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It’s an unseasonably warm Saturday morning in October, and Giselle Laronde-West can’t stop dancing. It’s her birthday month and, on set for our Body & Age issue, it’s a party. “I haven’t worn heels this high in a while,” she says slyly, holding onto my shoulder, as she settled into a pair of black, glossy, 6-inch platforms. Slipping on an oversized jacket, she bounced onto the set, joking with the team, wining to Yung Bredda’s hit Greatest Bend Over, and laughing heartily. At 61, she’s a delightful ball of confidence. Buttery and exuberant. And she rejects the idea of being pigeonholed.
“I don’t mind an adventurous shoot. So many people want to put me… keep me in this box, so I like to do something different, something exciting,” she tells me, her eyes gleaming. This is certainly different for her: fishnet stockings, piles of jewellery, and low-slung jeans are quite the departure from the more measured presence we’ve all grown accustomed to seeing from the Miss World 1986 titleholder. I wondered what this masquerade of conventional and ultra-polite filters must mean for a former beauty queen wanting to be ‘adventurous’, if only for a few hours.
You see, there’s a certain amount of reverence people have for beauty queens of Giselle’s ilk. The winners. The firsts. And that reverence demands a certain look. It’s often the most unforgiving space, with few chances to peel off the social face of what seems like a never-ending reign. So how much room does that leave for the other layers of a multifaceted, multi-hyphenate, multitudinous woman, like Giselle, to show up?
“I feel that I have been able to evolve for the most part,” Giselle muses. “I never let people define me, nor do I ever feel like I had to be walking around as if I have the crown on my head all the time. [Although] there are others who will only ever see me as Miss World and not see the other achievements in my life.”
A sense of self-awareness threads its way throughout the conversation. Just two weeks before, we chatted easily about wrinkles and weight gain (each with our own litany of complaints), considered all the bits we’ve been garlanded with as we’ve grown older, and tried to reconcile the idea of aging gracefully. “What does that really mean? We age, some choose to delay aging and some face it head-on. Nothing about aging is graceful from what I’ve seen so far,” she joked.
See more from our conversation below…
How She Surprised Herself in the Decades Since her Reign
I have become over the years, a very independent and resilient woman. Growing up I was quite reserved and much a loner. My reign helped me to become focused on my goals and to be assertive when necessary, strong and driven to achieve. I was surprised how independent and perceptive and resilient I became. I gained my Bachelor’s degree and my Master’s over the years, holding high positions in three of the country’s well-known companies – Hilton, Angostura, and Caribbean Airlines – as well as being on several boards and charitable organisations. I had become a well-rounded woman, excelling in academics, sport, creating family life with my husband and two sons and gaining respect in society. I also represented Trinidad in Karate, winning many medals around the world.
The Wisdom She’d Share With Her 23-Year Old Self
Life is to live, and it is a good thing to explore and be adventurous. It would have been great to know that I could do anything I wished once I put my mind to it, without necessarily having to rely on my parents. I was quite sheltered then and not at all worldly, so I would have given myself some slack and enjoyed my early 20s a bit more.
How Her Relationship With Her Body Has Evolved Over the Years
I became less self-conscious over the years when it came to my body. I also learned what parts of my body looked best in certain clothing. As my body developed and changed as I got older, I gradually grew to accept my imperfections and embrace the parts of me that looked the best and accept those parts that I felt could have looked better, like my small lips and short torso.
How Her Idea of Glamour Has Changed Over the Years
My idea of glamour has not really changed much. I have never been glamourous but I do admire glamourous people. I still do not seek to become more glamourous, I am content with the persona I present and the way I carry myself. [I feel like] if I try to be more glamourous, it may seem false and pretentious, so I don’t bother.
The Stereotype About Older Women She’d Like to See Disappear
That we somehow are no longer sexy and therefore do not need the attention we got in our 20s.
What Power Looks Like to Her Now
Power is my ability to do what I want, when I want and how I want to do it and not have to compromise or feel insecure about my choices in life.