Jasmine Farlow had no idea where pageantry would take her when she first entered one in 2012.
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“I started off by doing bikini competitions, which is a completely different thing,” Ms Farlow said.
“It seemed like the same girls were getting to nationals constantly so I figured I'd give pageantry a go.”
Now five years, countless pageants and a couple of national titles later the Seaham beauty cannot believe how many opportunities it has provided her.
Ms Farlow, crowned Miss Australia Continents in 2016, has been to Europe and Asia, made countless friends from around the globe, become a lot more confident and realised her love for sewing can be more than a hobby.
“I did Face of the Globe in 2013 and represented Australia at Disneyland in Paris,” she said.
“That was pretty incredible.
“I walked away with the People's Choice Award.
“With all the viewing, live stream and TV, people across the world voted for me.
“That was a pretty exciting little thing.
“I've won a national title in Australia every single year since 2012.
“I've been very lucky. Well, it's been a lot of hard work but also luck.”
After one pageant where Ms Farlow bought a limited edition bikini for $300 and another contestant was wearing the same one, she turned her hand to sewing her costumes.
Her business, which is largely creating national costumes (much like the extravagant pieces show on the Victoria's Secret catwalk), has expanded.
She creates national costumes for other pageant contestants, plus provides some mentoring.
Now, Ms Farlow is back on the pageant path, returning to the Continents ‘system’ this year with the aim to win the Ms section.
In the Miss section last year, Ms Farlow took out the national title and represented Australia in Las Vegas.
She placed in the top 10 at the international pageant.
Currently, she is a national finalist in Ms Australia Continents.
“This one is more about the girl and about what she's like on the inside, what kind of person she is, about how she gets out in the community,” Ms Farlow said about the Continents pageant.
“It's a very friendly system. A lot of other systems will be based on looks.
“This one is more about camaraderie, friendship and just getting out [in the community].”
The national final will be held in Sydney in November.
“My aim is to take out the Australian title of the systems one by one (Miss, Ms, Mrs) while representing Newcastle,” Ms Farlow said.