Exclusive Interview With Stephanie Iloabachi, Miss Kanekalon 2018

The annual Miss Kanekalon 2018 hair and beauty pageant which celebrates African beauty was recently held and Stephanie Iloabachie from Port Harcourt, a true African damsel adorned with beauty and brains was crowned the Miss Kanekalon 2018. This beautiful, intelligent and vibrant lady tells her story of how she emerged a winner to ACADA Magazine publisher ‘BIODUN CASTON-DADA.

How has it been, being the new face of Kanekalon and Miss Kanekalon 2018?

It’s been really exciting. I have new experiences; my confidence level has also improved. I’ve also gained new followers on my social media handles. The celebrity lifestyle status.

Who is Stephanie Iloabachi?

I am Stephanie Iloabachi, the 2018 Miss Kanekalon. I am 21 years old and a graduate of Sociology from the University of Part Harcourt. I’m from Anambra State in Nigeria. I come from a family of 5 children, and I’m the 4^th child out of the 5 children. I enjoyed meeting new people, interacting with children; I enjoy reading, watching movies and traveling.  

So why did you apply for Miss Kanekalon 2018?

I applied for Miss Kanekalon 2018 because of its essence and its credibility. Miss Kanekalon is a pageant that celebrates the African woman, celebrates her feminity based on African standards regardless of skin colour, size, shape. You will find out that most of the contestants and winners represents typical African woman. It celebrates the African woman and a very important part of our culture which our hairstyles. African  women are famously known for braids. It’s a cultural thing. And also because of its credibility, Miss Kanekalon has good name, a genuine and free pageant. Entry is actually free of charge, no fee for registration, no fee for camping, and instead you get a lot more goodies when you make it to the final auditioning. Everyone who made it to the auditioning gets something not to talk of the people that made it to the camp. That’s why I applied for Miss Kanekalon.

To the best of your knowledge, what was that quality that made you stand out from other contestants?

I try to put my best in everything that I do. I believe what worth doing is worth doing well. I guess they could see the excellence and efforts I put into each task throughout the whole camp. And also, I was myself; I wasn’t pretending or faking anything so they could also see the genuineness in me. And I was also humble throughout the period and also tried to relate well with everybody.

How has applying for the pageant affected your life?

We learnt a lot during the grooming camp. I was thought how to be more cautious, how to be respect people because tomorrow is pregnant. This has made me to relate better with people, even people I don’t know. People want to talk to me more because I always have a smile on my face and I’m more approachable and people tend to become more attracted to me after the grooming camp. I’ve also have a positivity mentality after then, believing that I can achieve anything I put my heart to.

What were your experiences and expectations during the beauty camp?

First of all, Miss Kanekalon flew me all the way from Port Harcourt to Lagos. That was my first time of coming to Lagos and also been on a flight because I’ve not really gone out of my immediate environment, the South-South before. Then I was camped with 19 beautiful ladies, and we are all vying for the same thing. I was expecting to learn a lot of things and I knew that there will be one winner at the end and that might not have been me but I hoped to get as much lessons from the grooming.

So do you have any premonition of wining the pageant, though everybody goes into a competition to win? Especially when you got to the camp and saw all other beautiful ladies.

When I got to the camp and I saw the other contestants they were really really good. To me it was even a great achievement to make it to the camp because out of 60 other contenders in Port Harcourt, I made it as a finalist. We were just 2 that were selected from Port Harcourt, that alone was a great feat for me and we had to come to Lagos to join other contestants from Ghana, Delta and Lagos who were looking like strong competition. Initially, I was like, let me just have fun but then I had to tell myself that I didn’t come  just to have fun. I wouldn’t say I was sure I was going to win, I was only hopeful and pray about it.

Was the Beauty camp a worthwhile venture? If Yes How?

Of course it was. The lessons we learnt during the camping transformed my life. I went from being a normal girl to been a lady, and then a queen.

How do you plan to enhance the brand image as Miss Kanekalon?

I intend to make Kanekalon as a brand known to everybody, to all women because Kanekalon is a synthetic fiber found in Expression and Darling. A lot of women in Africa and Nigeria they sue it but they do not know, so I will like to let them know that Kanekalon is safe to use, it’s flexible, soft and silky, it’s  flame retardant, it’s versatile, it comes in amazing colour choices and it’s globally loved.

How is Kanekalon helping you to achieve this dream?

First of all, my dream is to become a fashion designer and I presented this dream at the camp and Kanekalon will be supporting me financially to advance my skills in fashion designer and they will also help me to start up my own fashion designing business. They are going to support me financially.

Has winning the crown changed your life in anyway. If yes, explain?

Sure it has! Like I said earlier, I am more courteous now, my confidence level has increased and it has also helped me to realize that anything is impossible like I said earlier. It has made me a celebrity. And my life has also changed financially too.

So during this your one year reign as Miss Kanekalon, what are the activities you will be engaged in for Kanekalon?

I will be representing Kanekalon at events. I will be creating awareness and publicity for Kanekalon. I will be having various Corporate Social Responsibility projects.

So let’s talk about you. What were the memorable moments you had on campus and the activities you engaged in that you can remember?

When I was on campus, initially I was all academics but in year 2 I decided to try something different because I’m not politically inclined, I decided to go into pageantry and that was the first time I will contested in a pageantry. It was a campus pageant, Faculty of Social Sciences. I contested and won Miss Social Sciences. So that actually opened the door for my pageantry career. Afterwards, I contested in another campus pageant, Glo Campus Diva/Miss UniPort. I was also tops in most of my academics and department. I remembered in year 1 I got an award for the Best Students in Sociology, Best GP in Sociology department.

How were you able to combine the social life and your academics?

I just tried to read during the academic sessions and also during the holidays, I tried to read ahead some materials, download things from the internet for the next semester and read them before the next semester commences. I just tried to tell myself that despite the fact that I’m participating in extracurricular activities, my primary aim of been in school is academics so I just tried to create a balance between the two.

Talking about beauty, do you have a particular beauty regimen?

To be honest I don’t have a particular beauty regimen. I just tried to drink lot of water, eat healthy. I avoid too much sugar, not that I don’t take sugary things but I tried to watch and control it. And I tried to exercise, like taking brisk walks.

Talking about fashion and style, what is your style?

My style is elegant. I tried to put on whatever I’m comfortable in, descent but comfortable clothes and whatever I think will makes me look good.

Which is your favourite food?

I enjoy Boli (roasted plantain) and fish. I love light food like Shawarma, I like swallows too.

What is your indulgence?

Nothing, I’m not addicted to anything. I don’t allow things to get the better part of me. I tried to master everything.

So what inspires you?

I really love children. I have a passion for children. Seen kids do inspires me and I always want them to do well especially academically.

 Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I hope to have expanded my fashion business and gone global. Spread to different parts of Nigeria and also done my MSc.

In what course?

Sociology too.

What advice do you have for aspiring young ladies that want to participate in Miss Kanekalon?

I would advise aspiring Miss Kanekalon queens first of all to follow Kanekalon social media handles. On Instagram @misskanekalon, on Twitter @misskanekalon and on Facebook, at kanekalonafrica page. I would also advice them to be the best they can be, have faith and be persistent. Also for them to aim for the best and have high standards. Put their best foot forward. Submit their best pictures in braids when they are registering.

So when you are not participating in any event for Kanekalon or you are not doing anything, how do you relax or unwind?

I love to hang-out with friends. I love to be with my family. I just love people’s company basically. And I sometimes watch a movie or read a book.  

Since you’ve won the Miss Kanekalon pageant, has there been any change in you, especially with your friends? Even in your neighbourhood, how have you been handling the celebrity status thing?

I only noticed that people wants to identify with me more now. My friends too, they are hailing me more now, especially on my social media, trying to identify with me more, ‘this is my friend o, she’s now a celebrity’, and all of that.

Generally, what advice do you have for young Nigerians out there?

I would like to tell them that hard work really pays and excellence is a habit, it’s a lifestyle. It really pays to do whatever you find yourself doing very well. Excellence is all about doing common things uncommonly well. And when you do that very well, over time it begins to tell on your achievements and accomplishments.

Any last word, especially for Kanekalon users?

Kanekalon is the best synthetic fiber. Keep using it and keep glowing with Kanekalon.