Simplicity is style – Helen Prest-Ajayi

At 19, she was crowned Miss Nigeria.  That was in 1979. Now, at over 53, Helen Prest-Ajayi can still compete for the same crown. Beautiful, charming and with a soft voice, she is what every woman dreams to be in her 50s.

Of course, the first question would hinge on her looks. What has been her staying power? Lapping up the compliments, she enthuses: “Good looks, these days, are all about positive energy, healthy living and prayer. I’ve always maintained that beauty comes first, from the inside. What is inside you always radiates out at the end of the day.”

Ask again what needs to be done to experience graceful ageing and she responds, “To remain ageless, you have to be able to engage with people of all ages and backgrounds. You also have to embrace change and keep tabs on the new trends in technology. How well you adapt is always reflected in your body and mind.”

Ironically, as the interview progresses, she makes you realise there is more to life than good looks. “It’s also about talent,” she corrects. A graduate of law, she preaches beauty with brawns.

“I agree that looks help but without an active use of your brain, you can never make it. If you are beautiful, you must not be dumb! As a contestant in 1979, I was a law undergraduate and I did not take a year out. I combined my duties as Miss Nigeria with my academics and graduated along with my peers. I also graduated from law school, went on to do my National Youth core service, then went on to obtain a masters degree in Law (LLM) from the prestigious Kings College University London.”

With a huge fan base on the social media, Prest-Ajayi would not fail to proffer advice to her young fans:  “It is the same I give to my daughters. First, believe in yourself, trust your instincts, be gracious, be open to new ideas, and use your brains, not your looks to get ahead. Sometimes, it’s difficult because people want to only see your looks but you will be happy you did so later on in life when your looks fade; as they inevitably will do. Above all, laugh a lot, be happy- happy people are always beautiful.”

Talking motherhood with her is exciting. Dispelling the stereotype beauty queen, she gushes: “Some said if you are a beauty queen, you would never find a husband and probably not have children. Every man, who is a real man and has what it takes to be a man, wants to have a beautiful wife. I have three lovely children and it has been a roller coaster ride that I have enjoyed immensely. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. My daughters are awesome. They are always raiding my wardrobe and sometimes I raid theirs!”

An author of children books, she is also the creative director, www.mylifestylesolutions.com, a social network site, which offers practical solution for everyday living. Still as relevant as ever, both in social and business circles, her definition for success is simply: “A feeling of contentment that your life’s purpose for walking this earth has been fulfilled. Now, that could mean many different things to different people, but I do know one thing for sure, you will know it when you experience it, because you will be at peace.”

Quite an interesting personality, Prest-Ajayi, who will clock 54 this year, has succeeded in remaining scandal-free unlike some former beauty queens. But then, how has she remained relevant? With an emphasis on the fact that she is not out to seek attention, she opines, “Being relevant is not really something I think about. Everybody can stay relevant if you keep your curiosity alive and keep an open mind. I try to be true to my beliefs in whatever I do, if what I do resonates with people and makes me relevant, that’s great! But it’s really not that important. What’s important is whether I’m relevant to myself and my family.”

Rewind to 1979 when she emerged a queen. What pushed her into the pageant? Describing it as a ‘spur of the moment thing,’ a young lady then, she counted it as a relief to have won because her parents didn’t know she went for the contest! As expected, a Miss Nigeria crown should open doors. Or didn’t it?

Quite philosophical in her responses, she says, “Only you can open your doors. Remember the reign is only for a year. The rest of what you do is for a lifetime. However, I have to admit that winning the Miss Nigeria crown then launched me onto the national stage and made me an instant celebrity at a time when there were no celebrities. Miss Nigeria had iconic stature. People always wanted to know what I was doing at every point in time and I was constantly being interviewed and photographed. It was like the first reality show and I was the star of it.”

Style, for her, is simplicity. She explains her attitude to style as: “My calling card is simplicity. One of my favourite mantras is ‘less is more’. Too much jewellery and overly fussy clothes are ageing!”

Guess what she would not be caught dead in? She responds, “I know enough about the changing trends of fashion over the years to know that one should never say, ‘never.’ There’s nothing I would say I wouldn’t be caught dead in.”

Any fashion fetish? “Pucci and Issey Miyake and anything in an ethnic design interpreted in a luxurious fabric,” comes her prompt reply.

Her plan for the New Year is to work on a project. “It is all about www.u-wantit.com.  It is showing people a new way to shop designer brands for less,” she discloses.

Wondering what she eats to make her trim? “I try to eat sensibly. I don’t eat in between meals and I exercise as often as I can. I try and work out at least three times a week and I laugh a lot. Laughter and good friends are the best beauty regime,” she says.