Showing posts with label Beauty Pageant Gowns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beauty Pageant Gowns. Show all posts

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss World 2013 Megan Young and Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler Judge "Miss Russia 2014" Beauty Pageant: Photos, The Gowns

Saturday, March 15, 2014




Russian Beauty: Miss Russia 2014 Yulia Alipova






Miss Russia 2014 Pageant: Introduction of the 50 contestants




23-year old Yulia Alipova, from Balakovo (Saratov Oblast), was crowned “Miss Russia 2014″
during the annual finals held at the Crocus National Exhibition Hall in
Moscow on March 1st. This was the same location of last year's "Miss Universe 2013" pageant.






Gorgeous Beauties: (l to R) Miss World 2013 Megan Young "Miss World 2013", Yulia Alipova "Miss Russia 20-14", and Gabriela Isler "Miss Universe 2013"--Miss Russia 2014 Pageant Finals






(L to R): Gabriela Isler "Miss Universe 2013", Elmira
Abdrazakova "Miss Russia 2013", Megan Young "Miss World 2013" (background--the new "Miss Russia 2014 Yulia Alipova)--Miss Russia 2014 Pageant Finals



She was crowned by reigning titleholders Megan Young "Miss World 2013", Gabriela Isler "Miss Universe 2013" and Elmira
Abdrazakova "Miss Russia 2013
". The new "Miss Russia 2014" stands 1.79 m in height (5' 10"), is 23 years old, and won
a cash prize of USD 100,000, as well as a brand new Hyundai Solaris.
She will represent Russia in both the Miss Universe and Miss World
pageants, provided they don’t conflict with each other. The 1st and 2nd runner-ups were
Anastasia Reshetova (Moscow) and Anastasia Kostenko (Rostov region). If
Alipova is unable to attend any of the two international competitions,
one of the runner-ups will travel in her place.








(L to R) Megan Young "Miss World 2013", Yulia Alipova "Miss Russia 2014" and Gabriela Isler "Miss Universe 2013"--Miss Russia 2014 Pageant Finals






Caped Universe: "Miss Universe 2013" Maria Gabriela Isler, from Venezuela wore an off-white cape with sequined neck detail and black gown underneath. She looked elegant and very "Doctor Zhivago"-esque.





Figure Skating Gown: Megan Young "Miss World 2013" wore a white gown featuring intricate panels, lattice work and sequined detail s well as nude illusion. It was very "Figure Skating Couture"....and I liked it!






Top Beauties: Megan Young "'Miss World 2013" and Gabriela Isler "Miss Universe 2013" judging the "'Miss Russia 2014" Finals









Top Ten Gowns: There were lots of "Princess Gowns" at the finals of "Miss Russia 2014". Lots of pastels and semi-Quinceañera dresses. The dresses looked a bit unpolished and two seconds from tacky-licious for my taste. There was a lot of polyester-looking taffeta, chiffon and cheap sequined work. I expected more, especially from "Miss Russia", knowing the amount of money that goes into such an event. Most of the dresses were not long enough and in terms of creative design, were lackluster. This should be a showcase of the next greatest Russian Designer's style. And it was not.





Winner's Gown: The eventual winner and newly-crowned "Miss Russia 2014" (center, above photo) wore a powder pink strapless mermaid-shaped gown in duchesse satin. It was pretty but not extraordinary. And that necklace was not necessary. Too mucheey, as I like to say. Yulia, however is a very pretty contender if her "handlers" can just tone down the too-heavy eye makeup and severe center-part hairstyle. And  yes, get her some serious COUTURE...and then she'll be a good contender for the "Miss World" and "'Miss Universe" crowns.






Congratulations Yulia!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....RIP Monica Spear, actress and Miss Venezuela 2004: A Gown Look Back...

Wednesday, January 8, 2014




RIP: Monica Spear Mootz, former Miss Venezuela and actress--slain on Monday night in an attempted robbery




Late Monday night, Venezuela beauty queen and telenovela star Monica Spear Mootz and her ex-husband Thomas Henry Berry were gunned down by the side of a country road in Venezuela.


According to CNN, Spear and her ex-husband, were driving in Venezuela's Carabobo state Monday
night when their car broke down, officials said. Armed robbers opened fire, killing both of them.


Their 5-year-old daughter survived Monday's shooting, authorities said, but was shot in the leg.











 Monica Spear







Spear was Miss Venezuela in 2004 and represented her country in the Miss Universe pageant in 2005.


Her popularity opened the
door to acting roles in telenovelas that eventually made her an
international star. She made her home in Miami but was vacationing in Venezuela with her family when she was killed. This is a tragic loss and has brought to light--once again--the awful crime situation in Venezuela--the country in which I grew up in and called home for my adolescence. Venezuela is one of the world’s most violent nations, according to
Reuters. The official annual murder rate is 39 per 100,000 people, but
local activists estimate the actual murder rate is nearly twice as high. I--and Venezuela--will miss her.





As a "SASHES AND TIARAS"  homage to her, I'd like to look back at the gorgeous Monica and the beautiful gowns she wore in the Miss Venezuela 2004 Pageant as well as Miss Universe 2005 Pageant. Heaven has a beautiful angel now. RIP. Que En Paz Descanse...






Resplendent in Pink: Monica Spear Mootz "Miss Guarico 2004" (far left) at the Miss Venezuela 2004 Pageant (Top Five Finalists)--Her gown was designed by Samy Gicherman, Venezuelan fashion designer based in Florida. The gown featured pink sequined applique over a blush base with cascading fuchsia pink feathers highlighting the bottom half. Looking at the Top Five Finalists, she definitely stood out!



At Miss Universe 2005 in Bangkok Thailand:



Monica Spear in her Princess of Caribay Costume worn at Miss Universe 2005 National Costume "Parade of Nations"--The Costume was designed by Venezuelan designer Jose Maria Almeida--the silver costume was inspired by the legend of the "five white eagles" and the legend of Princess of Caribay from Venezuelan writer Tulio Febres Cordero.





The Gown: Miss Venezuela 2004 Monica Spear competed in the Miss Universe 2005 Pageant and wore this gown--for her "Evening Gown Portrait" as well as for the Finals. The sexy gown was designed by Angel Sanchez...





The ivory silk crepe gown was very fitted and showed off Monica's perfect figure--as well as was an ideal "frame" for her skin color and jet-black hair. It featured cut-outs, Princess seaming and silver sequins and bugle beads that accented the bust and side-back panels.The gown was modern, chic and perfect for a top Hollywood red carpet.





Finalist Beautiful: Monica Spear "Miss Venezuela" (far right) on stage during the Miss Universe 2005 Pageant. Monica ended up as 4th Runner-Up to Miss Universe 2005. The winner was "Miss Canada" Natalie Glebova (second from right).






An Angel in Pageant Heaven: RIP Monica Spear


SASHES AND TIARAS.....The "Uh Oh!/Ayyy Mija" Worst Beauty Pageant Gowns of 2013: A Photo Gallery!

Sunday, December 29, 2013






 My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding Pageant Gowns: Miss Belgium Noemi Happart (left) at Miss Universe 2013 preliminaries and Miss Finland Meija Kerisalmi (right) at the Miss World 2013 Finals.



Continuing with my End-of-the-Year Lists...in my last post here on my NICKVERREOS.COM blog, I discussed my Top 30+ List of Best Beauty Pageant Gowns of 2013 so...it's now time for the "Uh Oh!/Ayy Mija" Worst Beauty Pageant Gowns of 2013. These dresses ended up here because

A) They were TACKY

B) Bad 80's/90's Prom-Meets-Quinceañera;

C) Questionable Taste Level;

D) Too cheap looking;

E) Too Much Flammable Polyester, and

F) Too Much Boobies and Too Much Sex-a-Licious Slit

Once again, I have divided it into different pageants (i.e. Miss Universe, Miss World, etc.) and I apologize if I missed some of your Top Worsts. So, here we go...







Señorita Colombia/Miss Universe Colombia 2013:



Miss Bogota Jennifer Uscategui--Oh Jennifer, what were you thinking? This gown--designed by Rafael Paez--is
is a HOT MESS! This emerald green organza and sequined gown with
gathered hip detail was straight out of a beauty pageant from 1995. And
the dated hairstyle did not help. Oh, and then there were those shoes!
Definitely an "Ayyy Mija!".





Miss Tolima Sandra Paola Arias Muñoz--Miss
Tolima received the lowest gown score of the night with this pink
strapless dress. And I can see why: I have seen this dress hanging on a
plastic mannequin in the Downtown LA Fashion District. In other words: been there/done that--and cheap! And that hair and those earrings...are we in 1992? Ayyyy Mija!






Miss Choco Yesuli Londoño Mosquera--One word: GURL! I have to give Miss Choco
points for being so daring as to wear this ivory fringed and sequined
Alfredo Barraza-designed gown that looked as if it was attacked by a
trim store. On the other hand...she looked as if she was attacked by a
trim store.






Miss Venezuela 2013:




 Photo Courtesy of BellezaVelezolana.net





Miss Falcon Marie Claire Arcila: Gurl! Or as we
say in Spanish Mija! This dress was TOO MUCHEY. It looked like a
costume from "The Hunger Games" and one that may have been rejected. I
appreciate all the work that probably went into this dress but it's just
too costume-y and I haven't even begun to discuss those puffy 1980s
"Dynasty"/Nolan Miller-like sleeves and shoulders. Even at the "Miss Venezuela pageant, they sometimes get it wrong...and tacky-licious.



Miss Universe 2013:



Miss Ethiopia Maheder Tigabe: The
reason why beautiful Maheder is here is the entire package. Her
hair is SOOO Pageant Betty 1998, the dress looks like it is from a
Prom-&-Pageant shop; it looks cheap, and it is way too
short--about 8 inches in fact. I know some of these contestants don't
have the options (or money) of the Top Girls, but good styling and the
proper gown length could, at the very least, make it acceptable. Definitely an "Uh Oh of 2013".



Miss Honduras Diana Schoutsen: No, no and no. From the
hair style (so Prom-&Pageant 90's), the big ol' earrings to the
tacky silver stacked pumps, the entire look is so dated. The dress
itself doesn't do Diana any favors; it looks cheap and typical and yes,
the slit just takes it over the edge. The taste level is not just questionable, it's BAD.





Miss Azerbaijan Aysel Manafova: Ayyy Mija! Where are you
going in this concoction? Oversized jeweled strapless bustier attached
to black panties and a see-through chiffon overskirt. While I applaud
the sheer tenacity to "Just Go For It" by wearing this ensemble, I think
the taste level is questionable and maybe three more layers of that
black chiffon would have helped. Hoochie-licious.





Miss Nicaragua Nastassja Bolivar: This is a confusing gown for
me. It has heavily sequined applique on the sides, top, sleeves and then
panels of royal blue chiffon godets in the front and the back for some
reason. I can just hear fashion designer--and former "Project Runway" judge--Michael Kors now:
"She's POOPING Chiffon!". And then, the lining: it stops just where her
bootie ends. Why? Who knows. She's like a belly dancer about to perform
a dance to Ravel's "Bolero" in a questionable Moroccan nightclub.





Miss Aruba Stefanie Guillen Evangelista: Oh no. Unless she is figure skating to Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade", this gown is unacceptable. It's trashy, cheap-looking and badly designed. And really, with all that going on with the dress already, she felt the need to OVER-accessorize with the bracelet and earrings? No.





Miss Paraguay Guadalupe Gonzalez Talavera: This gown--featuring a
nude-colored strapless bustier with black crystal applique and black
satin and tulle full skirt--is two minutes away from a Folies Bergère show that got cancelled.





Miss Nigeria Stephanie Okwu: God bless Stephanie for even
thinking that this was cute. She either asked an actual fashion
designer--or saw this on a rack and said "Yep! I'll take it!". This
Halloween-orange mermaid ruffle iridescent POLYESTER mess of a gown is
THE definition of Bad Cha-Cha. This is a dress one wears at the Rio de
Janeiro Carnival on a float...if you're a fabulous Drag Queen.
Otherwise, no.





Miss Romania Roxana Andrei: This "interesting" design combines
both Cha-Cha aspects as well as semi-Asian influences. There's the
oversized blouson bishop sleeves and high slit (Cha-Cha) and then the
red printed applique satin fabrication (a little more "Asiana").
Irregardless, the entire look is more of a "Dancing With The Stars"
Hostess...in Macau.





Miss Turks & Caicos Snwazna Adams: On a positive note,
I give her "At-a-Gurl!" points for being so bold as to actually wear an
apple green chiffon strapless gown over matching poly-satin
"cigarette"/Capri pants! And yes, kids, this is a Gown-and-Capri pant
combo. And that leads me to also put her in my "Uh Oh" list
because...SHE IS WEARING A GOWN-&-CAPRI PANTS ensemble! These girls
have lost their (style) minds.





Miss Serbia Ana Vrcelj: When Miss Serbia came out in this white
satin and chiffon gown , I thought "OK, this is not good", and then I
focused on the ruffled "rosette" appliques on the hips and thought "Oh,
this is really BAAAD!". Two questions: A) why would any designer place these tacky-looking things on a dress, and B) why place them on the hips?







Miss Great Britain Amy Willerton: This was an absolute
MESS. I know that some of you out there on the Pageant "Web-o-Sphere" thought this was cute. But...I happen to respectfully disagree. Let me try and describe this crazy gown: it's a strapless SUPER
Mermaid-shaped gown with ombre-like shadings of various lilac, purple
and white colors in what looks like a bunch of hair scrunchies. I am all
about DRAMA and I get that but, this was a DRAMA MISS. And on top of
everything, did she really need that diamante necklace and earrings?
Let me answer that: No. She looks like a Carnival Float.





Miss Lithuania Simona Burbaite: I have two words: HEFTY BAG. I
cannot believe she would wear a gown made of a fabrication that looks
very much like a garbage bag.





Miss Belgium Noemi Happart: Noemi's gown choice was so
Tacky-licious and bad. This strapless golden colored gown featured a fitted
bustier and multi-ruffled hi-lo "Can-Can" attached skirt. Under any
circumstances, this is a NO. How anyone would see this on a hanger--or a
sketch of it--and say "Oui! I want that!" makes me seriously question
her taste level. And I didn't even begin to mention those super-tacky
gold stacked pumps! Oh, and by the way, she didn't do any better (gown wise) at the Miss World 2013 Pageant (keep reading!).







Miss El Salvador Alba Delgado: There were so many contenders for
the Top "Uh Oh!" Evening Gown Prize but when Miss El Salvador came out
in this canary yellow chiffon and applique gown...and the camera gave a
close-up on her...um..."Sistahs", I was like "Done and Done!". Take a
look at what I am talking about: there are silver jeweled crystals ON HER NIPPLES! Seriously,
what was Alba thinking when she picked this gown? Why didn't anyone
tell her? It drives me so LOCO! This is definitely one of the tackiest and most "Uh Oh!/Ayyy Mija" beauty pageant gowns of 2013.




Miss World 2013:







Miss Belgium Noemi Happart: Noemi! What. Were. You.
Thinking? This looks like something a girl from a tacky "My Big Fat
Gypsy Wedding" TV show would wear. Pink. Satin, Cut-outs. Too short and too tight. Rippling seams. And that hair!





Miss Aruba Larissa Leeuwe: Larissa wore a red satin gown
with a very busy (and very 1990s shoulder/neckline detail). The red gown
plus that hairstyle screamed Prom..or at least a beauty pageant circa
1997.





Miss Chinese Taipei Cinzia Chang: Cinzia! Huney: What is this?
Dirty colored tulle full skirt and a mint green satin peplum bustier. No
and no. It looks like a Fashion Student's version of an old John
Galliano-for-Dior dress. Oh, and yes, I can see your shoes. Not cute.
Unless it is supposed to be "tea length" (it's not) or Hi-Lo (it's also
NOT!), then seeing the shoes is a big NO!





Miss Malta Donna Leyland: Oh Donna, you are so cute. However,
your gown is not. This ivory satin and chiffon hi-lo dress doesn't make
any sense. I really only want to focus on why it is so short--and so
close to her CHA-CHA--in the front. It's all a mess.





Miss Guadeloupe Sheryna can der Koelen:
Sheryna...darling...please explain this dress to me? Sheryna wore a
lilac colored kimono-inspired get-up as her "Miss World 2013" Final Show
gown. Why? The dress looked like it was made from polyester satin,
badly constructed (rippling seams!) and way too short, and then, if that
wasn't enough, they had to add cheap trim on the edges. What's that
saying: the Cheap Comes Out Expensive. Enough said.







Miss Finland Meija Kerisalmi: Meija--and her designer--have been
watching WAAAY too many episodes of "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding". This dress
is just plain tacky. Maybe this is considered "red carpet fab" in
Finland...but I highly doubt it. This concoction is a Big Bird
Prom-a-Licious Gypsy/Romani/Traveler Wedding Mess.

 

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