Prince Albert and Charlene of Monaco Royal Wedding: The Royal Guest's Red Carpet!!!

Prince Albert and Charlene of Monaco Royal Wedding: The Royal Guest's Red Carpet!!!

Monaco COUTURE Red Carpet...

The Family...

Niece of the groom, the model-stunning Charlotte Casiraghi (seen above with her beau, Alex Dellal)--For the wedding, Charlotte wore a rose pink silk taffeta off-the-shoulder dress featuring crystal center front buttons and black satin "bow" sashes from...

Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2011

Princess Stephanie and her children, including Luis, Pauline and Camille (left to right)--Pauline wore...

Chanel Pret-a-Porter Spring 2011 blue tweed boucle with feathered hem. Pauline added a skinny belt to accent her teeny waist. By the way, I just wonder if Pauline can get to wear a $20,000 Chanel dress at only 17 years old...it's safe to assume she'll NEVER touch Zara or H&M now!

Princess Caroline of Hanover and her daughter Alexandra--Princess Caroline, a strong devotee and client of the House of Chanel (as well as very good friend of Karl Lagerfeld's), wore a rose pink drop-waist dress with sequined silk chiffon jacket from Chanel Haute Couture Custom. Naturally.

Euro Royals...

Denmark: Crown Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark--I absolutely LOVE the turquoise blue color of this front-wait tied dress on Australian-born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. The hat is FAB-u-Lous as well!!! Ten "Nick V Fashion Pints" my dear! Well done.

Norway: Princess Mette-Marit and Prince Haakon of Norway--Princess Matte-Marit's drabby blush-colored dress is not one of my favorites I must admit. It just blends in with the rest of her--it's just too close to her own skin coloring. She should have opted from a bolder stronger color. It's a "Monaco Yawn" for me...

England: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex--The Countess looks nice. But that's all I can say, really. As elegant as she can dress for events such as this, there's still something about some of the British royals (and sub-royals) that well, do not come quite close to the Princess Caroline's of the World. Somehow, they missed the "I-was-born-with-a-silver-Couture-spoon-in-my-mouth" part. However...

England: Prince and Princess Michael of Kent--This is one exception to the British Royal Family (along with Prince William and new Fashion Goddess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge). These two are always IMPECCABLE!! And naturally so. While I have a feeling Countess Sophie would rather be in jeans and sandals, I think the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are thoroughly comfortable in "Adult Dress Up" clothes. The Princess is the definition of class in her jewel-blue silk shantung suit with THE MOST fabulous of sleeves (and boy! Is that a Necklace, kids!). And the Prince, well, just look at him! Tailored Perfection!

Sweden: HM Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden and Queen Silvia of Sweden--Queen Silvia chose a lilac-colored mini-side gathered dress with matching colored hat. She looks like a Queen should look. And once again, King Carl Gustaf forgot how to smile...

Sweden: H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Duke of Vatergotland--The King and Queen of Sweden's daughter, Crown Princess Victoria is becoming quite the fashionista of Scandinavia and we see why here. I like the entire look; the sequined cap-sleeved dress is rich, impressive and still young-looking. And the matching chignon "snood" covering her hair bun is GENIUS! She gets another one of my "Nick V Royal Ten Points"...Now, her husband, once again, still looks like a Computer Analyst who was forced to put on a Morning Suit...because his wife told him so! Poor thang...

The Netherlands: Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and Willem-Alexander Prince of Orange and heir to the Dutch throne--Argentinian-born Maxima chose a bright stand-out color for the Monaco Wedding in this orange-yellow diagonally pleated dress with a raw-cut oversized flower detail at the shoulder. I'm sure the color was no accident sine in fact, it goes perfectly with her husband's sash.

Luxembourg: Cuban-born Maria Teresa Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg--Maria Teresa chose a nude side gathered crepe dress and stunning sequined cropped jacket. She does look much better than what she wore to the "William and Kate" wedding--yet still, she is having some wrinkling issues...

Belgium: Italian-born H.R.H. Queen Paola of Belgium and King Albert II of Belgium--The Queen is wearing Armani Prive Custom hand-beaded degrade cocktail dress, and taupe jacket with sequined edge trim.

Belgium: Princess Mathilde Duchess of Brabant and Prince Philippe Duke of Brabant--He is the eldest son of the King and Queen of Belgium (previous photo). Princess Mathilde is also wearing Armani Prive Custom, a violet princess-seamed sheath dress with attached capelet...

Inspired from this Armani Prive Spring 2011 look above. The Princess, of course, had it customized to her specific design standards and choosing. That's what one can do when A) You're a Princess, and B) Can afford a $40,000 Couture Suit.

Italy: Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont, heir of Vittorio Emanuele Prince of Naples, and his wife French actress Clotilde Courau--Love her bright coral organza ruffle accented sheath dress by Giambattista Valli.

France: Madrid-born H.R.H. Louis Alphonse de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou and claimant to the French throne and his Venezuelan-born wife Maria Margarita Vargas Santaella...

Who wore a design from fellow Venezuelan-born American designer Carolina Herrera and her Pre-Fall 2011 Collection.

Russia: H.I.H.Grand Duchess Maria of Russia--DIVA with a Capital "D"--I absolutely LOVE this woman!!! Babushka Who???? Nope, not so much. She looks IMPERIAL in this flower-printed caftan-and-dress ensemble with a matching Kokoshnik (headdress). Something tells me I would find Maria, the Grand Duchess, at the Vodka Bar, having a gay old time!!!

Persia/Iran: Her Imperial Majesty Empress Farah Pahlavi--always one of the Best Dressed women in the World, impeccable style, refined elegance, as seen here in this lemon suit with satin piping and box-pleated skirt. The Turban-scarf is so Sheikha Mozah of Qatar by the way!

Morocco: Rome-born Princess Lalla Meryem, the eldest daughter and child of the late King Hassan II if Morocco and her daughter Princess Lalla Soukaina--both went the "traditional Moroccan dress" route wearing stunning takchita. The mother's (left) is of course, the most elaborate of the two while the daughter's is more "subdued" and understated.

Thailand: Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand--looking beautiful and very chic in a traditional Thai dress--albeit, a very COUTURE version of one. Here's some DISH: After the divorce of her mother, she moved to United Kingdom with her mother and siblings. However, she later was taken by her father from England and brought back to Thailand. Besides the fact that she comes from one of the wealthiest Royal Houses in the World, she also studied Fashion and Textile and is an aspiring fashion designer and has shown collections in Bangkok and Paris fashion weeks.

Stay tuned for Fashion "Royals" at the Prince Albert and Charlene Royal Wedding in the next post...

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Earth 2017 National Costumes Competition: MY TOP 15 BEST!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Earth 2017 National Costumes Competition: MY TOP 15 BEST!

Filipiniana Winner: Miss Earth Philippines wins the Gold Medal for Asia at the "Miss Earth 2017 National Costumes Competition"--Century Park Hotel Manila Philippines

Photos courtesy of Miss Earth Facebook Page, OPMB Worldwide Facebook Page

Last night was the much-anticipated National Costumes Competition of the 2017 Miss Earth Beauty Pageant, occurring in the Philippines. The contest--which took place at the Century Park Hotel in Manila--featured the 86 contestants from all over the world showing off their National Costumes grouped by geographical regions including Central and North America, South America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and so on.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for the top costumes (as deemed by the judges) for each geographical region. The Gold Medals (top prize) for National Costumes went to Miss Earth Philippines for Asia, Miss Earth Russia for Eastern Europe, Miss Earth Portugal for Central Western Europe, Miss Earth Bolivia for South America, Miss Earth Ghana for Africa, and Miss Earth Guatemala for Central and North America.

Medal Costume Couture: Winning costumes at the "Miss Earth 2017" National Costumes Competition, Century Park Hotel Manila Philippines

Now that we know the judges' picks, here are MY TOP 15 FAVORITES of the Miss Earth 2017 National Costumes beginning with NUMBER ONE:

1. Miss Earth Philippines Karen Ibasco: Karen won the Gold for Asia, and she gets MY GOLD PRIZE for BEST COSTUME of all the contestants! "Miss Earth Philippines'" costume was a Filipiniana Terno designed by Louis Pangilinan. It was EXTRAORDINARY! From the statement-making necklace...to the off-the-shoulder Mantilla top...to the fan...

Charles James Meets Filipiniana: Charles James gowns (left) and an example of a traditional Filipipiana Terno Dress (right)

...to the intricately designed and cross patterned multi-godet paneled Charles James-like crinoline gown-skirt...WOW! This costume should be in a museum! Kudos to the designer and all the very talented artists and sewers who made this.

2. Miss Earth Thailand Paweensuda Drouin: My second favorite was the costume worn by the stunning Paweensuda Drouin, Miss Earth Thailand. This stunning creation represents the Hmong Thai tribe, showcasing the gorgeous intricate silver headdress and batik printed fabric of the Hmong. The exquisite detail on the headdress alone deserves a medal! And I do love how chic the top and skirt look. Take that crown away and that outfit alone could be worn at a very fancy black-tie gala in Bangkok!

3. Miss Earth Nepal Rojina Shrestha: This costume was stage impacting, beautiful and fab enough to make my Top Three! The mixing of the Sari with the Hindu gods imagery...and those striking red and gold colors and silk fabrics...everything about this looked regal and very Costume Couture!

4. Miss Earth Guatemala Maria Jose Castaneda: Maria Jose's costume won the Gold for Central and North America. And I can see why; it was my 4th Best among the 86 contestants. This gorgeous creation was made and designed by Guatemalan designer Cesar Alejandro Portillo who creates many of the national costumes for "Miss Guatemala" contestants. This costume is to me THE BEST one in the "Pre-Columbian Fantasy Diva" category. The Guatemalan fabric, the colors, the feathered headdress, the sequined cape...I can't imagine how much work and time went into this and I really hope Cesar was paid A TON of money for this! Muy Bien! 

5. Miss Earth Ghana Maud Fadi: "Miss Earth Ghana" was my 5th Best and the  highest spot for a contestant form Africa. I was blown away by her presentation (she came out covered partially using her cape) and then opened it up to reveal the fabulous Kente cloth patterns. The aqua blue mermaid-shaped gown featured multicolored sequins at the bust and torso as well as bottom portion of the dress--and if that wasn't enough, it had a matching Kente cloth pleated peplum. Oh, and then there was her Ghana Coat of Arms headdress! This was a National Costume MOMENT Ladies & Gentlemen!

6. Miss Earth Japan Yasuyo Saito: "Miss Earth Japan" wore this multicolored kimono robe and dress--and she looked GLORIOUS! The costume itself was superb: The colors and the silk brocade fabrication were INCREDIBLE. Kimono DIVA!

7. Miss Earth Costa Rica Fernanda Rodriguez: At No. 7 in my Top 15 Best National Costume List is "Miss Earth Costa Rica". I loved the look of this costume, especially the bold colors and prominent feathers in the front. The costume itself represents the exotic plants and migratory birds that live together in Costa Rica and was designed by Filipino designer Maestro John. I wished he could have also designed fabulous shoes to have gone with the costume--as opposed to these off-the-rack nude platform heels.

8. Miss Earth Canada Jacqueline Marsh: OK, there are Drag Queens in Canada DYING to get their manicured hands on this costume!! This white and red UBER snowflake costume was created by Filipino designer Tohe Rojas Gantuangco and he did a FABULOUS job--take a look at all those HUNDREDS (possibly thousands!) of maple leaf snow flakes attached to her bodysuit and "wings". And the red sequined headdress as well as matching red details throughout the costume really brought home the "Go Canada!" theme.

9. Miss Earth Sri Lanka Shyama Dahayanaka: I loved "Miss Earth Sri Lanka's" Bird Couture costume at the "Miss Earth 2017" National Costume Competition. This feathered and multicolored costume represents the Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl (seen in lower top photo) and was very impacting for many reasons including that fabulous headdress, the sequined applique and of course, the actual fowl feathers. She was a Bird Goddess in this!

10. Miss Earth Malaysia Cherish Ng: "Miss Earth Malaysia" wore this costume titled "Khatulistiwa: the Goddess Flora" which was created by Borneo Republic Malaysia Creations. It was my No. 10 out of 15 Best Costumes of "Miss Earth 2017". The costume is inspired by the Latin name of Flora, the goddess of plants, flowers, and fertility as well as “Khatulistiwa”--the Malay word for equator. On Earth, the Equator is an imaginary line on the surface, dividing the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. As a country surrounded by the sea and located near the equator, Malaysia naturally receives plenty of sunlight. As a result, various species of flower can be seen across Malaysia. This costume symbolizes beautiful flowers in Malaysia. During the production of this costume, recycled items were used namely aluminum pull tabs from drink cans, plastic bottle caps, used buttons, used wire phone and used floor rugs. In other words, not only is this fabulous for the "Miss Earth" Beauty Pageant...this design would be great for the "Project Runway" Unconventional Challenge! 

11. Miss Earth Mongolia Tugs-Amgalan Batjargal: I liked this costume worn by "Miss Earth Mongolia". It looked refined, expensive and still stage-impacting. The silk fabric with fur trim looked rich and that headdress with jeweled and sequined details really took her to a Mongolian Queen level!

12. Miss Earth Vietnam La Thi Ha Thu: Made by Vietnamese designer Nguyen Minh Cong from one of his recent collections entitled "The Dreamers", this costume worn by "Miss Earth Vietnam" represents a strong female soldier. Made of a natural silk fabric, as well as glittering lame fabric, the look features a leotard/body suit, midriff peplum corset, overskirt and lotus flower details. The lotus flowers symbolize the "sturdiness and softness of Vietnamese women" according to the designer. I thought it was chic, modern and costume-impacting. I just wished she would have worn THE SAME DIVA shoes she wore in the pre-pageant photoshoot above--as opposed to the actual contest! What happened to those fabulous shoes? Were they lost in a luggage snafu?

13. Miss Earth  Panama Erika Parker: My thirteenth choice for Best Costume is "Miss Earth Panama". I loved the colors, the story, her presentation and yes--the CROWN! Her costume is entitled "Pollera Congo" (a pollera is a full skirt). This folkloric costume comes from the Panamanian province of Colon...

The costume represents the women of this area and their traditional dress. The woman is THE QUEEN and head of the family and therefore, the crown. The mixed pieces of fabric comes from when the ethnically African people in Panama were slaves, their masters would only give them leftovers of their fabric to use on their clothes and therefore, that's how they made their polleras...using discarded fabric from their Masters. The costume and overall look just made me smile. She may be barefoot but she looked RICH and EXUBERANT.

14. Miss Earth Mexico Karen Bustos: Karen comes from San Luis Potosi in Mexico and therefore, her costume paid tribute to the fabrication used in San Luis Potosi traditional dress. I loved the fashion-fab design (sleek column gown with side front slit!), the great red-and-white print, and super headdress adorned with red rose-shaped satin. I think it's so great when a designer can take a traditional folkloric dress and take it to another, almost-red carpet level! Muy bien!

15. Miss Earth Venezuela Ninoska Vasquez: Finally, I wanted to add the costume worn by "Miss earth Venezuela" in my Top 15 List. Ninoska's costume was designed by Carlos Perez and it was a sequined bodysuit of Earth Flora-and-Fauna...and Water Gorgeousness...

The look includes details representing Venezuelan Orchids, as well as the mountains, the rivers and birds of the country. To top it all off, the blue and silver crystals falling from her arm represent the glorious Angel Falls. In line with the "Miss Earth" theme, this costume is very representative of "Mother Earth" and all the natural wonders of that troubled South American country.

Just for fun...I wanted to add this "Miss Earth 2017 National Costumes Competition" Costumes Extra...Guess what country this "National Costume" is from?

No...not the nation of "McDonalds"...this is Miss Earth BELGIUM! And yes kids, she wore a costume featuring "French Fries". Why? Because if you know your food history...French Fries are actually from Belgium! Historians claim that potatoes were being fried--since the late 1600's (!) in Belgium. Soooo, yeah, that's Miss Earth Belgium's national costume. And I LIKE IT!

CONGRATULATIONS Miss Earth Philippines! Your costume was MY Number One Costume of the "Miss Earth 2017" National Costumes!

And don't forget about my PAGEANT COLORING BOOK!! Enjoy making your very own Pageant Evening Gown Contest via my coloring book! Click the photo to purchase on Amazon.com NOW!