Rima

fashionista

Fakih By na t
or llou
ba

The Arab-American Dream

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 GLAM Fashion

Confident, beautiful, intelligent,

stylish, friendly are only some words
worthy of summing up Rima Fakih,
the current Miss USA 2010. Since her
catapult to fame, all eyes have been
focused on her every move as the first
Arab-American to win the sought
after title. She talks to GLAM about
pressures, aspirations and all things
fashion exclusively revealing which
famous baseball star has won her
heart.
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“I haven’t been your average Miss USA;
besides the fact that I’m travelling
internationally, I’m the first Arab-
American to hold the title, possibly the
first Muslim. Because of this, I have so
many different eyes focusing on me and
looking up to me; it’s something I take
very seriously,” she says.

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 GLAM Fashion

A
buzz of excitement radiates through the room
as Rima Fakih, reigning champion of Miss
USA 2010, enters Salam Stores. The leggy
Lebanese born stunner looks every inch the
beauty queen with her long glistening jet-black
hair, enviable hour-glass figure and pearl white
teeth; and topping it off she’s uber fashionable
wearing a chic cropped Armani jacket. It is
clear the coveted crown hasn’t gone to her
head as she happily obliges to pose for waiting
photographers.
Twenty-five-year-old Fakih has just launched
her Middle-Eastern tour with Qatar being the
first stop on her busy schedule, “I was invited
here for the Made in USA expo and Salam Stores
sponsored the whole trip, which I’m very happy
about,” she beams proudly; despite already
posing for a photo shoot and conducting three
media interviews her face animates with every
word she shares, her smile never fading.
The most intense aspect of Fakih’s reign has
been a result of her background, “I haven’t
been your average Miss USA; besides the fact
that I’m travelling internationally, I’m the first
Arab-American to hold the title, possibly the
first Muslim. Because of this, I have so many
different eyes focusing on me and looking up
to me; it’s something I take very seriously,” she
says.
Fakih has been put under the spotlight on
various occasions and often has to tackle

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Now her ambition is to hone in on her acting
skills and cement her status as a world
class actor; looks like she is set for success
as she has just completed a movie with
Australian heart-throb Hugh Jackman,
wow!
questions surrounding her Arab roots. When
she’s quizzed on certain issues, she places
emphasis on removing the virus from whatever
question is directed at her. “I would like to let
everyone know that there is actually nothing
negative about what I’m doing. I never try
and force people to change their opinion
of me; instead I try and give them a better
understanding. I think all too often people
judge a book by its cover and it’s something
that you should never do,” she shares.
Unlike most beauty pageant queens who
spend years training and battling in cut-throat
contests in hope of one day winning the most
sought after crown in America; Fakih seems
to have been the dark horse skipping most of
the bitchy competitions. “This is all new to me,
I used to be a tomboy growing up, the whole
regime of putting on make-up and glamming
up is only something I have got good at last
year,” she reveals.
Both her parents hail from Southern Lebanon
so it’s easy to comprehend where she inherits
her style, as the country is quickly becoming the
fashion capital of the Middle-East. Her family
moved to America when she was three-years-
old and spent most of their life in New York
before moving to Michigan in 2003.
The reality of being so far away from those she
loves is heightened as she recalls her family life;
overtaken by a sudden wave of emotion, the
interview is briefly stopped as Fakhi’s eyes well-
up at the thought of her 16-year-old brother. “I
just miss spending time with him so much.”
Ready for the silver screen
Before the whirlwind journey of competing
in Miss USA and again in Miss Universe,
Fakih was like any other young girl, working
hard at three jobs to make a living. Not just a
pretty face, she also has degrees in Business
and Economics which she gained from the
University of Michigan. Now her ambition is
to hone in on her acting skills and cement her
status as a world class actor; looks like she is set
for success as she has just completed a movie
with Australian heart-throb Hugh Jackman,
wow!
Not only does she count mouth-watering
Jackman as a colleague, she exclusively reveals
that she’s currently dating baseball player Ricky
Romero from the The Toronto Blue Jays. “I can’t
believe I just told you that; I’ve been single and
independent all my life, Ricky and I have been
friends for a while and things just blossomed;
we’re really serious about each other.”
Style icons
The lucky lady has been a guest at numerous
fashion shows during New York fashion week;
yet sticking true to her roots, she beholds
Lebanese extravaganza fashion designer Elie
Saab as one of her favourite as well as Chanel.
“During NY fashion week, I got to model in a
private show for Loris Diran; he asked me to
wear one of his outfits as the theme for his new
line is called The Middle East-The desert, it was
amazing, there was Arabic music playing and
everyone was having so much fun.”
The ambitious lady counts Angelina Jolie and
Kim Kardashian as her style icons; “Angelina
Jolie’s style is simple yet unique, she’s so
elegant and also sexy. I admire her because
she’s a mum, a UN ambassador and a great
actress,” she shares passionately.
No pain, no gain?
With an envious figure and legs that go on
forever, GLAM was keen to know the secrets
behind Fakih’s svelte shape. “A lot of people
GLAM Fashion
think that losing weight or looking thin means
that you don’t eat, that is completely untrue. I
make sure I eat five times a day and never eat
after 7pm. I choose carbohydrates carefully,
usually brown rice or sweet potatoes,” she
shares.
Her schedule is often so demanding that she has
little time to complete the desired workout she
envisages; instead she makes sure that she works
out at least three times a week with a mixture of
both cardio and weight training. However, like us
all, Fakih has a downfall in the form of ice-cream.
“I just can’t give it up,” she enthuses.
With plastic surgery becoming an increasing
problem in the region, Fakih insists that she is
all about natural beauty and doesn’t agree with
the extreme measures some girls go through to
achieve the look they want. “I’m not completely
against plastic surgery; however, I don’t agree
with girls who get carried away with it - if you are
unhappy with something, fair enough, change
it but don’t continue changing other things.
I would really advise girls not to do anything
until after the age of 25 because our bodies are
constantly changing even at that age.”
Miss USA 2010 has successfully managed
to storm her way to the top in the toughest
competition in America, has a dream beau, has
collaborated with the fashion elite and mingled
with the big-timers of the movie world; so, what
advice can she provide to all young hopefuls?
“You can’t be a model, actress or Miss USA
unless you are proud, confident and love
yourself. You need a positive mentality and the
ability to look in the mirror and tell yourself
you are strong, smart and sexy. Above all, you
have to be a good person; I’m nice and made
an effort to be friendly with all the girls in
the competition.” Good luck Rima; GLAM is
rooting for your future movie success!
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