This weekend, Daniela Toloza Rocha, 30, from Valle del Cauca, passionate about fashion and entrepreneurship, was chosen as the new Miss Universe Colombia. Her task will be to represent the country in the universal beauty pageant, which will take place in Mexico, next November.
Daniela, who confesses that the first person she thought of when she was crowned was her mother, was the great favorite of the contest, standing out among the other participants, so much so that the woman from Valle del Cauca received three of the outstanding awards: Bulova Time, Best Face and Shape your Body.
In addition, being considered one of the most beautiful women in Colombia, some experts claim that Daniela conquered the jury with her charisma and catwalk management, especially that of the grand finale, in which she modeled a gala dress in which sought to honor the sweetness of Valle del Cauca. The new Miss Universe Colombia spoke with El País about her time in the pageant and her plans as sovereign.
When you were crowned, who was the first person you thought of?
For my mother, she couldn’t accompany me because she is in the United States. I immediately called her, we were happy and cried. It is gratifying to know that despite the distance we can count on the people who love us.
What dream would you like to fulfill as Miss Universe Colombia?
I want the entire country to understand the importance of being inclusive, without divisions based on different sexual orientations, or having a physical or cognitive disability. Here there are spaces for everyone, Colombia has little by little become a more inclusive country, starting with Valle del Cauca. In the territory we have been creating many inclusion strategies.
There are only a few months left until the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico, what are the physical and psychological qualities that you think you should work on now?
Exercise and taking care of the physical part, of course, is important for a reign. But, I consider that the priority is to prepare the mind, in this Miss Universe Colombia concentration I learned it, it was a week where I experienced many emotions, there were days when I felt that I could not give more and that I would not achieve it, but I strengthened myself with meditation, visualizations. Every day I woke up and declared that I was going to be Miss Universe Colombia. Everything starts from the mind and then comes the preparation of the body, which takes a fairly long process, which I must also bet on during these 5 months.
On the catwalk you modeled a Mariano Fernández dress, which they called Fruto Dulce de la Caña. How did you feel when you wore it? What did you think at that moment?
This dress was inspired by everything beautiful that we have in our department, that is why silver and pink colors were used, which express all the sweetness of the Valley cane, the flagship fruit of our industry.
When I wore it I felt beautiful, it gave me the feeling that it was my second skin, I think it was the perfect dress for the occasion.
This weekend there was a controversy over the question that was asked to Leicy Rivas, representative of Chocó during the contest, where she asked about the sexual abuse she suffered years ago, what do you think about these types of direct questions?
Four years ago you were overweight and weighed 45 extra kilos. Did this condition affect your self-esteem?
It has been a beautiful process, because I did suffer, but not as some believe. For me, physical appearance was not a problem, but health was. I made the decision to have bariatric surgery when the doctor told me that my health was very affected.
I was on the verge of being diabetic, I had back and knee problems, that was what drove me to strive to have a good quality of life, beauty comes as an added bonus.
What would you say to those young people who suffer from depression or have low self-esteem because they feel that they do not meet a standard of beauty?
The first thing is not to believe in everything you see on social networks, they show the best of people’s lives, the problem is not the platform, but what we do with the information we receive from them. Each person has difficult situations, imperfect bodies, which with their imperfections are beautiful.
Second, that they concentrate on their processes and achieving their dreams, avoiding hurting the people around them.
You have two companies, one in fashion and the other in travel. What is your philosophy as an entrepreneur?
For me it is very important that we create a company, especially in Valle del Cauca. This is the department where I was born and grew up, therefore I love it. In addition to betting on the Valley, I think it is also relevant to think about inclusion, which is why from my clothing brand—La Rochelle—I seek to hire women heads of household, caregiver mothers, who are in charge of the production processes. It is a brand that is just starting, but after the reign I dream of continuing working to make it one of the largest in the country.
On the other hand, there is Aviatur, in which we have 10 drivers, and although it is a small company, I am proud to say that we can hire and support the livelihood of 10 families, that for me is the most important thing as a businesswoman.
In general, inclusion stands out in your personal and professional projects, especially in fashion with La Rochelle. Why?
I have been working for more than 8 years in inclusion processes, in projects with the Valle government, in which I have been able to learn from wonderful women, who have instilled service in me. Beyond having a brand to profit from, the most important thing is to see how with my business I can help the territory, hence the importance of the people, who sew our garments, being women heads of household, caregivers of people with disabilities, because they can work from home and take care of their families, which is the most important thing for them.
