MADE IN THE USA - MISS UNIVERSE CHINA

Wall Street Journal, 17-aug-2011: On a recent weeknight on the Upper East Side, the current Miss China, a beauty who stands 6 feet tall in stockings, was learning how to mingle at a dinner party.

"I am Rosaline, pleased to meet you," the beauty queen said to the bankers and lawyers present, giving an English version of her Chinese name, Luo Zilin.

"Tell them about your dress Rosaline," prompted her host, Yue-Sai Kan.

"It is Calvin Klein, isn't it beautiful?" Miss China announced with a practiced twirl.

The performance was but a small part of Ms. Kan's determined bid to make this Miss China into Miss Universe. Like many champions before her, if she wins, Miss China's greatness will have been forged on—or at least near—New York City's mean streets.

For the past few weeks, Ms. Luo has been living in Ms. Kan's posh Sutton Place townhouse, taking a crash course in Western manners and mores in advance of the pageant, to be held in São Paulo on Sept. 12.

Full article at Wall Street Journal website.

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

Miss World 2007 China's Zhang Zilin

Miss World India 2011 Kanishtha Dhankhar

Miss Teen USA 2010 Maryland's Kamie Crawford

Miss Spain 2000 and Miss Universe 2000 second runner-up Helen Lindes

Miss Universe 2004 Australia's Jennifer Hawkins

Miss World 2000 India's Priyanka Chopra

ZEN ON SUNDAY

Miss World 2007, China's Zhang Zilin

WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH FOR TRUE BEAUTY

CHINAdaily

05-Dec-2008

Miss World managed what nobody else could at the Beijing Olympics ... she made Usain Bolt feel second best. Zhang Zilin has told how she befriended the record-breaking Jamaican star of Beijing 2008. During one meeting, the giant 1.96m-tall Bolt confessed to feeling "well beaten" in her presence because she was even taller than him in her high heels. As Zhang prepares to hand over her crown in Johannesburg, South Africa, next Saturday, she has been looking back on her triumphant year as China's first Miss World. It coincided with the Olympics being staged in her hometown, a godsend for Zhang, who is a former track and field star and trained professionally at the same academy as Olympic champion Liu Xiang. She was crowned the 57th Miss World on Dec 1 last year in Sanya, Hainan province, and says the year's flown by. "I have enjoyed a wonderful year as Miss World," she says. "But I can't be Miss World all the time. It is like the torch relay - on the one hand, I feel like covering the whole distance on my own, yet on the other hand, I understand it would be meaningless to have one person on the whole relay. "It is far more important to complete your own run than anything else. It is such a relief for me to realize now that so far I have done well." MORE...

MISS WORLD MARKS WORLD AIDS DAY

Dominican Today, 02-Dec-2008

Miss World celebrates World AIDS Day at S. Africa hospice

Malvern, S. Africa - To mark the occasion reigning Miss World, Zilin Zhang, South Africa's Tansey Coetzee, and six finalists from this year's Miss South Africa went to visit some of the residents at Dudu Zwane Hospice Centre in Malvern.

Each year on world AIDS day candles are lit to symbolise hope. During yesterday's visit Zilin Zhang lit a candle and listened as the patients described how the hospice has lifted their spirits, in particular a little girl called Cindy who had a cuddle on her lap.

Zilin Zhang said: "Last year on this day I was crowned Miss World, and so it is a special day for me. It is made extra special as it is World AIDS Day, and last year at my coronation we all sang a beautiful song to commemorate this, which really touched my heart.

"Education is very important. We need to educate and help people to learn more about HIV-AIDS. Don't turn away."

After yesterday's visit a cheque will be presented to the Hospice. Each year charity fundraising is a key part of the month-long festival and continues throughout the year under the 'Beauty With A Purpose' banner, which has seen Miss World raise over US$500m for good causes around the globe.

RED MERMAID

Miss World 2007, China's Zhang Zilin, headlines the Gioia Pan fashion show

ZEN ON SUNDAY

Miss World 2007, Zhang Zilin of China

THE GOOD EARTH

Miss Earth China 2008 is Zhou Yingkun. She won the title today in Nanjing, China. The runners up were Li Shuang (1st runner-up), Chen Yu (2nd runner-up), and Han Lulu (3rd runner-up).

BEIJING WELCOMES YOU

Miss World 2007, Zhang Zilin, and her billion fellow citizens welcome you to Beijing and the Games of the 29th Olympiad

ZEN ON SUNDAY

Miss World 2007, China's Zhang Zilin

CANNES-DO ATTITUDE

More Cannes-do attitude from beauty delegates past and present - Miss France 2005, Cindy Fabre, and the reigning Miss World, Zhang Zilin of China, pose for the paparazzi.

ZZ IN TNT

Miss World 2007, Zhang Zilin of China, is in Trindad and Tobago for the country's 19th annual AIDS Candlelight Memorial. As usual, her chaperone is Julia Morley. While in Trinidad and Tobago, ZZ has met with Peter Elias, the "Osmel Sousa" of Trinidad and Tobago; Miss World 1986 Giselle La Ronde-West; Miss TNT World 2007 and Miss World 2007 top five finisher Valene Maharaj; Miss TNT World 2008 Gabrielle Walcott; and Miss TNT Universe 2008 Anya Ayoung Chee.

Anya, Gabrielle, ZZ, and Valene

TORCH SONG

Word has it that Miss World 2007 Zhang Zilin of China (center) has recorded a song for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing - "The World Follows Me."

Here is ZZ, as we call her here at Beauty School, on the runway

(Photos: China Daily)