SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Supranational 2015 Finals: Winner Miss Paraguay Stephania Vazquez Stegman and Evening Gown Recap!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss Supranational 2015 Finals: Winner Miss Paraguay Stephania Vazquez Stegman and Evening Gown Recap!

Supranational Bella: Miss Supranational 2015 "Miss Paraguay" Stephania Stegman (center)--Miss Supranational 2015 Finals, Warsaw Poland

Photos courtesy of GlobalBeauties.com and Miss Supranational Facebook

This past Friday night was the Miss Supranational 2015 Finals Beauty Pageant. The pageant--considered one of the top "Grand Slam" international beauty pageants, along with Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth--was held in Poland.

Crowned: Miss Supranational 2015 Stephania Stegman "Miss Paraguay"--Miss Supranational 2015 Finals, Warsaw Poland

This was the 7th edition of the international beauty pageant and over 80 contestants from all over the world competed for the title. The winner was the representative from the South American nation of Paraguay, Stephania Vazquez Stegman.

Stephania is a model and former Miss Paraguay International 2011. She is of Spanish-German descent and stands 1.77 m (5' 9 1/2"). At the Miss International 2011 Beauty Pageant, she did not place but this past Friday, she won the Miss Supranational 2015 pageant. This is the first win for Paraguay in a "Grand Slam" International Beauty Pageant. Muy bien!

 The Set: Miss Supranational 2015 Finals Warsaw Poland

 Best National Costume went to...

Miss Indonesia Gresya Amanda Maaliwuga--Pretty fabulous and well-deserved!

The Evening Gowns: Finalists-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Gown Gals:--Miss Supranational 2015 Finals, Warsaw Poland

As always, in my blog here, I love to discuss the EVENING GOWNS...let's begin with the eventual Winner...

Miss Paraguay Stephania Stegman: Gorgeous gown on a gorgeous woman. Love this nude tulle with Art Deco-like gold sequin detail. It was a clean column gown that wasn't too fussy. I also loved her modern (not too "Pageant Betty") hairstyle; it definitely complimented the clean simple lines of the gown. And KUDOS for covering the heels.

Canada Siera Bearchell: Siera was gorgeous and this gown was OK. Nothing spectacular. She sure did "work it" during the finals. But in terms of design or having an extra "couture" appeal...nothing. Very "Pageant Safe"; she looked like the winner of a Miss (fill in the blank) USA state pageant. I expect a little bit more on the international stage.

Colombia Monica Castano Agudelo: I have to admit that I wasn't a fan of this gown. I loved the bubblegum pink color but the gown itself looked cheap. I think the fact that it looked polyester-y and that it was too short (I don't want to see those heels!), made me feel this way. This was a little too "Ballroom Dancing Competition" and not Haute enough for an international beauty pageant stage.

Iceland Tanja Yr Astporsdottir: Tanja is beautiful. But this gown wasn't so much. It was very prom-a-licious. At least it was tasteful prom. If you are going to do a ball gown, I'd refer to what fashion designers Elie Saab or Zuhair Muard are doing; at least copy them...or even copy one of my ball gowns! But this one is a little on the store-bought side.

Mexico Karina Stephania Martin Jimenez: Another case of a very pretty woman wearing a not so cute gown. The dress is very prom and once again, too short. It also seemed very "Dancing with the Stars". If I can see this dress in Downtown L.A. at a Pageant-and-Prom shop (and I can with this one!), then I don't want to see it in one of the International "Grand Slam" Beauty Pageants. Just saying.

Australia Christiana Fischer: Christiana wore this nude and lilac colored applique gown at the Miss Supranational 2015 Finals. I liked this gown. It was a tad "Figure Skating" costume but it fit nicely and it was the correct length.

India Aafreen Rachael Vaz: I also liked this golden sequined and leaf-like applique gown with side front slit. The only thing I I dd not like were those CLUNKY gold 70's Disco pumps; soooo tacky!

Malaysia Tanisha Demour Kaur: Tanisha made a big Evening Gown impact in this royal blue/violet gown. The design featured a nude tulle and sequined applique column gown and satin over-skirt. It was impacting and she knew how to work it. This was definitely one of the most "wow" gowns of the entire pageant.

Panama Angie Keith: Simple column pearl sequined gown. This was nice. I liked the fit and the fact that it was length-right. It didn't excite me in terms of design but it was OK.



Top Gowns--Miss Supranational 2015:

Myanmar L Bawk Nu: Miss Myanmar won for Best Gown and I can see why. This gold and silver sequin gown recalls a gorgeous Haute Couture Fish Diva. Absolutely stunning. It reminds me of something I would see from a Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture runway show.

Luxembourg Elie Ondoa: Stunning mint sequined strapless gown. One of my favorites!

Dominican Republic Ingrid Franco: Gold sequined flapper fun.

Philippines Rogelie Catacutan: Directional, sexy and very forward-pageant! It's also very "Tribal Couture". Love.

Spain Raquel Bonilla: Love the asymmetry of the top section and contrast of the golden crepe fabrication and sequin top/sleeve.

Egypt Perihan Fateen: I thought this red one shoulder gown with sequined top section and asymmetrical peplum detail was quite nice. Elegant and very Red Carpet-meets-Runway

The Uh Oh/Oh Dear! Miss Supranational 2015 Evening Gowns-----------------------------------------

Bolivia Sharon Valverde: Oh No. 1993 Broadway Chorus Line/Pageant Gal. And what is with that side sheer panel???? And that 1987 hair style?? Ayyyy Dios Mio!!

Scotland Nasrene Harrison: Oh No Wedding/Prom Queen. There's way too much polyester lace and applique in this. She needs a veil and a "Big Fat Gypsy" fiance.

Italy Deborah Agnone: This black one shoulder dress would be nice...for a cocktail party. But not for "Miss Supranational"!

Ireland Karen Montague: Oh Dear! Someone got confused with the "Carnival Cruises" Captain's Night Gala! This is a Choncheee Tackylicious Mess.

Venezuela Hyser Betancourt: I just can't with this gown. This looks like a dress a Quinceañera girl would reject. It's way too tacky. This is certainly not up to the "Miss Venezuela" gown standards. Who approved this???

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Felicitaciones and Congratulations to "Miss Paraguay Supranational" Steaphania Stegman for winning the "Miss Supranational 2015 Beauty Pageant...and for wearing a very nice gown! 

Israel's Malaysian allies

Israel's Malaysian allies

So, Anwar Ibrahim today refused to retract his support for Israel's security or sue WSJ for "misreporting" his statement.

He said Nik Aziz, the supreme leader of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (is it Pas or Pis ?) who earlier demanded for him to do those had accepted his stand.

Well, what can I say to that....

Honestly, I am lost for words.

I wonder what Nik Adli, the son of Nik Aziz has to say about all this.

Nik Adli, who fought alongside the Afghan Mujahideen forces against the Soviets in the late 1980s was detained under ISA from 2001 to 2006 for being suspected of leading the Kumpulan Mujaheedin Malaysia which military wing Kumpulan Militan Malaysia was headed by Zulkifli Abdul Khir, whose story I had posted here - 

The untold story of Zulkifli Abdul Khir

I surfed the net and found this old article about the incident which started the ball of fire rolling across the globe over the past three decades and shaped the life of people like Nik Adli and Zulkifli Abdul Khir.

I'm putting the article here in memory of a dear friend and all who lost their life due to the cruelty of those in power in the state called Israel.

SABRA AND SHATILA

By Robert Fisk

What we found inside the Palestinian camp at ten o'clock on the morning of September 1982 did not quite beggar description, although it would have been easier to re-tell in the cold prose of a medical examination. There had been medical examinations before in Lebanon, but rarely on this scale and never overlooked by a regular, supposedly disciplined army. In the panic and hatred of battle, tens of thousands had been killed in this country. But these people, hundreds of them had been shot down unarmed. This was a mass killing, an incident - how easily we used the word "incident" in Lebanon - that was also an atrocity. It went beyond even what the Israelis would have in other circumstances called a terrorist activity. It was a war crime.

Jenkins and Tveit were so overwhelmed by what we found in Chatila that at first we were unable to register our own shock. Bill Foley of AP had come with us. All he could say as he walked round was "Jesus Christ" over and over again. We might have accepted evidence of a few murders; even dozens of bodies, killed in the heat of combat. Bur there were women lying in houses with their skirts torn torn up to their waists and their legs wide apart, children with their throats cut, rows of young men shot in the back after being lined up at an execution wall. There were babies - blackened babies babies because they had been slaughtered more than 24-hours earlier and their small bodies were already in a state of decomposition - tossed into rubbish heaps alongside discarded US army ration tins, Israeli army equipment and empty bottles of whiskey.

Where were the murderers? Or to use the Israelis' vocabulary, where were the "terrorists"? When we drove down to Chatila, we had seen the Israelis on the top of the apartments in the Avenue Camille Chamoun but they made no attempt to stop us. In fact, we had first been driven to the Bourj al-Barajneh camp because someone told us that there was a massacre there. All we saw was a Lebanese soldier chasing a car theif down a street. It was only when we were driving back past the entrance to Chatila that Jenkins decided to stop the car. "I don't like this", he said. "Where is everyone? What the f**k is that smell?"

Just inside the the southern entrance to the camp, there used to be a number of single-story, concrete walled houses. I had conducted many interviews in these hovels in the late 1970's. When we walked across the muddy entrance to Chatila, we found that these buildings had been dynamited to the ground. There were cartridge cases across the main road. I saw several Israeli flare canisters, still attached to their tiny parachutes. Clouds of flies moved across the rubble, raiding parties with a nose for victory.

Down a laneway to our right, no more than 50 yards from the entrance, there lay a pile of corpses. There were more than a dozen of them, young men whose arms and legs had been wrapped around each other in the agony of death. All had been shot point-blank range through the cheek, the bullet tearing away a line of flesh up to the ear and entering the brain. Some had vivid crimson or black scars down the left side of their throats. One had been castrated, his trousers torn open and a settlement of flies throbbing over his torn intestines.

The eyes of these young men were all open. The youngest was only 12 or 13 years old. They were dressed in jeans and coloured shirts, the material absurdly tight over their flesh now that their bodies had begun to bloat in the heat. They had not been robbed. On one blackened wrist a Swiss watch recorded the correct time, the second hand still ticking round uselessly, expending the last energies of its dead owner.

On the other side of the main road, up a track through the debris, we found the bodies of five women and several children. The women were middle-aged and their corpses lay draped over a pile of rubble. One lay on her back, her dress torn open and the head of a little girl emerging from behind her. The girl had short dark curly hair, her eyes were staring at us and there was a frown on her face. She was dead.

Another child lay on the roadway like a discarded doll, her white dress stained with mud and dust. She could have been no more than three years old. The back of her head had been blown away by a bullet fired into her brain. One of the women also held a tiny baby to her body. The bullet that had passed into her breast had killed the baby too. Someone had slit open the woman's stomach, cutting sideways and then upwards, perhaps trying to kill her unborn child. Her eyes were wide open, her dark face frozen in horror.

"...As we stood there, we heard a shout in Arabic from across the ruins. "They are coming back," a man was screaming, So we ran in fear towards the road. I think, in retrospect, that it was probably anger that stopped us from leaving, for we now waited near the entrance to the camp to glimpse the faces of the men who were responsible for all of this. They must have been sent in here with Israeli permission. They must have been armed by the Israelis. Their handiwork had clearly been watched - closely observed - by the Israelis who were still watching us through their field-glasses.

When does a killing become an outrage? When does an atrocity become a massacre? Or, put another way, how many killings make a massacre? Thirty? A hundred? Three hundred? When is a massacre not a massacre? When the figures are too low? Or when the massacre is carried out by Israel’s friends rather than Israel's enemies?

That, I suspected, was what this argument was about. If Syrian troops had crossed into Israel, surrounded a Kibbutz and allowed their Palestinian allies to slaughter the Jewish inhabitants, no Western news agency would waste its time afterwards arguing about whether or not it should be called a massacre.

But in Beirut, the victims were Palestinians. The guilty were certainly Christian militiamen - from which particular unit we were still unsure - but the Israelis were also guilty. If the Israelis had not taken part in the killings, they had certainly sent militia into the camp. They had trained them, given them uniforms, handed them US army rations and Israeli medical equipment. Then they had watched the murderers in the camps, they had given them military assistance - the Israeli airforce had dropped all those flares to help the men who were murdering the inhabitants of Sabra and Chatila - and they had established military liason with the murderers in the camps.



And then there are Gaza and the other Palestinian occupied territories.

For that, listen to exiled Singaporean surgeon Dr Ang Swee Chai, who was in Sabra and Shatila during the massacre in 1982 and still working to help the Palestinians till today.

Beauty Pageant Minute--Miss Universe 2012--Slit Queens, Cha-Cha/"Dancing With The Stars" Couture!

Beauty Pageant Minute--Miss Universe 2012--Slit Queens, Cha-Cha/"Dancing With The Stars" Couture!

Slit Queens and Cha-Cha Love:

I Hope The Judges Don't See My...Miss Universe India Shilpa Singh and the gown she wore for the "Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Official Portrait" 

Photo Courtesy of MissUniverse.com

I've discussed my Favorites of the Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Portraits HERE, as well as the "Pageant Bettys" and "Too-Short Gown" girls HERE...so now, it's time to get SERIOUS. SLIT-and-Cha Cha serious. This year--as has been the case recently, there are A LOT of SLIT HAPPY Gowns in the Miss Universe Pageant Evening Gown Official Website Portraits, as well as what I call the "Cha-Cha/Dancing With The Stars" Queens. Now, again, these are just the website's "Official Evening Gown Portraits" and therefore they may not be the actual gowns the ladies will wear in the very important Preliminaries--or the Final telecast for that matter. Lots of the girls like to save the BEST for then. Irregardless...

Let's begin with the SLIT QUEENS:

Miss Albania Adrola Dushi: Do I see TWO slits? I think I do. The other one is just being hidden by an overlay of chiffon. It's a good gown and she certainly is giving a "Do you want a piece of this?" look. How do you say that in Albanian?

Miss Guam Alyssa Cruz Aguero: Alyssa wears a purple-blue one shoulder gown with silver sequin detail and a slit--a very high slit, in which she wants to show you as much leg as possible. I would have rather liked it if she wasn't pulling her gown and dropped it so there might have been a hint of a slit. I have a feeling she's pulling and lifting it because the gown maybe too long on her.

Miss Czech Republic Tereza Chlebovska: I just want to say the name "Tereza Chlebovska" a HUNDRED TIMES!! Love that name. She sounds like a Prima Ballerina! But I digress, let's discuss the gown and that slit: it's a pretty gown and I just didn't think she needed so high a slit. She already looks like she's "Sex on Wheels" so why push it?

Miss Sri Lanka Sabrina Herft: Sabrina could be under my "Pageant Betty" AND "Slit Queen" categories with this dress and entire look. It's very "Pageant 101"...from 1996; it's got the one shoulder, it's got the applique, it's got the chiffon overlay, the slit. It's all there. Like "Check, Check, and Triple Check!" I happen to think...or hope...that Pageant Gowns can evolve.

Miss Georgia Tamar Shedania: The Lady in Red gives you Drama and a Slit! It's not a bad gown, I actually have issues with the dangling "ribbons" more than the slit. This gown looked very familiar for some reason and then it hit me:

 It's a very close cousin--in red--of the beautiful gown that Dayana Mendoza from Venezuela (above), wore to win her "Miss Universe 2008" crown. But notice there are no dangling straps/ribbons.

Miss Estonia Natalie Korneitsik: The pretty Natalie ends up in a "Slit Queen" gown here for the "Miss Universe Evening Gown Official Portraits". I'm bothered by two things. First, the hip draping is distracting and draws my eye to that section. Second, I think she may need a lining under those double layers of chiffon. In the photo, I can see her legs and I'm scared to guess what the judges on stage might also see.

Miss India Shilpa Singh: Shilpa's fuchsia pink gown is very "My Super Sweet Sixteen"...the "I Want To Be Sexy" version. I think there's too much happening here: the embroidered applique in the upper torso bustier, which then is somewhat continued (inexplicably) onto the rest of the gown; then, there's a keyhole near her tummy, a full tulle skirt, and then, the slit. This gown can be helped with editing (take out this and take out that..). Also, why can I see nude-colored bust pads on the bustier? It's distracting to say the least. And a big NO-NO in fashion.

Miss Jamaica Chantal Zaky: This gown isn't so bad. I do love the royal blue color and the back drape/fall, although I think it is attached to her bracelet/cuff!?! The slit isn't so HOOCHIE in that it doesn't seem so high--just right (unless her hand is covering how high that slit really goes!). Chantal is here because yes, kids there was still a SLIT in her gown.

Miss Ukraine Anastasia Chernova: How sweet does this lovely young lady look! I want to take her home to meet the parents! She does continue the sweet demeanor with this strapless modified ball gown. It's a sweet color, it's got sweet details. But wouldn't you know, these pageant girls cannot live without their slits! They are SLIT ADDICTED! (Note to self: Trademark that!)

Miss Colombia Daniella Alvarez Vasquez: First off, I do love a bright color! Highlighter Yellow is FAB! This gown is interesting for it's no-hold's-barred color but also for the neckline detail and the way the shirring/gathering cascades into the bottom skirted section. But, at the same time, it might be considered in some circles a Hot Mess. Not sure about the nude illusion center front bustline panel (you can barely see it in this photo but it looks like it's there). And yes, there is that slit. Say "Hola" to that slit.

Miss Vietnam Luu Thi Diem Huong: Another "Highlighter Yellow" gown. It is strapless and yes, has a big ol' slit. What's most interesante is what is happening around the bustline. What. Is. That? Is there a black edge trim to this gown? If so, it doesn't make sense. Or--worse still--is that the poor girl's black strapless bra sticking out from the dress? If so, the photographer should've Photoshopped that, or the beautiful Miss Vietnam shouldn't have worn it. Either way, it doesn't make sense.



Now, the Cha-Cha Love and Dancing With The Stars Ladies of "Miss Universe 2012":

Miss Spain Andrea Huisgen: Andrea is another one of my favorite contestants and hopefully she will go far; she's got the height, the "spunky" Miss Universe personality, the "I Will Be Famous" and be in "Hola Magazine"-dating-a-Spanish-Footballer look. With this gown, she gets right into my "Cha-Cha" category easily. It's a strapless mermaid-style gown in a gold lame-like fabrication with shredded organza. I actually LOVE this gown but I know some fellow pageant-watchers I've spoken to, well, were not as complimentary. But we agreed, it's FULL-ON Cha Cha!

Miss Malaysia Kimberley Leggett: The lovely Kimberley--another favorite to be in the Semi-Finals (and I can see why), wore this salmon pink colored sequin/feather and illusion gown. It's VERY "Dancing With The Stars"-meets-Figure Skating Costume. And you know I love me some Figure Skating! It's also very "Cha-Cha". Therefore, she lands here.

Miss Greece Vasiliki Tsirogianni: For her gown choice in the Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Portraits, Vasiliki wore this nude illusion tulle fitted gown with ivory flower applique. It also has Figure Skating Costume elements as well as a "Dancing With The Stars" costume vibe.The lace over illusion is a big trend in Pageants right now and it can often work well (as seen on Olivia Culpo), but on Vasiliki...not so much. This is why my koukla ("doll" in Greek) ended up in this category.

Miss Peru Nicole Faveron: Nicole wore a column nude tulle/illusion gown with gold jeweled and flecked details. It's a good  gown--in my eyes but yes, some others may think she's a little too "Dancing With The Stars"/Cha-Cha. I can see why. The way this can be taken to a more Red Carpet Couture level is make it more fit-and-flare, add a slight dramatic train and make it not be so see-through. Then, it might look slightly "McQueen"-like.

Miss Costa Rica Nazareth Cascante: Oh Chica, the temperature just got a bit more Caliente. This aqua/turquoise blue and silver beaded gown  has "Carnival Cruise to San Juan Puerto Rico" written all over it! She is a major Cha-Cha Queen in this. Nothing else to say.

Miss Dominican Republic Dulcita Lynn Lieggi: I'm a little "on the fence" with this gown. I like the seafoam green color and the detail of it looks expensive. I also appreciate the lack of a HOOCHIE slit (or at least from how she's posing). I just think it's a little too "Cha-Cha" and with that too-stiff hairstyle, earrings, overall look, she seems "dated"--like very 1998 Pageant. She is GORGEOUS though. I just think she would have looked more up-to-date in a different dress, different hairstyle, etc.

Miss Mauritius Ameeksha Devi Dilshand: Silver gown with silver illusion sides. How could she NOT end up in this "Cha-Cha/Dancing With The Stars" Category. And add "Figure Skating Queen" to that as well.



Finally, The "Monica Belucci Sex Goddess Cha-Cha Miss Universe 2012 Award" Goes To...

Miss Kosovo Diana Avdiu: One word: WOW. This gown has all the elements of A) Cha-Cha Queen and B) "Dancing With The Stars"-like Couture, plus she she GIVING YOU Cleavage darlings. Serving it. And that look. She's almost saying "It's OK if if you don't place me in the Semi-Finals but...if you do, I could make you very, very happy..." Amen Sister!



***Next: The "Oh Dear's!" of the Miss Universe 2012 Evening Gown Portraits...Just You Wait!