The Miss Guyana World franchise has changed hands and the crown will soon change heads. Designer Derek Moore who had been the national director for Miss Guyana World since 2001, replaces Ken Chung as franchise holder.

Twelve delegates are being sought to contest the Miss Guyana World 2007 pageant on July 28 and at the same time two of them will be chosen for the Miss Inter Continental and Miss Europe Junior Open pageants.

This year, the reigning queen, Dessia Braithwaite, will assist with the grooming of the delegates in the run-up to the pageant.

Moore in a statement to the media earlier this week, said this year the pageant takes on a different format in that it will primarily be concentrated through various media events.

The designer, who will be contributing some of his pieces to the new queen's wardrobe, urges all parents or guardians who have beautiful talented daughters to come on board.

The committee is looking for a class of fine young women who can do well in the entertainment and tourism sectors. Applicants must possess facial beauty, be photogenic and must have nice hair and skin.

According to Moore, the Miss Guyana World is a beauty pageant not an intelligence pageant. He said the questions that delegates have to answer are the same questions you hear every year so the girls can be trained to answer them.

There are four delegates so far and the committee will be looking at other pageants that took place around the country to seek potential delegates. Past queens and delegates are eligible to apply.

A radiant Dessia told the media she was ready to give up the crown, all crowns for that matter, forever. She said it is now time for her to concentrate on her studies in psychology and she has reached a point where she has to move to a different level and make space for others.

Encouraging delegates to enter, she said, "It is here to make you better. At the end of it all you will be a mature young lady".

She described her year as a fantastic one which has changed her life and motivated her to help others.

Fund-raising activities including a fashion show will be held for the queen before she leaves for London and when she arrives there, there will be a fund-raising dinner.

Other local designers are also being urged to donate pieces towards the queen's wardrobe.

The past queens of this pageant, which after its re-emergence in 2001 has gained much popularity here, are Olive Gopaul, Odessa Phillips, Alexis Glasgow, Suzette Shim and Jasmine Herzog and Dessia Braithwaite. zoisaf@yahoo.com