SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary Competition EVENING GOWNS Part One: My Top 20 Picks!

Which One of These Two Got My Best Gown Top Prize? (Left to right) Miss Venezuela Gabriela Isler and Miss Puerto Rico Monic Perez--Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition, Crocus City Hall Moscow, Russia

Photos Courtesy of MissUniverse.com

Last night was the ever-so-important "Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary Competition" at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk Moscow Oblast, Russia--sight of the Final Show. I actually watched live on the MissUniverse.com site 8 AM yesterday from the comfort of my home in Los Angeles.

 Miss Universe 2013 Contestants--Miss Universe 2013 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition, Crocus City Hall Moscow, Russia

The Preliminaries are when a separate group of judges (separate from the LIVE Telecast ones), get to chose who the Top Fifteen Semi-Finalists are--that will be announced soon after the LIVE Telecast begins this coming Saturday November 9th (an extra semi-finalist will also be announced from the "Fan Votes" online). Two competitions occurred during the Preliminaries--the Swimsuit and Evening Gown. Well, naturally you know what I'm interested in, of course: THE EVENING GOWNS! Here's my "Nick Top Pick's" for BEST Evening Gowns of this year's Miss Universe Preliminary Evening Gown Competition--and yes--in case you are wondering--in a following post, I'll have my "OH NO, She Didn't!" Post!)--



So...Here are my Best Evening Gowns of the "Miss Universe" Preliminaries out of all the 86 contestants and gowns shown, in reverse order...I begin with No. 20:

No. 20 Miss Brazil Jaklyne Oliveira: Jakelyne wore a peach colored sequined and appliqued gown with nude illusion (a big trend!) and side front slit. The color of the gown was great and I especially liked all the multicolored sequins in the gown. The dress is very "Nefertiti/Cleopatra" and I like that. I also think her side-swept hairstyle was good.

No. 19 Miss Canada Riza Santos: Riza wore one of those very popular nude illusion "Figure Skating" gowns. This was a good one. It was a creme-nude color and had crystals throughout and a plain chiffon bottom half. From head to toe, it worked. Therefore, Riza--and this gown--is in my "Top 20".

No. 18 Miss South Africa Marilyn Ramos: Marilyn wore a black velvet "Le Smoking" tuxedo gown with a satin shawl collar and skirt hem band and long sleeves. It was very "Yves Saint Laurent" (THE Yves Saint Laurent, thank you very much!) in its style and silhouette and therefore I appreciated it. Classic, chic, elegant and no sequins!!! Who knew!!

No. 17 Miss Colombia Lucia Aldana: Lucia went the "Grecian Goddess" route with this very floaty white chiffon gown with sequined trim midriff/waist detail. She looked muy bella in this and I especially liked the shoulder "falls" of chiffon (very dramatic) and the "covered-up" center front slit.

No. 16 Miss Curacao Eline de Pool: Eline wore a strapless silver gown in sequined lace applique that went over a "mini dress" lining. The gown looked both sexy and red carpet/runway fab! I also loved her overall styling: her hairstyle, makeup and lack of distracting accessories. Oh, and KUDOS for the gown being the PERFECT length!

No. 15 Miss France Hinarani de Longeaux: Hinarani wore a white crepe halter-neck style gown with gathered front and golden/silver sequined details. She looked like a Princess. Sublime from head to toe. If only her presentation/walk would have matched this gown; she didn't bring the "DIVA" that one would want to bring wearing this gown. But, still--one of the BEST!

No. 14 Miss Nicaragua Nastassja Bolivar: Nastassja won the Best National Costume Award tonight and she also shined during the Preliminaries. I liked this gold lace long-sleeve gown with a scalloped plunging neckline. She looked very elegant. I liked her side-slicked hairstyle; perfect for this look. I may add, this look is also very "old school" Yves Saint Laurent Couture circa late 1990s. I LOVE that!

No. 13 Miss Netherlands Stephanie Tency: Stephanie wore a white gathered chiffon gown with a illusion-backed multicolored beaded neck-piece and waist. This was very "Pageant Safe" yet still PERFECT! Nothing wrong with the gown and her styling. Good job Stephanie.

No. 12 Miss India Manasi Moghe: Manasi wore a blush-colored "Mermaid Lite" gown featuring gold and silver jeweled sequined and feathers. The gown looked great on Manasi and all that detail and sequin work screamed "Expensive!". If there was any criticism, I could have done without the nude chiffon/illusion neckline piece; it should have just been strapless. That detail took it to a semi-Figure Skating Costume level.

No. 11 Miss Spain Patricia Rodriguez: Patricia--who is one of the favorites to take the top crown (and I can see why!)--wore a white Mermaid-style gown with a nude illusion-backed sequined applique torso section and tulle bottom skirt. It was very "Pronovias"-looking  fabulosa! Not sure how necessary those big ol' earrings were to finish the look but Patricia could get away with it!

No. 10 Miss Panama Carolina Brid: Carolina stunned in this raspberry-colored "Mermaid Lite" silhouette silk ziberline gown with scroll-like sequined detail at the torso. The gown itself was very "Miss Venezuela" Couture in its fit, style and construction. Someone in the "Miss Panama" Organization has their pilas on. In other words--they know what they are doing! I also liked it because it reminded me of one of my NIKOLAKI Collection gowns:

NIKOLAKI by Nick Verreos & David Paul--raspberry-colored silk ziberline gown

No. 9 Miss Indonesia Whulandary Herman: Whulandary wore an off-white lace applique-over-nude gown with a high neck, long sleeves and side cut-out's. It was very Runway/Red Carpet Fab and perfect for her figure. I only wished her hair style didn't look so severe (the center front hair part). Besides this, I feel Whulandary is one of the BEST of the contestants representing the Asian continent in the "2013 Miss Universe" pageant.

No. 8 Miss Russia Elmira Abdrazakova: It is a sure fact that Elmira will make the Top Fifteen--just because the contest is in Russia. So that's a given. With that being said, I am glad that she "brought it" when it came to the Preliminary Evening Gown portion (because she probably could have worn a MESS of a dress and STILL, she would have made the cut!). I thought Elmira looked amazing in this fire-red Mermaid silhouette strapless gown. It was SOOOO dramatic and she gave the gown "runway" justice" onstage. I also loved the beautifully-fitting bust section.

No. 7 Miss Philippines Ariella Arida--Colombian couturier Alfredo Barraza designed this chartreuse gown for Miss Philippines. I thought this was a beautiful gown choice for Ariella and the color--especially--was very impacting (unfortunately, there was another contestant who wore the same color and stole the evening gown show). I liked the fit of this strapless Mermaid-shaped gown with lightly strewn crystals in the midriff. One of the Best!

No. 6 Miss Bahamas Lexi Wilson: Lexi wore a gorgeous bubblegum pink chiffon gown with a dramatic back cape and front keyhole and slit detail. She looked SPECTACULAR! And PS: her body is OUT OF CONTROL!

No. 5 Miss Haiti Mondiana Pierre: One word--WOW! When Mondiana appeared onstage in this black and silver gown, I just about dropped my morning coffee--and in a good way! (remember I was watching at 8AM!). Mondiana looked so Couture Fashion Week in this creation, I was LIVING for it! The dress was created beautifully and she worked it onstage! If there is any criticism, I just wished that it was strapless. But this is a very minor critique. C'est Superb.

No. 4 Miss Ukraine Olga Storozhenko: Olga looked  every bit a "Miss Universe" in this white chiffon gathered upper torso gown with a sequined neckline. While I have my questions about "Miss Russia" being in the Top Fifteen/Sixteen...Olga, "Miss Ukraine" DESERVES to be there! She looks angelic and so pretty. The gown fits her well, it is the perfect length, it is styled correctly...Yes, she is my No. FOUR!

No. 3 Miss China Jin Ye: OK, this woman needs to be in the Top 15/16 Semi-Finalists List solely on her Evening Gown "performance": SHE BROUGHT IT! I thought Jin Ye looked like a Runway Diva in this one shoulder white and nude illusion gown with oversized jeweled crystals. In addition, her look, and hair--were PERFECT!

No. 2 Miss Venezuela Gabriela Isler: Gabriela wore this nude colored silk ziberline gown completely covered in oversized Swarovski jeweled crystals from Venezuelan fashion designer Gionni Straccia. Now, let me discuss what happened during her "Evening Gown" portion. IMMEDIATELY, after the Preliminaries ended, she got criticized on the web and all the "Pageant Sites" for her "poor" evening gown performance. And there were some good reasons: the gown was so stiff  that when she came down the stairs, she could barely walk and you could hear an audible gasp from the audience (and I bet, most of the Venezuelan public watching on the web!). Her face froze, she looked nervous and not at all "Miss Venezuela" fab. She knew there was a problem instantly.

This is not her fault but I have to ask: WHY didn't she practice walking in this gown beforehand? Walk up and down the halls of the hotel! The "Emergency Exit" stairs, for Goodness sakes! Besides what happened at the Preliminaries, I am still putting this gown as one of my TOP TWO Best: I thought the gown was COUTURE sublime and certainly one of the most fabulous ones of the night--irregardless of the fact that there should have been a SLIT for her to walk more comfortable in! Speaking of: I hope that Osmel Sousa (the Miss Venezuela National Director/"Beauty Czar") has sent Gabriela a message instructing her to bring this gown to the "Miss Universe" Wardrobe Dept. to open up the center back and put a slit...so she could walk easier. Por Favor!

No. 1 Miss Puerto Rico Monic Perez: My Top Evening Gown Prize goes to Monic Perez " Miss Puerto Rico" for this strapless chartreuse-colored gown from fashion designer Harry Robles...

 Close-Up of "Miss Puerto Rico" Gown

Photo Courtesy of Harry Robles Facebook

Sketch of "Miss Puerto Rico" gown by Harry Robles

The gown was EXQUISITE featuring horizontal pleated body and side volants/cascade ruffles with hand-sewn sequins. It was a big surprise that both "Miss Philippines" and "Miss Puerto Rico" wore the same colored gown for the "2013 Miss Universe Preliminaries" but Monic's gown definitely WON! So much so, that it was my TOP Favorite.



Click Below to Watch The 2013 Miss Universe Preliminary Competition:





**NEXT UP: My "Oh Dear!/Oh No She Didn't!" Gowns for the "2013 Miss Universe Preliminary Evening Gown Competition!!! Stay tuned!

Miss Universe National Costumes Best of North America

Transformers vs. Liki-Liki Fantasia: Miss USA and Miss Venezuela Gabriela Isler

All Photos Courtesy of MissUniverse.com

Continuing with my "Review" and Wrap-Up of the 2013 Miss Universe National Costume Show which took place on Sunday night...in my last post, I discussed my Top Picks for the National Costumes of Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Now, it's time for me to give you my "Nick Top Pick's" for the Americas and Caribbean ladies. There is LOTS to talk about about, so let's get started...





North America--Top Three:

3rd Place: Miss Costa Rica Fabiana Granados--Cotton Candy Pink feathers and gold were the highlights of "Miss Costa Rica's" Pre-Columbian Indigenous Empress Costume. Very well done and excellent in its design and execution. One of the BEST, of all the National Costumes of Miss Universe 2013.

2nd Place: Miss Nicaragua Nastassja Bolivar--Speaking of Pre-Columbian Indigenous Empress...HOLA Nastassja!! Simply Spectacular. The feathers, the headdress, the colors, sequined embroidery...this needs to be in a Costume Museum Exhibition! ASAP!



First Prize Goes To:

Miss USA Erin Brady--But I have to give the First Prize to "Miss USA" Erin Brady. She wore a "Transformers" costume that well, represented her nation of the Good Ol' US of A. And I get it. It was different, impacting and sure made me stop and take notice. The costume was created and designed by Martin Izquierdo and his very talented team. And by the way, Miss USA's "Transformers" costume  reminded me of what Heidi Klum wore in 2010 for one of her infamous "Heidi Klum's Halloween Party":

Heidi Klum as a Transformer--Heidi's Halloween 2010, also designed and created by Martin Izquierdo Studio

The Caribbean--Top Seven:

7th Place:Miss Turks and Caicos Snwanza Adams--Loved this strapless gown featuring a very Turks & Caicos "feel" to its design, execution, color and detail. It was definitely a tribute to the Caribbean and those islands.

6th Place: Miss Curacao Eline de Pool--A bright sequined-and-feathered reptile, backed by a blue jumpsuit and silver-sequined "Curacao" scepter: how could I not love this? Even her stacked pumps are printed in matching fabric!

5th Place: Miss Dominican Republic Yaritza Reyes--Dominican Caribbean Goddess in iridescent golden peach. Yaritza is spectacular in this costume. One of the best for sure. Muy Bien.

4th Place: Miss Trinidad and Tobago Catherine Miller--Multicolored Feathered Carnival Empress is how I can best describe this costume. The colors, the crystal strap'ed body-suit, the feathered leg detail...that headdress! It all adds up to good "Ayy Dios Mio!" for me; so much so, she made 4th place.

3rd Place: Miss Haiti Mondiana Pierre--This entire look is one of my favorites. Mondiana utilized her OUT OF CONTROL body and still gave you "Native/Indigenous Haiti Queen" with this gold and multicolor feathered costume.

2nd Place: Miss Jamaica Kerrie Baylis--Tie dye multicolored psychedelic Jamaican Diva. Just take a look at this sequined neon green with orange, fuchsia, blue, purple, yellow-colored ensemble. If there was ever a Jamaican "Burning Man", Kerrie--in this--would be its Mascot!


First Prize Goes To:

Miss Puerto Rico Monic Perez--Monic's National Costume reflects the water, corals and Caribbean that
surrounds her island of Puerto Rico. According to its designer, Jaer Caban, it was inspired by the bio-luminescent bays that surround the island and she wins my "Nick Top National Costume Prize".



South America--Top Four:

4th Place: Miss Argentina Brenda Gonzalez--What a big ol' feathered ball gown with a gold applique top, headdress and arm accents, have to do with Argentina, Buenos Aires, amazing tasting beef, or Chimichurri...is beyond me. But I LOVED IT!

3rd Place Miss Brazil Jakelyne Oliviera--I am obsessed with the fact that "Miss Brazil" did not go the "Carnival" route with her "Miss Universe 2013" National Costume. I loved how this ensemble payed homage to the indigenous nature/Amazon part of her South American country. It was a tribute muito excelente!

2nd Place: Miss Ecuador Constanza Baez--Pre-Columbian Ecuadorian Empress. Check! Imagine her waiting for you at the top of the Ecuadorian Andes!! Absolutely stunning! Not sure how this traveled to Moscow and how much extra baggage fees she got charged...but it was all worth it!



First Prize Goes To:

Miss Venezuela Gabriela Isler--Gabriela wore a fabulous multicolored "Fantasy Liki-Liki" (Venezuelan llanero suit) with a multi-tiered overskirt. The entire look was fantastic and sequin-spectacular! She ROCKED it!!! Over time. Therefore, she gets my "Best of National Costume Prize" for South America.

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2013 National Costumes Review Part I: The Best of Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa

Europe Costume Throw-Down: Miss Switzerland vs. Miss Russia---Who took my "Best of Europe" Costume Prize?

All Photos Courtesy of MissUniverse.com

Last night was the Miss Universe 2013 National Costume Show at the Vegas Mall in Moscow Russia. All 86 contestants from all over the world showed
their national costumes--some traditional, some not-so-muchey--as part
of this always popular event. The Live Telecast used to open (back in
the wonderful days of Bob Barker as host) with all the contestants
individually introducing themselves to the world, in their national
costumes and I LOVED it. Now this very festive display of
"internationalism" (and spectacular costumes!) has been relegated to a
short clip sandwiched between "Check out the contestants in a local
mall" and "Next up, the naming of the Top Five" halfway through the
telecast...

Asiana Plumage: Whose feathers were more "Costume Couture" Miss Indonesia Whulandary Herman and Miss Philippines Ariella Arida

There will be an actual announcement of the winner of Best Costume during the live telecast this coming Saturday November 9th, so at least we can look forward to that. Until then, here is Part One of my "Hot Picks" for Best Costumes from the Miss Universe 2013 National Costume Show, starting with the costumes of Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa...and in a following post, I'll discuss North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean (Think Feather CRAY-CRAY!)...so let's begin:



Asia: The Top Seven

7th Place: Miss Philippines Ariella Arida--Golden sunburst pleated traditional Filipina "Butterfly Sleeve" gown featuring a heavily appliqued top and feathered hair accents. It wasn't as over-the-top as some of the other contestant's costumes but was elegant and beautiful, and I give her points for "Traditional Fantasy".

6th Place: Miss Japan Yukimi Matsuo--Yukimi wore a traditional yet very colorful kimono with a cherry blossom-covered train. A huge fan framed the entire costume--also covered with cherry blossoms. It was impacting, had eye-popping colors and prints and that back fan was quite fabulous. Give this costume to a drag queen in the NYC Gay Pride Parade and trust me, she will have HER OWN huge float!!

5th Place Miss Korea Kim Yu-mi: Loved this costume--a very colorful take on a traditional Korean Hanbok ensemble. The draping on the voluminous skirt is gorgeous, I love the mixture of colors and prints and she looks like an ABSOLUTE DOLL in this.

4th Place: Miss Vietnam Tru'o'ng Thi May--Tru'o'ng's Ao dai is so gorgeous and luxe, it was one of my favorite national costumes from the Asian beauties. The gold applique and embroidery over that sumptuous silk shantung is exquisite. And I love the golden Khan Dong headdress.

3rd Place: Miss Indonesia Whulandary Herman--One word: WOW! This costume is inspired by the traditional East Javan dance of Reog Ponegoro.
The costume is a fusion of lion and peafowl elements which the dance
itself symbolizes. I love the heavily jeweled headdress and those oversized peacock "feathers". Imagine running into this at an East Javan jungle!!  How do you say "FAB!" in Indonesian language?

2nd Place: Miss India Manasi Mogue--I thought Manasi's national costume for this year's Miss Universe was SUPERB! So much so that she came in a very, very, very...close second place. In other words, she almost got it for me (in my unofficial "Nick's Top Prizes for Miss Universe 2013 National Costumes"). Manasi dazzled in a bright red, orange and gold trimmed Lehenga Choli--an Indian outfit comprising of a skirt, cropped top, usually reserved for brides. The headdress was spectacular and so were the accessories. All in all, one of my Top Pick's for sure!



First Prize Goes to:

Miss China Jin Ye--Golden Dragon Couture. Impeccable. Gorgeous. Mysterious. And very, very much, representing China. This golden lace and applique gown is designed by Chinese couturier Guo Pei and if you need more reasons to understand how fabulous this gown/costume is, take a look at these images:

 Guo Pei Couture Golden Dragon gown--the National Costume for "Miss Universe China" Jin Ye

  

Europe: Top Six and Three "Oh Dear's!":

6th Place: Great Britain Amy Willerton--Amy gave you a very cheeky and sexy British royal in this get-up featuring "Elizabethan" sleeves with faux ermine trim, a high stand-up collar, a gold lame pick-up hi-lo skirt and purple coat/train. It was good enough to get her on my "Top Seven" but I wished the designers would have been really creative and taken a hint from these two looks from...

 Royal SuperFAB: Christian Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano Spring/Summer 2004 Collection

5th Place Miss Italy Luna Voce: Luna went for a Venice Ball "Period" costume look and it was well done. I just wished the bodice was much more fitted and that she would have had the hair stylists give her a big ol' pompadour 'do. Her costume said 18th Century but her hair said 2004.

4th Place Miss Poland Paulina Krupinska--Paulina wore a white crepe column gown with red and green embroidery detail that "hinted" at one of Poland's traditional costumes/dresses worn by women. I loved it! It payed homage to her country and the colors and embroidery of her nation yet she still looked "Runway"-ready. Notice how the gown hits the floor perfectly. National Costume Ready-to-Wear Milan/Paris/NY Fashion Week.

3rd Place Miss Sweden Alexandra Friberg: Viking Fierce. Yep, that is what Miss Sweden is giving you. The costume itself is really good, dramatic and well-executed. And yes kids, she's about to CUT YOU if you mess with her and her very tall, Swedish Viking brothers! If there was a miss, it would be THE PUMPS! I just wish she would have worn some fabulous Viking boots--they could still be high and platform-y but yes, boots...not pumps from the Mall, thank you very much!

2nd Place Miss Russia Elmira Abdrazakova--Realizing that the Miss Universe pageant was taking place in her homeland, she knew that she had to "Bring It!"--or at least her National Pageant Directors did. She almost won the Top Prize for me in this Byzantine/tsarist Russian costume in a golden brocade and satin fabrication with rich-looking oversized jeweled accents. And yes, there's that fabulous headdress. A very close second place for me.



First Prize Goes To:

Miss Switzerland Dominique Rinderknecht--Dominique was the Queen of the Swiss Alps in this fantastic costume. This costume is all things fab, over-the-top yet still restrained and sexy and beauty pageant perfect. What Swiss gay came up with this design: Kudos huney, YOU ROCK! This is my "Europe National Costume" fave for this year's Miss Universe.



Now, some Europe "Oh Dear's!":

Miss Netherlands Stephanie Tency (left)--Miss Netherlands is a windmill with visions of iconic Dutch buildings all in a fan behind an ill-fitting ocean-blue stretch velvet jumpsuit  with tulips appliqued at the ankle. I get what she was going for, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. This looked cheap and "Happy Hands at Home".

Miss Germany Anne-Julia Hagen (right)--Ummm, What the HECK is that?? If there is some German reader of my blog that can explain this costume and what those golden rings are...please, be my guest and educate me. Bitte???!!

Eiffel Oh Oh: Miss France Hinarani de Longeaux-- Hinarani, who is
actually from Tahiti and represented Tahiti, French Polynesia at last
year's Miss France wore this "Eiffel Tower" creation as her National
Costume. I understand what she was going for--mixing "can can" with La Tour Eiffel--unfortunately this looked like amateur hour at the costume shop. It could have been better and honestly, I
wished she would have gone the whole Tahitian Goddess route.



Middle East--The Winner:

Miss Israel Ytyish Aynaw: Six foot tall Ethiopian-born model Ytyish wore a gorgeous white gown with gold neck detail and golden crown for her "Miss Israel" national costume. She looked fabulous and therefore, she was my top favorite of the "Middle East" contestants at the Miss Universe 2013 National Costume Show.



Africa: Top Three

3rd Place: Miss Ghana Hanniel Jamin-- Love, love, love this costume "Miss Ghana" wore--featuring traditional Ghanaian textile prints and colors. If you want to go "traditional Africa" with your "Miss Universe" national costumes...this is the costume to do it with!

2nd Place: Miss Angola Vaumara Rebelo--Oh No She Didn't! Miss Angola took the National Costume Show to a whole other level with her Carnival-Meets-Sequined Bird costume. She thinks she is at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival and I absolutely love it! I don't know how she got this from Angola to Moscow but I sure hope the airline didn't charge her extra...because it's so fabulous! But...



The First Prize Goes To:

Miss South Africa Marilyn Ramos--Marilyn wore a very colorful and fantastic costume to represent her nation of South Africa. I love the tribute to her nation's colors, tribal flags, and prints. The minute I saw this, I was like "done and done".



**NEXT UP: Part Two of my "Miss Universe 2013 National Costume Show" Review--The Best of the Americas and the Caribbean...let me warn you: LOT of FEATHERS and CRYSTALS!!!