SASHES AND TIARAS.....Recap of the Gowns of "Nuestra Belleza Latina 2014" Semi Finals!

 Latina Swimsuits Beauties--Nuestra Bella Latina 2014

Last night was the Semi-Final Episode Before the Finals--of this year's Nuestra Bella Latina beauty pageant and Reality TV Show. If you follow beauty pageants, you're well aware of Nuetra Belleza Latina and if not, well, the TV show is a cross between "America's Next Top Model" and "Miss Universe"--but only with Latina contestants. Castings are held across the US to find which women will make the final round to be on the show and contest.

The show is on its EIGHTH SEASON on Univision and consistently one of the highest rated TV programs for not just the Spanish-language network, Univision, but sometimes, it beats out its English-speaking counterparts that air during the same time on Sunday nights. Yes kids, it's that popular. Sunday night was the penultimate episode (next Sunday is the Final Crowning Night). The reality show/beauty contest was down to the Top Five.

Las Top Cinco: Contestants from "Nuestra Belleza Latina 2014" in their evening gowns

As part of the episode, there was an "Evening Gown" fashion show/competition. Six fashion designers--of Latino descent--are commissioned to design the gowns for the contestants throughout the season. But now for this pre-Finals episode, there were only four designers left. I wanted to Recap the Gowns of these contestants--from my Least Favorite to Most Favorite, with my "Gown Scores" (10 being the highest). So...Here we go:

Aly Villegas: Aly from Mexico and for the Semi-Finals, she wore a canary yellow slinky jersey gown from US designer of Peruvian descent designer Eduardo de las Casas. The gown was two seconds from Tacky-licious; the nude illusion panels were very 1997. Between the mock-neck and the long sleeves and too-high stacked nude platforms...I didn't know what I liked least. But then,  I focused on that VERY 1993 Prom/Quinceañera hair:

 1993: Bouffant with a side front fall.

Gown Score: 6.7

Alina Robert: Alina is originally from Cuba and was unfortunately eliminated last night. First off: she's GORGEOUS; beautiful face, great telegenic features. For the gown portion, she wore a blue halter neckline style hi-lo gown with crystal trim and black waistband designed by Colombian-born/raised in Puerto Rico fashion designer Gustavo Arango. I actually liked the dress. There was nothing extraordinary about it and yes, it looked like something one would buy at a department or prom/pageant store.

Alina's Back: With that being said, it fit her well and highlighted her shoulders and very pretty face. In terms of her hair, it was A LOT. But I didn't have a problem with it. 

Gown Score: 8.7

Nabila Tapia: Nabila hails from NY and is of Dominican Republic descent. Last night she wore a silver sequined and ivory organza gown designed by Venezuelan fashion designer Giovanni Scutaro. The style was very Miss Venezuela (no surprise there). It featured "Disco Ball" silver sequined bust cups and a fitted column gown with attached multi-ruffled back train detail.

Disco Nabila: Between her side-swept hairstyle, earrings, crystal cuff and gown...she was the ultimate "Pageant Betty". It was a little tight at the waist and hips (notice the rippling and pulling happening in the photo above), but those pageant girls always love it TOO TIGHT, unfortunately.

Gown Score: 8.9

Josephine Ochoa: Josephine is Guatemalan descent and from Los Angeles, CA. She was "Miss Guatemala U.S. 2013". The blond-haired, brown-eyed beauty wore a gold metallic and crystal gown, also from Venezuela designer Giovanni Scutaro.

Golden Girl: The column shaped gown featured a drop shoulder, high neck and very plunging back. This was one of my favorite gowns of the night. It looked perfect for Josephine. I also loved the fabrication; unusual and luxe. This is definitely not from a Prom-and-Pageant store. If only Josephine was 6 feet tall, this gown would have been an OUT OF CONTROL moment!

Gown Score: 9.0

Aleyda Ortiz: Aleyda wore a royal blue Empire-cut chiffon gown with silver sequined top detail, designed by Eduardo de las Casas. Aleyda worked this gown OVERTIME. In terms of the design, this wasn't anything earth-shaking and in fact, was very "Pageant"-expected. But it was the fact that Aleyda was wearing it...At one point, she was holding on to the chiffon over-layers and then dropped them...in a very dramatic "Pageant Fab" move captured in the one of the photos above. She was VERY "Miss Universe" contestant.

Gown Score: 9.2

Not Her First Time At The Rodeo: I think Aleyda is probably going to be the next "Nuestra Belleza Latina". This is my guess. Aleyda is no stranger to pageants and in fact, was the First Runner-Up to "Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2013" (above) and then...

Got to represent "Puerto Rico" in the "Miss Intercontinental 2013 Pageant" and also got First Runner-Up (left). I think that next Sunday, it will finally be the time she moves from First Runner-Up to being an actual Winner...We'll see!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Universe 2013 EVENING GOWN Portraits Review Part Two: The "Oh No She Didn't/Ayyy Mija's!" Group!

Oh Dear! Miss Azerbaijan Aysel Manafova (left) and Miss Estonia Kristina Karjalainen (right)--Miss Universe 2013 Evening Gown Portraits

All Photos Courtesy of MissUniverse.com

Continuing with my Review of the Miss Universe 2013 website just-released "Evening Gown Portraits"...in my last post, I talked about the "good" ones/my favorites of the bunch, so now it's time for the "Oh No She Didn't" or as my mom would say, the "Ayyy Mija's!" of the gowns. Whether these beautiful ladies were ill-advised or they might just have questionable taste levels (or maybe this was the last dress on the rack), they ended up here. And yes, we know that some of these might not be the actual evening gowns they will wear for the Preliminaries (which take place in less than a week on November 5th) and for at least this bunch, let's hope so! Now, for this group of "Oh Dear's", I decided to separate them into specific sections...keep reading and you'll know what I mean:

The "Real Housewives of Miss Universe 2013":

Miss Bulgaria Veneta Kresteva: Oh huney! One wrong look from Veneta in this gown and she might cut you...with some sequins! While I get the stage impact of this navy and silver completely beaded gown, I just think she looks more as if she was hosting the "Eurovision" Contest. And yes, in this, she looks like a "Real Housewife of Beverly Hills" who already has had two husbands and four kids and is heading to a party in Palms Casino Las Vegas...via private plane.

Miss Estonia Kristina Karjalainen (left): This royal blue gown looks so dated and soooo POLYESTER-y, I just cannot fathom why she chose this or who made her choose it and how she felt this was "Miss Universe" material. Kristina totally looks like a cast member of the "Real Housewives of Orange County" in this.

Miss Netherlands Stephanie Tency (right): This ivory beaded gown is a nice gown, but again, very dated and just screams 1996 wedding guest at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Her too-bleached hair and pouf-ed up style doesn't help either. Another cast member of the "Real Housewives" series yet again.

Miss Russia Elmira Abdrazakova: I'm sure Elmira is a lovely woman but this entire look is straight out of "The Shah's of Sunset". The black dress with silver crystal waist and sleeve hem accents plus those stripper platform pumps poking out...it's just too tacky-licious. And then, THAT hair! This is the girl your Mom and Dad warned you (at the last Bar Mitzvah you were at) to stay far, far away from because nothing good is going to come out of it.

Miss Slovenia Nina Burdevic: Nina chose this printed gown in what could best be described as a "puke-y" color combination; it hurts my eyes just looking at it. I think that possibly on an olive-skinned contestant, I might like it more, but on Nina, it looks a little "Real Housewives of Slovenia".



The Pageant Betty's:

Miss China Jin Ye (left): Let's start from the top: the bouffant, the diamante earrings and necklace (too mucheyy!) and if that wasn't enough, let's just throw in a bracelet as well. Edit. Edit. Edit girls when it comes to accessories. And then there's the strapless mermaid shaped gown with organza rosettes. The entire package is Pageant Betty not red carpet/Miss Universe fab.

Miss Ethiopia Maheder Tigabe (right): Ahhh, bless her heart. The reason why beautiful Maheder is here is again, 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 waaaay 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.



The Slit Queens:

While I love me a slit and some gowns can do slits very well, some cannot. And these are two examples of the latter--and especially when you combine it with the total unfortunate look:

Miss Honduras Diana Schoutsen (left): 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. It all needs editing.

Miss Italy Luna Voce (right): Luna won the "Top Model of The World" pageant (according to Wikipedia) but I would never, ever know this from looking at this garish choice of a gown that naturally, has to have a slit. This is more appropriate for a Vegas nightclub act before she strips down to a almost-nothing sequined bikini top and thong. Seriously.



Sheer Mess:

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.

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 Angola Vaumara Rebelo (left): I think the gold lace sequin applique in this gown is interesting but I'm confused why all of a sudden there's blue in the wrists and once again--like on "Miss Nicaragua", the lining awkwardly stops way too close to her cha-cha.

Miss Aruba Stefanie Guillen Evangelista (right): Oh no. Unless she is figure skating to Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade", this gown is unacceptable. It's trashy, cheap-looking and badly designed.



Cha Cha Girls:

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. The gown looks as if it was attacked by a cheap fabric store in Downtown L.A. Cha-Cha Not.

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, not so much.

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.



The "Underwhelming Gown Prize" Goes To:

Miss Norway Mari Ekelof: Mari, Please...I want you to just try!! In this "Evening Gown Portrait", you're not even trying! A) You look as bored as a web-searching twenty-something at their local Starbucks. And B) this slate blue chiffon maxi-dress is not what one chooses to feature on their "Miss Universe Evening Gown" portrait. It's a nice dress to bring to your Cancun vacation--and wear for after-pool cocktails-and-dinner night--but not to this.



The "At-a-Girl/Oh No You Didn't" Prize Goes To:

Miss Haiti Mondiana Pierre: I have two words: Go Mondiana! First, I love how she incorporated some of the Haitian flag colors into her gown...as FEATHERS that trickled down from her gold embroidered Empire-waisted dress. It's half National Costume/half evening gown (a very small half!). She's sooo GORGEOUS, but the dress is definitely "Ayyy Mija!/No She Didn't!".



Finally, the "Please Go Back To The Tony Ward Couture Show Look":

Miss Poland Paulina Krupisnka: I don't necessarily dislike this evening gown on "Miss Poland" Paulina Krupinska so much; yes, it's a bit tacky and cheap-looking (and yes, the color combination is a bit garish) but it's OK. It's the fact that she looks so underwhelming and not "Miss Universe" material in this entire look--from the 1990's side swept hairstyle to the pose, to the earrings and shoes. It's a FAR CRY from what she looked like last week modeling in the Tony Ward Couture runway show at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia:

Paulina: Please do this above and NOT what I saw in that "Miss Universe 2013 Evening Gown Portrait", if you have to borrow one of the $50,000+ costing Tony Ward Couture gowns, do it, and make sure to pay for the dry cleaning afterward--and send him a BIG bouquet of flowers!--just do it! Trust me, it will only help you darling.