miss Earth, where I can wear Wales proudly across my chest and represent our beautiful country and advocate for a sustainable future for our wildlife." Everyone at Folly Farm has wished her the best of luck at the Miss Earth pageant later in the year.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Sobhita Dhulipala spoke about being financially and emotionally independent: 'My disciplined roots keep me grounded...'
Sobhita Dhulipala's journey from a small town to Mumbai showcases her resilience and self-reliance. Overcoming language barriers and financial struggles, she adapted to the city's fast pace. Winning titles and modeling assignments led her to prioritize mastering her craft, achieving financial independence by 20 and advocating for self-sufficiency as a foundation for responsibility. From a small town in Andhra Pradesh to the bustling streets of Mumbai, Sobhita Dhulipala 's journey is a testament to resilience, discipline, and self-reliance. Known for her poise and talent, Sobhita's path to success wasn't without challenges—especially as she navigated language barriers and a fiercely competitive industry. Yet, her grounded mindset and commitment to independence have been key to carving out her unique space in entertainment. A Coin Toss That Changed Everything In an earlier interview with Vogue, Sobhita revealed that she chose to move to Mumbai at 16 by tossing a coin, opting against Bengaluru or Hyderabad. She was admitted to one of Mumbai's top colleges based on merit but was naturally reserved and reluctant to speak up in group settings. She often felt like speaking might disrupt the silence and was amazed by how easily others could talk for extended periods, while she remained cautious about expressing herself. Overcoming Language Barriers and Embracing Mumbai When Sobhita Dhulipala first arrived in Mumbai, she didn't know Hindi, which made navigating the bustling city a real challenge. Undeterred by setbacks, she adapted quickly—waking up at 4 am to catch her 7 am classes at Churchgate and using conversations with local fruit vendors to pick up the language. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo She considered herself lucky to explore the city by wandering through random neighborhoods like Bhendi Bazaar, Reay Road, Old Dockyard, and Vasai after classes, marveling at how vast and sprawling Mumbai felt compared to her hometown Vizag, where everything was just minutes away. Financial and Emotional Independence: A Core Value After winning multiple titles at the Miss Earth pageant, Sobhita Dhulipala landed several modeling assignments. However, she soon realized that models were often underpaid and undervalued. Determined to grow, she committed herself to mastering her craft in the entertainment industry over the next three years. By the age of 20, she became financially independent through hard work and learning from experience. Grounded by her disciplined upbringing, Sobhita believes that emotional, physical, and financial self-sufficiency is essential for everyone after college—regardless of gender—and sees it as a crucial foundation for true awareness and responsibility. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
