Vietnamese-American Transgender Model Made History Winning local ‘Miss America’ Pageant
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November 23, 2022
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In the 100-year history of Miss America, 19-year-old Brían Nguyen has become the first transgender contestant to win a local Miss America Organization beauty pageant, Miss Greater Derry 2023.
The teenager from New Hampshire won a crown, title, and scholarship. She ecstatically wrote on her Instagram, “No words can describe the feeling of having the opportunity to serve my community and represent my community for the very first time at Miss New Hampshire.”
Nguyen continued, “I am so honored to be crowned your new Miss Greater Derry 2023, and I am thrilled to show you all what I have up my sleeves. This will be an amazing year.”
Founded in 1986, the Miss Greater Derry Scholarship Program awards scholarships to young women in the Greater Derry area for academic skills, talent, character, community service, and poise.
The Miss Greater Derry Scholarship Pageant is also a preliminary event for the Miss New Hampshire Pageant and, ultimately, the Miss America Pageant.
As the new Miss Greater Derry, she recently attended the annual Best Buddies Champion Gala to support those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. $150,000 was raised over that night to help out their champion nominees. She will be working with Best Buddies New Hampshire throughout her reign.
In a big event celebrating Asian American beauty and success, the Miss Asian Global and Miss Asian America Pageant, known for being the longest-running beauty contest for Asian Americans in the US, has picked its winners for this year: Kylie Chang and Erin Kwon. This event is really important as it shows how Asian Americans can be confident leaders.
According to NextShark, Kylie Chang, who is 18 years old, won the 38th Miss Asian Global title at a special place called the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. She shared with KRON4 that she was really happy and said all her hard work paid off.
She loves dancing and shares that joy with kids who might not have the same chances. She volunteers as a dance teacher at Friends of Children with Special Needs, which helps them feel good about themselves. Kylie also does good things with fashion – she’s a part of an organization called Catwalk for Charitable Causes that uses fashion to help charities.
Erin Kwon is 24 years old and is studying to become a doctor in Irvine, California. She’s also this year’s Miss Asian America. Erin really cares about older Asian Americans and wants them to know more about staying healthy. She helps people in hospices, which are places where very sick people get special care, as an advocate for better healthcare education in the Asian American elderly community.
“I didn’t even expect to place. I just wanted to have an experience where I meet other women and just do something outside of my comfort zone, but I got way more than I ever expected so I’m very, very pleased,” Kwon told KRON4.
The contest has been around since 1985 when Rose Chung started it at an event called the Asian Arts Festival. It’s all about helping young Asian women grow and become strong leaders.
This series shines a light on accomplished immigrant entrepreneurs who have made significant contributions to the business landscape in the United States. Hailing from China, Xu’s journey from her homeland to becoming the founder and CEO of the award-winning tech startup TalkMeUp is a testament to the potential immigrants bring to the world of entrepreneurship.
EIG is a Washington, DC-based, bipartisan public policy organization that advocates for a diverse and innovative American economy. Since immigrants make up 14% of the US population, over 30% of US innovators, and 38% of Americans who have won the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and medicine since 2000, Xu’s story serves as a prime example of the importance of fostering an atmosphere that encourages immigrant talent and achievements.
According to Yahoo! Finance, Xu’s experiences in diverse roles, including positions at Groupon and Huawei, provided Xu with invaluable insights into effective communication and cross-cultural dynamics. Recognizing the gap in accessible communication training resources, she embarked on a mission to democratize communication skills through TalkMeUp.
TalkMeUp, Inc. is based in Pittsburgh with deep roots in Carnegie Mellon University. It has pioneered solutions that propel business success through the art of effective communication.
Driven by a mission to empower individuals and organizations worldwide, TalkMeUp’s AI-powered platform allows professionals to gauge their communication effectiveness and audience engagement during video interactions. Through personalized practice and training, TalkMeUp equips users with the essential communication attributes required for career advancement and seamless transitions.
Luxury fashion gets a new face with Luxe Du Jour, a brand driven by innovation and purpose. Tammy Phan, the visionary behind the brand, embarked on this journey to bridge a gap in the market for selling high-end designer handbags. Her pursuit of accessible luxury has reshaped the industry.
Beyond fashion, Luxe Du Jour has redefined the concept of luxury itself. Through Luxe Bag Rental, they’ve unlocked a unique way to experience elegance without the hefty price tag. With a commitment to Recycle, Reuse, and Restore, they’re championing sustainability. Each pre-owned item holds a story of responsible consumption.
Luxe Du Jour’s journey has been marked by challenges, but their ethos remains unwavering. With education and community at the core, they’re leading the charge toward a future where luxury is synonymous with accessibility, ethics, and sustainability.
Join us as we delve deeper into their story.
HOW IT WAS FOUNDED
Luxe Du Jour all started with solving a problem for the founder, Tammy Phan, where she struggled to find a trustworthy place to sell high-end designer handbags. Back then, it was only eBay or your local clothing consignment shop. But eBay was a nightmare of dealing with lowballers, scam payments, and tie wasters and the local clothing consignment shops took 50-60% in commission.
Phan knew there had to be a better way so she started to sell her items on Instagram when the platform was peaking which was the start of the company. Luxe Du Jour ended up building a community on social media and the rest is history!
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Phan grew up poor to immigrant parents. The typical expectations of her being a doctor or engineer were the only means of success in her parents’ eyes. However, life did not pan out that way for Phan, and she had to drop out of high school to get a job to help support herself, because she thought by doing this—it would be one less child for her parents to worry about financially.
Phan’s strong desire for luxury stemmed from not growing up around it, and she made it her goal to one day be able to afford a designer handbag. She worked hard, saved enough money and did just that.
Discovering her one Chanel bag increased in value over time and being able to profit on it after she sold it years down the road sparked a joy that she knew she wanted others to experience. Thus beginning an interest in the value of the luxury designer resale market!
Her mission is to make designer luxury more affordable, accessible, and sustainable.
LUXE BAG RENTAL
Shopping for pre owned designer luxury has not changed in the last decade and the prices of designer luxury constantly keep increasing but the shopping experience in store hasn’t changed or evolved to make the price hikes worth it.
Why are we able to test drive cars before committing thousands of dollars to it and not be able to do that with expensive designer handbags that also cost thousands of dollars even $10,000+?
Luxe Bag Rental saw a huge hole in the market that women wanted to constantly switch up their styles more often, try it before they buy it, or just wear an item once for a special event or photoshoot without the hassle of trying to sell it after. Luxe Bag Rental clients now get to experience a completely new way of shopping and trying out designer fashion. If they love the bag, they can opt for rent-to-own. It gives consumers a chance to really experience the items first-hand providing a smarter and more approachable way to shop.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Everything done at Luxe Du Jour integrates the 3 R’s.
When you shop or sell preowned, you are RECYCLING that designer handbag. When you rent with Luxe Bag Rental you are REUSING that designer handbag and when you restore a bag back to life with Luxe Bag Spa you are REDUCING waste because a bag you were not going to wear anymore due to its damage now has a second chance at being worn and loved again!
It takes up approximately 629 kg of CO2 to produce one leather handbag so we are reducing a lot of carbon emissions every time a designer handbag is sold, rented, or restored! The fashion industry is so wrapped up in having everything brand new, Luxe Du Jour wants to focus on how to normalize pre-owned and continue to find ways to push for positive environmental impact.
AUTHENTICITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Authenticity is the core of Luxe Du Jour’s business. A 3-step authentication process is done to ensure authenticity for every item sold or rented out hence why Luxe Du Jour offers a lifetime guarantee or you get your money back.
A rise of counterfeits and fast fashion has flooded the market and Luxe Du Jour focuses on educating our community on the negative impacts of buying counterfeit and fast fashion by building a community and nurturing that community to fulfill their needs.
LOOKING FORWARD
We aspire for Luxe Du Jour to be a huge disrupter in designer luxury fashion and want to lead the path so that the luxury giants follow and want to be a part of the positive impact we are making for those who love authentic designer luxury.
Luxe Du Jour will continue to be innovative and bring a new look to preowned.
Carolyn Kan, the visionary behind Carrie K Jewellery, has left an indelible mark on Singapore’s creative landscape.
Known for her intricate fine jewelry reflecting Southeast Asian heritage, wit, and emotion, Carolyn’s influence transcends mere craftsmanship. Her unwavering commitment to the local creative community adds depth to her legacy.
To Carolyn, that means trying new things to make special jewelry. It’s not just about looking nice; it’s about making jewelry that has feelings and meaning, like a piece of art you can wear.
The pandemic made her think about why her jewelry matters. She realized her designs show love and comfort even when times are tough. “Our designs share messages of love,” she explains, showing how important her work is.
From fun accessories to really well-made jewelry with special metals and gems, Carrie K Jewellery shows how much Carolyn cares about celebrating life and love. She also focuses on being creative and making jewelry that fits different styles and moods.
Aside from the beautiful design, Carolyn’s jewelry is also good for the Earth. She makes pieces that you can use in lots of different ways, so you don’t need too many things. She also has a special service where she takes old family jewelry and makes it new again. This helps keep special memories alive.
Now that the pandemic is over, Carolyn wants to share her jewelry with more people and make different kinds of engagement and wedding pieces. She’s found new ways to work with people from far away, making special jewelry that tells their stories.
