SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2017 Finals: The EVENING GOWN RECAP!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2017 Finals: The EVENING GOWN RECAP!

Gown Throwback: A Not-So-Fashion-Exciting Evening Gown Top 10 at Miss USA 2017 Finals--Mandalay Bay events Center Las Vegas

Last night were the finals of Miss USA 2017 in Mandalay Bay Events Center at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Las Vegas. Fifty one contestants representing all 50 U.S. states plus District of Columbia competed for the top crown and a chance to represent the USA at the Miss Universe 2017 pageant. And the winner was...

Back-to-Back: Miss USA 2016 (and former Miss District of Columbia) Deshauna Barber crowns Miss District of Columbia USA Kara McCullough as Miss USA 2017--Mandalay Bay Events Center Las Vegas

Miss District of Columbia USA Kara McCullough! Kara is 25 years old, stands 5' 10" (178 M) and was born in Naples Italy. Because of her father--who worked in the U.S. Marine Corps--she was raised in various places including Sicily, South Korea, Japan and Hawaii. Oh, and did I mention she's also a RADIOCHEMIST! Now, Kara might be interested in the study of radioactive materials but she's also no stranger to beauty pageants: She was 1st runner-up at the Miss District of Columbia USA beauty pageant TWICE, in 2015 and 2016, where she was the first runner-up to last year's Miss USA, Deshauna Barber.

Beauty and Brains: Miss USA 2017 Kara McCullough

Kara caused a little bit of controversy in the Twittersphere with her answer to a question regarding health care in which she said that it should be a privilege as opposed to a right for all U.S. citizens. But this blog isn't about that, it's all about THE GOWNS! And the controversy here is how MEH the Top 10 gowns were...

Sequins and Slits: Miss USA 2017 Kara McCullough--Miss USA 2017 Finals, Mandalay Bay Events Events Center Las Vegas

Honestly, this was ONE OF THE MOST LACKLUSTER Evening Gown showings at a Miss USA Finals in a LOOONG time! They were dated, semi-Pageant Betty and in terms of FASHION, or fashion-forward...look elsewhere darlings 'cause you wouldn't find it here. It was as if we had regressed back to the late 1990's/early 2000's in terms of Gown designs. Only ONE of my Top Ten Best Gowns from the Preliminaries made the Final 10 and if that wasn't enough, two of my "UH Oh/Worst" picks made the final Top Ten (Yikes!)

So...I guess, the evening gowns had little-to-no effect on the judges in choosing the 10 semifinalists, which I suppose is fine, since all 10 semifinalists seemed to be some of the most intelligent women in the contest and, in addition, perfect representations of the tagline "Confidently Beautiful". Well, even though the style (or lack thereof) of the contestants Evening Gowns might not have been important to the judges, they are still important to me here on my "Sashes And Tiaras" blog!



So here's my RECAP of the Ten Semifinalist's Gowns--from Worst to Best:

Miss Minnesota USA Meridith Gould: Meridith did an OUTSTANDING job last night at Miss USA 2017. She had a strong stage presence and in addition, answered the questions perfectly and eloquently. No misstep there. Oh, and she looked like a toned Goddess in Swimsuit. It's her gown that I thought was problematic. Back in my recap of the Preliminary Competition, I placed her gown as one of my least favorite and that sentiment didn't change in the Finals. She revealed that this white organza, tulle and applique design was a combination of TWO gowns that she liked. Well, kids, that might have been the problem: It looked it. The top was this sequined bustier/leotard with neckband and Breast-a-licious front cut-out and then the bottom were pants AND a matching overskirt. It was A LOT to say the least and really overpowered her. I get the "J Lo-on-the-Latin Billboard Awards Red Carpet" look she was going for (very popular with Lebanese designers like Zuhair Murad and Elie Saab) but it was a Too-Mucheey mess. On a good note, she didn't wear those tacky "Stripper" platform heels. On a not-so-good note: NUDE??? Really??!! With a WHITE gown?? 

Miss New York USA Hannah Lopa: Red-haired Hannah is next on my list of least favorite gowns for the 10 Miss USA 2017 semifinalists. I'll start with the positive: I liked the emerald green sequins over nude tulle but...she was almost-nude underneath! I could literally see her PANTIES! (Yikes!). Maybe I'm too old-school but I just don't want to see panties. I get the see-through style but it really isn't supposed to be really SEE-THROUGH (it should have been lined to the bottom, in a nude colored lining of course). And then, if the see-through-ness of that wasn't distracting enough...

We get SMOOSHED-BOOB Syndrome with a waaaay too revealing neckline. She's too gorgeous too wear something so "Real Housewives of Atlanta"-like. Period.

Miss Alaska USA Alyssa London: First off, Congratulations to Miss Alaska USA Alyssa London, who was a definite spoiler and surprise in making the Top 10; quite an accomplishment all on it's own. The gown was designed by herself with the help of Joey Galon Atelier. Galon had quite a night for himself since he not only created Miss Alaska USA's gown but also Miss Hawaii USA and...

Outgoing Miss USA Deshauna Barber's beautiful lavender gown (LOVE!)

I will say, of the 3 gowns, Miss Alaska's was the least successful however. I appreciated Alyssa honoring her Native American/Tlingit heritage with the ceremonial robe aspect to her gown. The sequin work and images of Tlingit patterns and whale's tail were quite impressive, but I didn't think that the reveal was effective. This was VERY hard to pull off from a technical design perspective, and the robe that transitioned into a train ended up being clunky and dragged the look down. In addition, the dress itself was a bit "been there, done that" Pageant Gown. But kudos to Alyssa for showing her Alaska Native/Native American heritage in her evening gown! 

Miss Missouri USA Bayleigh Dayton: There were several issues I had with this gown. First, the style was dated. I am also not a fan of those "pick-up's" as they are called (the horizontal folding and pleating and picking-up of the fabric). The Pick-up detail + the satin = Prom 1995. In addition to all this, the gown was just too heavy looking; she looked like a red swirling Christmas ornament and/or bell. I just want to see a little FASHION, a little fashion-forward-ness, a little inspiration from the Haute Couture shows of Zuhair Murad, Elie Saab, something!

Miss California USA India Williams: When I saw this white sequined gown on the beautiful Miss California USA in the Preliminaries, I was not a fan. I was disappointed. India is so pretty, so tall (six feet!) and statuesque and the gown was too Miss Teen USA "Sweet" and Prom-like. She needed something more "Runway Fab" in my eyes. The neckband was useless, the crystal waist trim was too low, and overall, this gown just wasn't a WOW. If she had worn something like this, I would have jumped from my couch and given her a standing gown ovation...

Miss Falcon Jennifer Saa at Miss Venezuela 2014--But, alas, I just stayed seated bored to tears.

Miss New Jersey USA Chhavi Verg: Seriously kids, what is happening with these women picking the most boring traditional oh-so-meh gowns??? If there was one contestant who could bust out in a fab Runway-like gown, it would have been the exotic Chhavi Verg, Miss New Jersey USA. She looked nice and very safe. And maybe that was the point. If so, she gets a TEN for that, but this choice of a black sequined halter gown was just nice, and that's about it. I would have loved to have seen her in something more like this:

Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2014--Notice that I'm not even referencing anything recent; these gowns are from 2014! The women (and their pageant glam squad) need to be a bit more creative with their gown choices and pageant gown designers/manufacturers need to start getting "inspired" by gowns like the ones above. ASAP.

Let's just get to some of the better ones from the Top Ten:

Miss Tennessee USA Allee-Sutton Hethcoat: Allee-Sutton wore one of my Top Ten Favorite Gowns back in the Preliminary Competition earlier in the week. And she wore the same one for the Finals last night. In terms of style or silhouette, there was nothing really Earth-shattering Fashion Diva about it, but it looked beautiful nonetheless, especially the fabrication. The halter-style gown fit her well and the sequin-over-nude fabric looked expensive and nice. From head to toe, this was a perfect Miss USA look. She looked like a top actress walking the red carpet of a top awards show. 

Miss South Carolina USA Megan Gordon: Megan is so beautiful--she reminds me of a Somali or Ethiopian model like Fatima Siad or Kadra Ahmed Omar. While I also wished her choice of gown would have been more runway fab and directional, this royal blue design wasn't a bad choice. The gown featured flower sequin applique, a nice v-neckline (not too revealing) and slightly dramatic overskirt. The style was Pageant Predictable but I think what I really liked was the strong color. It was impacting on stage and at least looked more of this century as opposed to the past.

Miss Illinois USA  Whitney Wandland: Whitney was quite a star at last night's Miss USA 2017 Finals. At only 5' 7" tall (compared to the glamazon heights of Miss California USA and Miss Minnesota USA!) but I have to tell you she exuded the confidence, air and SUPERFAB runway walk that made her look like a six foot tall Supermodel! I also liked her choice of this gold sequined fringe gown. Many people have made comparisons to the gown last year's Miss USA Deshauna Barber wore to win the crown:

It was gold and had that "Liza With a Z"-like sequined fringe. The style and golden color was impacting for Miss Illinois USA and she WORKED it on the stage. If I had to pick my favorites (I didn't have many in these Top 10), this one would have been up there.

Finally...

Miss District of Columbia USA Kara McCullough: The eventual winner of the Miss USA 2017 crown wore this white and sequined gown for the Finals Evening Gown Competition. This was one of the better dresses in my view of the Top 10 Semifinalists. The gown featured gold and silver jeweled sequin top and a white flowing skirt with side-front slit. The gown was very effective onstage and Kara utilized the silhouette and that slit very well. The colors were also quite nice for Kara and her skin tone. I also like the bit of Cleopatra Drama in the overall look. Again, this was not a super fashion-forward gown but it wasn't tacky, it wasn't revealing too much cleavage and it was a good choice for her.

If I did have some criticism...(Take a guess what that could be?)...YEP: Those shoes! Putty colored platform heels are NOT--under any circumstances--the right shoe choice when wearing a white and golden gown. Come to think of it, I'm not sure when there is a good style time to wear putty colored platform pumps. Were there no gold strappy (NON PLATFORM!) shoes available?? Oh well. Who cares. She won!!

Congratulations to Kara and to the Miss District of Columbia USA organization for back-to-back Miss USA wins!! Now, STEP AWAY from the Putty COLORED Platform Heels!

6 Restaurants & 4 Cakes

6 Restaurants & 4 Cakes

Monday 20th March

A day working from home, as we try to aim for Mondays means lunch on Main Street! $15 Lunch at Mother Dough. We had the mussels & cherry tomato linguine. Seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. The mussels were fresh and juicy, average sizes, while the pasta was a bit chewier than I prefer, but fine apart from being too salty for me.  

Matt Preston's Nutella Pie-ish Cake

• Chocolate but not very sweet
• Not overpowering sweet - asian friend. Not anywhere as sweet as I thought! 
• Fresh strawberries brings it to life, as all 3 components compliment each other
• Bouncy texture like thick custardy jello/firm. Oh yes it reminds me of pie!

Experimenting in the kitchen we made a three ingredient cake! Well two, but we like to add vanilla, even though it seemed to make no difference in this recipe... To share a recipe my rule is that it has to be just right, and made at least twice. This one's ready. 

Tuesday

It's $16 pizza night at Sugo! Delicious and reasonably priced we can't wait to return!

Over to the Astor we saw a movie set during the war, tis alright and depressing, no dress or hair porn though. No where as uplifting and amazing as 'Hidden Figures' the last movie we saw. As depressing as the choc top was disappointing, with the stale cone.

Wednesday

A revisit to Huxtaburger Hawthorn, it's completely different from last time where service wasn't great and it was ran by asians. Think of the city kfcs that only hire international asians.

Britney $14

Grilled chicken, avocado, aioli, cheese, lettuce and tomato.

Delicious as always though Betty's is on par, perhaps better than Hux?

Beauty & The Beast - Girl's Night Out Event

Checking out the showbags. Sadly no program/postcard/flyer or any relevant merch, but there's food (stuff you can buy at Safeway) and some sachets of beauty samples and eyeshadow. Kinda disappointing after the amazing one at the last event we attended. Granted it was years ago (we saw the Devil Wears Prahran) - oh I just realized we saw that back home. I suppose it's more guy friendly? :P We were hoping for cookies/macarons and little edible treats.

The movie was great! Not as stunning as the french one, but magical in its own way!  We loved the dinner song and Gaston in particular, his best man/servant. LeFou is the original Elder Cunningham and Olaf the Snowman! The beast looks more like a goat/Krampus than lion... 

1597 was when shakesphere published romeo & juliet, though there's a 1750s roccoco style castle. Set during the Georgian era but after Victoria with Shakespeare (these two do boarder each other). At the castle time froze but the village people, some of them were related to the cursed servants? Why did the enchantress live as an outcast in the village?

It was set in France, they moved to the country because of the plague in Paris, though back Belle's family appear to have been poor. That or attics are as expensive as they are today in the city. 

The ball at the start was stunning! With all the powdered white wigs, so when the curse broke they were white but for the end party they wore black wigs??

Overall it was great and the beast gets a song too! They bonded over their love of books, being mother-less and Belle being the only girl in the village who could read, also her desire to travel. Highly recommend! We loved H has Belle, who's just as bright and brave!

Quotes
She's the prettiest girl in town, that makes her the best! XD
Screw your courage to the sticking-place - Gaston/Lady mb

Plot Summary

Thursday

The ABCs of time management. Gosh I wished we did this stuff at school! Sure I can plan, but then I get overwhelmed or one thing runs late making everything else late. Eg. Someone got hit by the train, even though I was to arrive at the theatre 30mins early but didn't make it till intermission. Trains were frozen, boom gates down and cars were at a stand still. No one was going anywhere tonight on this side of the city.

Me - I have a cape!
Him - Don't you already have one?
Me - Not one that's a blazer hybird. And it was $50 on sale.

One of the last ones I tracked when I saw the post, posted 20mins ago. It was meant to be as there was only one in my size in the city! Don't you love it when that happens?

Tip - If you see something you like go try it on and be certain of your size. Then add it tp your bookmarks tab, use java to email you when the page/price is edited. Using this I rarely ever pay full price. 

"...when they are pulling your teeth out it sounds like chicken bones snapping and you can hear the crackle of the tooth giving way and splintering. They grab your head and they really pull hard. It's all manual and very physical. A horrifying experience to say the least!"

". At one point the nurse was holding my head in place while he went to town with the pliers/cracker thing."

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2014/05/23/the-survival-guide-to-getting-your-wisdom-teeth-removed

I chickened out and moved it to next month...

Instead of the dentist we had dinner at Angliss.

Friday

So close but so far, I'm starting to think it's display only...

Meetings, a stop by goodwill, to the closed bookshelf at the tram, to the house to make a cake (well pie, nutella pie), cleaned then to dinner. We were going to a bar but it was dark, loud and overwhelming so we took a stroll and picked somewhere random. Discussions of which point when it [life] all started to go downhill.

Work in progress, twice in a fortnight, that's about as much cake as I can handle. :P

My first HSP (because they don't make them in kid size servings, like that size at LOTF, but I hate fake meat). This one's $15 from Hellenic Bite, meat (chicken and lamb) on chips with garlic, bbq and chili sauce. It was delicious! We also had a $6 salad which was average and not particularly recommended with Coles on the same block (their potato salad is the best). It was very hot inside the eatery, oddly so.

Saturday

Too many events, too little time!

10.30 for 11am start. Damn I thought it started at 10.30am, as it clashes with my 11am. On the way we discovered a book exchange, in the beauty garden. Ironic location isn't it?  XD No beauty and the beast books though. Fruit and hot dogs for brunch? Something the boys would like, and not the usual cakes it was a bit on the diy side. Over to a makeup demo, 3 looks 15 mins each using 5 or less products. Chatting up a model on her fav off duty pieces, relating to the audience though the limited travel wardrobe. Too mainstream for me.
Lunch at Rice Workshop. Teriyaki chicken ramen $10.50. The broth was rich and creamy. Most of the chicken wasn't chewy. Springy noodles maggi sized though not taste.
Good basic if there's no ramen places in the area.

At Sacca's Fruit World we found $6 trays of strawberries! 8 boxes, so around 75c each. On their way out, still good for jams and smoothies. We sorted, washed, cut and froze them. Got a large pot of the first round ones.

Up to Camberwell from the french fete, for the kids it wasn't my thing. It's your first started food festival with a petting zoo, games, auctions/raffles, food, music and the likes. No snow cones sadly, but there was a pre-wrapped bake sale. I was hoping to get an assorted plate of classic Australian party food but they didn't have that. We Had the jam drop cookies, too soft and retro inspired with the custard yellow. I was after chocolate crackles, real rum balls and honey joys. But they didn't have any of that, unless you're after enough to serve a family of 10.

Back at the house to pack before going out to a concert, we crashed. Turns out I can't do a morning and evening event on the same day... and lesson learnt: always choose music over fashion.

Sunday
6.30 start, leaving at 5.45am we made it! The moon was still in the sky, peaking 28 at 5pm?! Peaks are normally 10am. We volunteered, meet some awesome people and had a lovely view of the school from across the river! Lots of parrots/love birds and pretty little birds. at the end of the line we have magpies and noisy minors, sometimes pigeons

As we were close by, by north taking a fork in the road we visited my favorite cake shop, green refectory. Look for lonely hearts $2, yesterday's cake. Tastes just fine, even better at $2! When does it happen? I'm not sure, normally it's just muffins, but today there were three slices! We bought two pavs and a mars bar cheesecake to share, as we're going home

To the left is St Vincents, so many colourful dresses! Alas the one I like wasn't my size. A fancy one though just $12. We didn't get a picture as it was too crowded. Apparently people steal from goodwill, as the dresses were tied to the rack! Also of interest was this cookbook/picture book! We used to love Huey, sadly that was until we met him.

How was your week?

SASHES AND TIARAS....Best of 2015 List: Best Beauty Pageant Gowns of 2015! **UPDATE: Just added Miss Universe 2014-2015 Gowns!

SASHES AND TIARAS....Best of 2015 List: Best Beauty Pageant Gowns of 2015! **UPDATE: Just added Miss Universe 2014-2015 Gowns!

Best Pageant Gowns of 2015--(Clockwise L to R), Miss Philippines Universe; Miss Colombia Universe 2015/2016; Miss Lebanon at Miss World 2015; Miss Vietnam at Miss Universe 2015 Preliminaries; Miss Colombia Universe; Miss Thailand Universe

Well Pageant Fans, it's that time again: My End of the Year Best and "Uh Oh!" Lists. As usual, in 2015 I covered lots of international and national pageants--in relation to one of my favorite subjects: the Evening Gowns--giving my insight and analysis on the Good, Oh Dear! and Pageant Betty of Beauty Pageant Gowns throughout various competitions during the year so...in following with tradition here on my blog, it's time for my Best of 2015 Beauty Pageant Gown List.

And don't you worry, following this will be the "Oh Dear!/Ayyy Mija!" List of 2015.

But for now, here were some of my FAVORITE Pageant Gowns of 2015. I've divided them by pageant, staring with...



Miss Universe 2015---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez-Arevalo: I absolutely LOVED this
gown! It was one of my favorites from the Miss Universe 2015
Preliminaries and it was probably THE BEST one of the Miss Universe 2015
Finals. It was exquisitely made, fit UBER perfect, the crystals looked
INCREDIBLE on stage; it reminded me of a $100,000 Atelier Versace-like
gown. This strapless column design was both Pageant Perfect as well as
Red Carpet Fabulous (Take note Miss Venezuela Organization!). Every
national pageant in the world should take note of what a pageant girl
should wear. Oh, and notice, there is no HOOCHIE too-high slit, and we
can't see the platform heels. What a novel evening gown idea! 

Miss Thailand Aniporn Chalermburanawong: Wow. I loved this gown when she wore it for the Miss Universe 2015 Preliminaries
and I still loved it at the Finals. This ivory satin and silver crystal
embellished gown was EVERYTHING. This, by the way (note to Miss USA
Olivia Jordan) is how you "do" a cape! If there was any critique, it's
the shoes she wore; not a fan. Strappy heels next time. This lovely woman is almost six
feet tall and there's no need for those platform heels. 

Miss France Flora Coquerel: Flora looked stunning onstage at the
Miss Universe 2015 Finals. When she walked out in this red strapless
gown, she literally took my breath away. Especially with the clean
styling and chic swept-back hair. The gown fit her beautifully and
looked architecturally perfect on her. I also LOVED that she chose NOT to
wear those tacky ubiquitous Stripper Platform Heels. Merci Flora.
She knew better and instead, opted for modern T-strap heels. I feel
this gown and styling clinched her spot in the Top 5. For sure. Elegant, sexy, impacting. And yes, Classy.

Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach: Pia wore a different gown for the Preliminaries (which I wasn't a 100% fan of, it was a bit dated and not so SUPER-fab).
Well, thank goodness, she changed. For the Finals she wore a royal blue
silk gazar gown designed by Filipino designer Albert Andrada. His
inspiration for Pia’s evening gown was "The Pearl of the Orient". He said this of the gown: "Tiny sapphire colored crystals are mixed
with the bead work and cascade towards the front of the gown,
representing beautiful sands of our beaches...the gown has a hem of
draped multiple folds at the back, which are like fins of the different
beautiful fishes found in Philippine waters. The color blue represents
the tranquility of the deep blue Philippine seas as well  as a tribute
to Pia’s queenly beauty. Blue was also her choice of color to wear to
Miss Universe." It was a gorgeous and impacting gown.

---------------------------------------------------------
**UPDATE: Thanks to a keen Blogger reader here, I forgot to include the Very Good Gowns from the Miss Universe 2014 Pageant that actually DID OCCUR in 2015--January 2015 to be exact so...Thank You for reminding me Dear Blog Reader! 



Here are some Gowns from the Miss Universe 2014-2015 Pageant which made the Best of 2015 List:

Miss Colombia (and eventual Miss Universe 2014) Paulina Vega: One word: WOW! When Paulina walked onstage
in this shimmery silver sequined column gown, I gasped! Paulina looked magnificent--like the perfect winner! The
gown fit PERFECTLY. It was modern, red carpet fab, had stage presence,
and her styling was fresh, modern and on-point. This gown certainly is worth placing it here on my Best of 2015 List.



Paulina was Two-for-Two because not only was her "Finals" gown Fab enough for inclusion on my Best of 2015 List but so was her "Evening Gown Portrait" Gown:

This gown above was also superb. The
golden\nude sequined bias-cut dress is perfect for an A-List Hollywood
actress at any top awards show. Paulina looks every bit a STAR in this
style which features a plunging neckline and delicate shoulder-grazing
crystal straps. This was a classic, beautiful well-done gown. Bravo on both Paulina (and her Miss Colombia Organization style/glam squad!).

Miss Ukraine Diana Harkusha: I just about dropped my dinner and glass of red wine...when I saw Miss Universe Ukraine wear one of my favorite gowns from the Zuhair Murad Haute Couture Fall 2014 collection.
Yes, kids, it's COUTURE! And would cost in the high regions of
$100,000+ if you were to order it! The strapless silk organza gown
features all hand-sewn crystals (the gown is also HAND SEWN!), an
asymmetrical front silhouette with exaggerated cascade drapes. I also
loved that she did an elegant center-front parted high bun to give it an added extra "I'm a DIVA who is wearing a
FABULOUS $100,000 gown!" exclamation mark. One of the Best of 2015 Beauty Pageants!

Miss Russia Yulia Alipova: Miss Universe Ukraine wasn't the only
contestant wearing actual Paris Haute Couture...Miss Russia was not
about to be overshadowed darlings! Yulia wore another of my favorite
gowns of 2015 in this crimson red silk satin ball gown from Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall 2013.
This gown is absolute perfection: it's Grace Kelly Hollywood Glamour
classic, elegant and features all the details of a true Couture dress.
It is all hand made, has hand sewn crystal applique and the folded skirt
drapes add exuberant sweeping drama. Ball Gown Perfection!



Miss Russia was also Two-for-Two during the Miss Universe 2014 pageant which aired in January of this year (2015)--She also wore another $100,000+ costing Haute Couture gown and this was just for the "Evening Gown Portraits":

Miss Russia Yulia Alipova wore this Elie Saab Haute Couture from his Fall 2014 collection for the Miss Universe 2014 Website's Evening Gown Portraits. This gown is truly a work of Couture art! And probably cost about
$175,000. Not sure if she actually ordered it and bought it, or she may
have a very, very rich Russian Arms Dealer boyfriend who did! Or she
pulled lots of strings to borrow it from the Elie Saab Press
Office...whatever she did, I'm glad! The dramatic ball gown shape, the
incredible print, the hand-placed strawberry-colored flower sequin
appliques on the bodice and torso area...this gown is one of those
dresses that can SHUT IT DOWN once she steps on stage. Bravo for Yulia and her two gowns making it in my Best of 2015 List.

Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell: I loved this red gown worn by
Miss Universe Jamaica Kaci Fennell. She was one of the favorites to win the
crown and I can see why; she exuded major confidence, she's beautiful,
and has THE sexiest/sassiest runway walk! This red sequined
applique gown could have gone a bit tacky-licious but the mini cap
sleeve, high neck, lack of HOOCHIE slit, and her slicked pixie
hairstyle...among other things...brought it all into chic, red carpet
fab! Very good!

Miss Spain Desiree Cordero: Desiree wore one of my favorite gowns of the pageant. It was a
strapless silver/ivory fitted Siren-like gown that featured exquisitely placed
sequins and jewels. The fit was fabulous and she stunned onstage. Loved it!

Miss Venezuela Migbelis Castellanos: I loved this Gionni Straccia-designed
off-the-shoulder ivory sequined gown on Migbelis. I have to BOW down to
the Gionni Straccia Atelier in Caracas (or wherever he has these gowns
made) because that sequin and jewel work is OUT OF THIS WORLD! I think Migbelis did herself a disservice by putting her hair in the front; she looked
like she had NO NECK. She should have pushed her hair back. But taking her hair out of the equation, this gown was Pageant Perfection.

Miss World 2015------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Lebanon Valerie Abou Chacra: GORGEOUS. Yes. Definitely. Miss
Lebanon was one of the favorites to win the Miss World crown and I can see why.
This gown was STUNNING. It was a design from Zuhair Murad Spring/Summer 2015 Haute Couture collection.
The gown featured a plunging neckline, long sleeves, nude silk tulle
with hand-sewn ivory beads and crystals and a full gathered overskirt
sewn onto a column gown. This gown probably retails for about $100,000 if you were to place an order (and you were the wife of a Chinese Billionaire!). I
am sure she didn't pay that and it was borrowed. Needless to say, it always nice to see an actual Haute Couture gown in a beauty pageant. Thank you Zuhair Murad and Thank you Miss Lebanon Organization.



Some of my other Best of 2015 from the Miss World 2015 Beauty Pageant included:

Miss Cote d'Ivoire Andrea N'Guessan: Love this gown on the
beautiful Miss Cote d'Ivoire. The black and white sequined style was
chic and sexy. I also loved the gold earrings styled with it.

Miss Fiji Brittany Hazelman: Stunning. This red column gown with
gold "necklace"-like neck trim was sublime. I wish I had a photo of her
back because it was FABULOUS!

Miss Gabon Reine Ngotala and Miss Georgia Nino Karalashvili: Both
of these gowns were great! Love them both. Miss Gabon was Mermaid Fab
ad Miss Georgia's metallic column was ready for the red carpet.

Miss Puerto Rico Keysi Vargas: I loved this strapless red lace
and organza gown. It was very "Met Ball" dramatic and unique. She really
was "Done" from head to toe! Muy Bien Puerto Rico.

Miss Philippines Hillarie Parungao: Hillarie's gown for the Miss World Top Model/Designer of the World Competition was gorgeous and very feminine. The pink fit-to-flare style designed by Mak Tumang featured silver
sequined applique leaf-like scrolls as well as straight-line crystals on
the diagonal throughout the body of the dress. So beautiful, delicate, and Pageant Perfect!



Miss International 2015----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Venezuela (and eventual Miss International 2015) Edymar Martinez wore an ivory tulle gown designed by Venezuelan pageant gown designer Hugo Espina. The gown featured an open neckline covered in
nude mesh, "bell" sleeves, a satin waist tie, straight silhouette with
long dramatic train. I thought it was gorgeous. It was very impacting on
Edymar and showcased her Hollywood Red Carpet-looking image. If I had
any complaint, it would be those bell-shaped sleeves; not sure if it was
necessary to add those. But other than this, I thought this was a very
intricate and almost Couture-worthy gown.

3rd Runner-up Miss Vietnam Pham Hong Thuy Van: LOVED this
strapless ball gown on Miss Vietnam. It was so Paris Haute Couture
Fashion Week. Not sure who designed and who is running the Miss Vietnam
International Organization but in terms of her Styling Team, continue
what you are doing! She looks like an actress on the Cannes Film
Festival Red Carpet: Beautiful.



Miss Colombia Universe 2015/2016--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Choco (and eventual Miss Colombia 2015/2016) Andrea Tovar: One word--WOW! Andrea wore a golden
colored tulle and sequined lace gown with a column shape and fuller back
overskirt silhouette. The front featured a plunging neckline covered in
skin colored illusion, as well as long sleeves. Her makeup and chic
chignon, perfectly finished this look. She looked regal, and perfect! A
definite TEN! One of the Best of 2015.



Miss Venezuela 2015--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miss Trujillo Jessica Duarte: The favorite to win this year's Miss Venezuela, Jessica Duarte wore this creation by Venezuelan designer Hugo Espina.
The look was BEYOND impacting. She began with the purple taffeta coat
which then she took off to reveal the blush colored pearl/caviar beaded
gown with side nude illusion insets. Trust me, the impact of her taking
off the coat was EVERYTHING! I liked the gown and all that pearl/caviar
beading but I wasn't such a fan of the deep side "nude"/illusion
insets; it didn't have to go so deep on the hip. But, to me, it was
one of the best overall evening gown looks of the pageant and of 2015.

Miss Cojedes Arriany Barrios: Arriany wore this very elegant and red carpet-ready gown from designer Valentina Cedeño. The one shoulder gown featured a nude-colored gazar section and black and silver sequined detail. One of my favorites!

Miss Falcon Herliz Ruiz: I really liked Miss Falcon's light blue
gown. The design featured interesting silver paillette sequin detail and
it fit her very well. I also liked that she looked "modern" and didn't
have the big ol' Pageant Betty hair: Gracias!

Miss Yaracuy Gessica Fiume: Jessica wore this one shoulder ivory with silver sequins creation from Venezuelan designer Hugo Espina.
The gown was very impacting. But, I argue, it should have been on a
different contestant--in another year--maybe a darker skinned girl with a
chignon hairstyle. This gown was not for this contestant.But, it was
still one of my Top Favorites.

Miss Zulia Yennifer Gonzalez: I liked this dusty pink mermaid-shaped silk zibeline gown designed by Venezuelan designer Douglas Tapia. The silhouette worked for her very statuesque
figure, and the jeweled sequin work was exquisite and properly placed up
top. This was one of the Top of 2015 Pageant Gown styles. I'm sure it will be knocked off by Pageant Gown "designers" ASAP, if it hasn't already.



**Of Note: ANY of these gowns above would have been better than what this year's Miss Venezuela at Miss Universe Mariana Jimenez wore to the Preliminary and Finals. Not sure why she didn't. But she should have!

Miss USA 2015--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Candice Bennatt Miss Louisiana USA: I really liked Candice's
gown--it was a strapless ivory gown with silver-to-gold sequin-like
applique. It was very nice. I'm not a fan of the nude/illusion panel in
the front neckline bodice but I will let it go this time since it was one of the best from this year's Miss USA pageant.

Mame Adjei Miss Maryland USA: Mame was one of my TOP FAVORITE
contestants at this year's Miss USA 2015. She was so exotic, so
beautiful--and almost won America's Next Top Model Cycle 22 as well! She wore this black applique and see-though gown for the
Miss USA 2015 Finals. I thought she looked very impacting in this style and was one of the better sheer/applique gowns from 2015. If there was a no-no, it was that the
too-sheer section went a bit too high and verged on Hoochie. But, her
gorgeous beauty made me overlook that.

Anea Garcia Miss Rhode Island USA 2015: Anea wore this ivory silk
crepe column gown with illusion and silver Swarovski crystal studded
center front panel. I thought this gown looked familiar when I first saw
it, and of course, I realized why: this gown was worn at the Miss Venezuela 2014 Pageant  by Scarliz Coa "Miss Apure". The gown was designed by Valentina
Cedeño. I have a very good feeling that this is the exact same gown,
since Miss Apure has a very similar body type; therefore this is a
borrowed sample. I really liked this gown and thought it was statuesque
and very "Miss Universo". Unfortunately, Anea "Miss Rhode Island USA"
had trouble walking in it (not sure why since the gown had that big ol' back
godet/train! It might have been about an inch too long). But it was one of the Best Gowns of the Miss USA 2015 and therefore this year overall (even though it was originally from last year--LOL!).



Miss Lebanon 2015---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Miss Lebanon Organization keeps on surpassing all others as a Gown Gorgeous Beauty Pageant--featuring gown designs from Lebanese-born Haute Couturier (and J Lo and Sofia Vergara favorite) Zuhair Murad. He is a Judge and I assume "Creative Director" for Miss Lebanon and therefore provides very, very, VERY expensive gowns for the Miss Lebanon contestants. They may not all be runway model size zero or 5' 11" but they sure as heck will fit into them! And I'm glad they do...the gowns from this year's pageant were some of the Best of 2015, including the Top Three gals:

Top Three Zuhair Murad Gals--(L to R) Valerie Abou Chacra
(winner), Jocelyne Mosleh, and Cynthia Samuel--Miss Lebanon 2015 Finals

Gowns worn by the First and Second Runner-Up--Zuhair Murad Resort 2016

Valerie Abou Chacra, the eventual Miss Lebanon 2015, wore this sheer white
sequined one shoulder gown with a side front overlap/slit and double
wrapped belt from Zuhair Murad Resort 2016

Cheers to a Fab 2015 Pageant Year and to all the Ladies who wore Fabulous gowns!

UP NEXT is my Worst of 2015 "Oh Dear/Ayyy Mija!" Beauty Pageant Gowns Blog...