Pageant Minute: Miss Universe 2011--Preview of the National Costumes!!!

São Paulo...Here We Come!!!

Miss Vietnam Universe 2011 Vu Thi Hoang My: Strike a National Costume Pose!!!

Beauty Pageant Fans...yes, that means YOU (well, me, really!!!), the 60th Annual Miss Universe 2011 Pageant is next month (Final Telecast is Monday September 12th) and 89 contestants (surpassing the previous record of 86 contestants in 2006) from all over the world are arriving in São Paulo Brazil--site of this year's pageant. So what if all the tickets have been all but, given away to the "Elite" of São Paulo and if you're about to spend THOUSANDS of dollars to fly to Brazil, book a hotel and plan to go see the finals (not no mention all that Churrasco you plan on eating!)--well, you might not be able to see the pageant (I hear there might be some seats left in the "nosebleed section" of the theater). But...you can enjoy all my Miss Universe 2011 BLOG postings here!!!



First up: A Preview of what the contestants will be wearing to represent their nations, in terms of their "National Costumes". I've gathered some images from the world wide web which will give the pageant fans a "taste". Enjoy:



ASIA:

Miss Korea Universe 2011 Jung so-ra: Very traditional; it's rich and elegant.

Miss Singapore Universe 2011 Valerie Lim: Asia meets Indian sari meets "Oh-that's a REALLY high Side Slit!"

Miss Thailand Universe 2011 Chanyasorn Sakornchran: FIERCE Thai Goddess with a "nod" to Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier's "cone bra"!!

Miss Indonesia Universe 2011 Nadine Ames: High-Slit Traditional. She needs some LONG gold finger nails to finish this look!

AFRICA:

Miss South Africa Universe 2011 Bokang Montjane: Multi-colored Fashion School Project-looking Tulle and Prints

EUROPE:

Miss Slovenia Universe 2011 Ema Jagodic: A green gown with a green tulle back overskirt. Very 2001.

Miss France Universe 2011 Laury Thilleman: Oh, how cute is that? She's Marie Antoinette eating cake and powdering herself! The Fleur-de-lis appliqued blue, red and white gown is very over-the-top Drag Queen, but I think c'est pourquoi je l'aime

Miss Romania Universe 2011 Larisa Popa: Dracula cape meets lingerie stripper meets Pocahantas???

Miss Ireland Universe 2011 Aofi Hannon: Wow, very "Clash of The Titans"!! What that has to do with Ireland..we will soon find out I am sure...

Miss Czech Republic Universe 2011 Jitka Novackova: Looks like a variation on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis Missouri and Demi Moore's tacky Academy Award gown from 1989...

The CARIBBEAN:

Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2011 Dalia Fernandez: Mermaid sequined Diva. This should be on a Barbie Doll!

Miss Aruba Universe 2011 Gillain Berry: Welcome to Carnival kids!!! Love anything that opens up to big ol' wings!!!!

Miss Haiti Universe 2011 Anedie Azael: She had me at SEQUINED PAILLETTE PALM TREE. Love!

LATIN AMERICA:

Miss Venezuela Universe 2011 Vanessa Goncalves: Just released!! Yes, kids, this is what the current Venezuelan titleholder for Miss Universe will be bringing--and wearing--to the Miss Universe 2011 Pageant. It is inspired by "Diosa Yara" María Lionza --or Goddess Yara, who guards and protects the jungle; represents religious mysticism and the strained ecology of Planet Earth. Designed by Venezuelan designer from the State of Zulia, Nidal Nouaihed. It features thousands of turquoise, green and silver crystals in degrade' form and a silhouette of a mythological dragon. I wonder if that tail is to "snap" any of the other contestants...if they get too close?

Miss Colombia Universe 2011 Catalina Robayo: This National Costume", titled "Golfo de Morrosquillo" (Gulf of Morrosquillo, a gulf of the Caribbean Sea in Colombia), was designed by Alfredo Barraza and I think it's FAB-u-LOUS!!! It's like the big ol' hat just exploded and created a sassy "Road to Rio Bob Hope Movie" gown!!!

Miss Peru Universe 2011 Natalie Vertiz: Inca Warrior Princess for a National Costume...well, you really cannot go wrong with that! She gets an "A" from me!

Miss Ecuador Universe 2011 Claudia Schiess: Love the gold, love the feathers, very Inca Empire Princess. Interesting for a girl with the last name of SCHIESS--doesn't sound very "Inca" to me...Well, Thank goodness she's not wearing a bunch of BANANAS (as you know, they are one of Ecuador's biggest exports, of course)! I'll give her that.

Miss Paraguay Universe 2011 Alba Riquelme: Looks like someone is REALLY getting ready to go to the Carnival with this ensemble! I just have one question: How the heck do you pack that? And who pays for the extra baggage fees???

Miss Chile Universe 2011 Vanessa Ceruti: OK, this is really one of my faves: She is GIVING you "Sexy Miner"--lest you forget all about those infamous Chilean Miners...FABULUSO!!!!

Miss Universe Ximena Navarette wears Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 to FIFA World Cup Draw in Mexico City

High Fashion Universe...

Ximena Vuitton: Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarette in Louis Vuitton Spring 2011

A couple of weeks ago, the beautiful Ximena (or Jimena in some circles) Navarette, the current Miss Universe (from Mexico), traveled to her home country to announce the FIFA U-17 World Cup Draw at the Sala Nezahualcoyotl (that's a mouthful darlings!) in Mexico City. For this special appearance, Ximena wore not Tadashi , and not Sherri Hill (the official Miss Universe sponsor), but...(wait for it), Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs! She even tweeted about it, thanking the Louis Vuitton Mexico City Boutique for the dress (borrowed, I am assuming).

The cotton printed dress--Look # 26 (above photo)--was from the Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 Collection, retailing for thousands. I think it's great when you see a Miss Universe--or any beauty pageant contestant--for that matter-- wearing actual FASHION!! With a Capital "F".

She Smiles: Ximena Navarette, Miss Universe 2010, FIFA U-17 World Cup Draw Mexico City

The dress itself featured a very PLUNGING neckline, shoulder-covering details and it's length--a very NOW, below-the-knee--or "tea-Length" as they say.

Pretty With The Suits: Ximena Navarette Miss Universe 2010, FIFA World Cup Draw Mexico City

I also love that she wore the same shoes as on the runway model. Very Good Ximena--or maybe it was the Louis Vuitton Mexico Style Team. I'm sure they were the ones who were like "Um, Ximena, you're going to wear this with this...no questions asked...". It's good to listen to the professionals darling...
Felicitaciones!

Pageant Gown Two Cents: Miss Indonesia 2011 is Crowned!

Indonesia Likes a Similar Gown...Read on...

Ball Gown Sandwich: Miss World 2010 Alexandria Mills and Miss Indonesia 2010 crown Miss Indonesia 2011, Astrid Ellena

Tonight, a new Miss Indonesia was crowned. A lovely woman by the name of Astrid Ellena Indriana Yunadi won the title of Miss Indonesia 2011 and she will go to the Miss World pageant in London this Winter.

In case you are wondering, there is a whole separate contest to crown the girl who goes to Miss Universe and that one is called Puteri Indonesia or "Princess of Indonesia". They are different franchises and different beauty pageants. One can argue, until the "bathing suits come home", which Pagaent is better---Miss Universe or Miss World--but who cares? More Gowns and more to comment on!!!

Anyhow, in case you didn't know, The current Miss World, Alexandria Mills from the good ol' US of A was on hand to crown the winner. Hope the Miss World Organization flew her First Class. It's a LONG way from the Miss World Org. headquarters in London to Jakarta Indonesia!

Color Ways: Finalists of the Miss Indonesia 2011 in their colorful gowns

Now, of course what interested me where the gowns. There were ten Finalists for the crown and what was fascinating to me-- as a Fashion Designer--and "Style Watcher" was the fact that the finalists ALL wore ALMOST the SAME gown!!! But in different color ways (see photo above). There were slight detail differences, but the colorful organza "Mermaid"-shaped gowns were extremely similar. Very interesting...

Indonesian Quinceañera: Miss World 2010 and Miss Indonesia 2010 crown the new Miss Indonesia 2011, as other contestants look on

As you can also see in the above photo, the reigning Miss World, Alexandria Mills (on the left) wore a BIG OL' Gown--and last year's Miss Indonesia who was passing on the crown, also wore a very similar BIG OL' Gown--this time in silver. I guess, Indonesia and Indonesian beauty pageants love similarities. I guess, it makes it easy in terms of cutting, pattern-making and cost purposes. at least, all the "we-didn't-make-it-into-the-running" girls in the back had DIFFERENT gowns--Yeayyy for that!