Follow our full coverage of Miss Big Brazil 13 with exclusive backstage galleries and a full interview with Camila dos Santos in next week’s print issue.
Miss Big Brazil 13 has rewritten the rulebook. The talent portion this year included a funk carioca dance-off and a pão de queijo eating challenge (timed, one minute, no water). But the real entertainment came during the "Power Statement" round.
The crowd lost its mind.
In true Brazilian fashion, the story of this year’s winner unfolded not in one scene, but in two contrasting acts. Let’s split the screen. Visual: Quick cuts of sequins, panic, and powder brushes. -Brasil- Miss Big Ass Brazil 13 -Split Scenes-
This is not your grandmother’s pageant.
By: Fernanda Oliveira, Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor Location: São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro
This wasn't a pageant. It was a protest wrapped in rhinestones. SCENE 2: THE AFTERGLOW (Lifestyle) Visual: Slow-motion, golden hour, a quiet rooftop in Ipanema. Follow our full coverage of Miss Big Brazil
The roar of a crowd in São Paulo’s theater district is usually reserved for rock stars or soccer finals. But last Saturday, the decibels belonged to fourteen women in glittering gowns and six-inch heels. This was the finale of —the country’s most prestigious plus-size pageant—and it refused to be just another beauty contest.
We meet the new Miss Big Brazil 13, Camila, on a sun-drenched balcony overlooking the Arpoador rock. She is barefoot, wearing a crochet bikini and zero makeup. The contrast is jarring—and exactly the point.
The organization has partnered with a national fitness collective called Corpo Livre (Free Body), which promotes joyful movement over weight loss. This year’s winner receives not just a sash and a trip to the international finals in Miami, but a one-year subscription to therapy, nutrition coaching without restriction, and a mentorship with a fashion stylist who refuses to use the word “flattering.” But the real entertainment came during the "Power
By 5 PM, sixty women are swaying their hips in the sand. Cell phone footage goes viral within two hours. On the left: Entertainment —high drama, sequined battles, and a crown that fits a head full of dreams. On the right: Lifestyle —quiet confidence, coconut candles, and a revolution that starts in the dressing room.
Her first official act as queen? A beach clean-up at Praia Vermelha, followed by a public samba lesson for women who have been told they “don’t have the body for carnival.”