16 May 2018

Help a unique Canberran achieve her dream: Make her Miss Viva Las Vegas 2018

| Nina Gbor
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Miss Cherrybomb: Canberra's contestant for Miss Pinup. Photos: Supplied.

Miss Cherrybomb: Canberra’s contestant for Miss Pinup 2018. Photos: Supplied.

One unique Canberran, Miss Cherrybomb, is gunning for the crown in the most revered and highly recognised international pinup competitions, Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup 2018. However, she needs your votes to make it happen. Having been fortunate enough to win the competition’s ‘best dressed’ title in 2015, Miss Cherrybomb is hoping to make Australia proud by bringing the crown home. Holding this title will give her a bigger platform to continue advocating for self-acceptance in a world that demands perfection.

If you’ve ever seen the glamorous Miss Cherrybomb anywhere in Canberra, you’d think you’ve just spotted a 1940s/50s movie star that just stepped off the original set of a Rita Hayworth classic. Her style is reminiscent of the empowered, confident and elegant women of that era. A true unicorn and credit to Canberra, her look often elicits fond, cherished memories of ancestral family, loved ones and the romanticism of that era.

We spoke to Miss Cherrybomb about her aspirations for the title and among other things what you can do to help her win the title.

RA: What is a Pinup model and what does being a Pinup model involve?

MC: I don’t typically class myself as a pinup model, I’m just a 23-year-old who worships the style of the 1940’s and 1950’s! I have been styling myself after the greats from the silver screen era since 2011 and I constantly experiment with my style; swapping between well-tailored 1940’s suits to 1950’s full-skirted day dresses. Most of all I have a particular passion for 1940’s tiki and Hawaiian true vintage pieces.

RA: How did you become a Pinup model and why did you choose to do it?

MC: I don’t like to think of myself as a model because at this stage in my life being a pinup doesn’t pay the bills… yet! However, people do gravitate towards me more due to my particular style choices, more often than not I am reminding people of their past, their family or just memories they hold dear. People love to ask me why I choose to dress this way, and for me it’s plain and simple; I love the elegance that oozes from 1940’s and 1950’s style. Looking at a photo of Lauren Bacall, Ava Garner, Vivien Leigh or Hedy Lamarr you see a strong, elegant and empowered woman. And as someone who wanted to increase her confidence and become a headstrong woman, these inspirations were life-changing.

RA: What is the Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup competition?

MC: The Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Pageant is a 1950’s style pageant that is open to women over the age of 21 of all shapes and sizes, from all over the world! The pageant is one of the many jewels in the crowns of the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend that takes place annually in April, and has done so for the last 21 years! Viva is celebrating their 21st birthday this year so it’s expected to be a huge turnout, even The Stray Cats (band) have reformed to play the event! (I’m dying of excitement to see them perform live!) Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend is a 4-day event that runs out of the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas that features pinups, shopping, vintage traders, bands, dancing, burlesque, a massive car show on the Saturday and wraps up on the Sunday with a giant pool party including more music, more dancing and even a vintage swimwear competition!

RA: What Pinup titles do you currently hold?

MC: I was fortunate enough to head to Las Vegas in 2015 to compete in the Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Pageant and was even luckier to come away with the title of best dressed. This year I would like to go one better and bring the crown home for Australia, once and for all! That’s why I’m seeking votes! To help me make the cut, to get on stage and have the great honour of representing Australia again in the world’s most highly recognised and revered international pinup pageant.

RA: What would it mean to you if you won the 2018 competition?

MC: The Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Pageant is the world’s most highly recognised pageants and as such, the title it awards carries a lot of weight in the pinup world. To me, winning the pageant would prove to myself and to pinups everywhere that you don’t have to take yourself so seriously. Anyone who follows me on Instagram (@Cherrybomb_x) knows I am a self-confessed idiot! I love to have fun and poke fun at myself. Some women in the pinup scene spend so much time cultivating the perfect image being sure to never misstep on social media or in public. Whereas I love to own my flaws and wear them proudly on my sleeve as a badge of honour! Becoming the custodian of the Miss Viva Las Vegas title would enable me to advocate a message of self-acceptance in a world so hell-bent on perfection.

If you’d like to support this Canberran achieve her dream, vote for her to gain a place on stage at the Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Pageant by following a few simple steps:

  1. Follow the link: http://www.vivalasvegas.net/pin-up-contest/
  2. Scroll down until you see ‘Miss Cherrybomb’, click vote under the photo above;
  3. Enter your email and the captcha and click ok;
  4. An email will be sent to the email address entered and you need to confirm the vote!

(Please note that voting works best on a computer, laptop or tablet device).

Simple as that!

Do 40s and 50s style give you pleasant memories of the past? Let us know in the comments below. Remember to vote for Miss Cherrybomb and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

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Just voted for Miss Cherrybomb. Enjoyed most of the styles displayed. Wish Miss Cherrybomb gr8 success this year.

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