After 35 years, the Miss Nederland beauty pageant has officially come to an end, owner Monica van Ee announced Thursday. The pageant will be replaced by an innovative online platform
called Niet meer van deze tijd ("No Longer of This Time"), aimed at empowering and supporting young women in today’s rapidly evolving world.
Van Ee reflected on the competition’s legacy, calling it “unique” but emphasizing the need for change. “The crown and sash no longer resonate in today’s world,” she explained. “What matters now is creating a space where women can uplift each other and grow.”
The final Miss Nederland, Amber Rustenberg, who was crowned in June, will dedicate her remaining tenure to promoting the new platform, marking the transition into this new chapter.
A bold new platform
The newly launched platform, Nietmeervandezetijd.com, seeks to redefine how women connect and engage by moving away from traditional ideas of beauty and competition. “We’re offering something fresh and exciting that people haven’t seen before,” Van Ee stated.
The site will focus on topics such as self-expression, diversity, mental and physical health, creativity, and societal change. According to Van Ee, the platform will bring together experts and individuals with lived experiences to tackle pressing contemporary issues.
A positive space for collaboration
One of the key goals of the platform is to give young women a voice and foster collaboration. “Social media and youth are often viewed negatively together,” Van Ee said. “We want to shift that narrative and create something positive.”
The decision to transition from the pageant to the platform also stems from challenges the contest faced in recent years, including online backlash and threats. In 2023, Rikkie Kollé, the first transgender woman to win the Miss Nederland title, received death threats following her historic victory, highlighting the urgent need for a more inclusive and supportive space.
The end of an era
The Miss Nederland pageant began in 1989 as a modern evolution of the earlier Miss Holland contest, which dated back to the 1930s. Over the decades, the competition shifted its focus from traditional beauty standards to societal engagement. However, as societal values continued to evolve, Van Ee recognized that the time had come to move in a different direction.
“This isn’t the end; it’s the beginning of something new,” Van Ee said, emphasizing that the platform represents a forward-looking approach aligned with modern values and priorities. With its launch, Niet meer van deze tijd hopes to inspire a generation of young women to connect, collaborate, and lead change in an increasingly complex world.