SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2016 Final Competition: Winner Deshauna Barber "Miss District of Columbia USA" and The EVENING GOWNS Recap!

SASHES AND TIARAS.....Miss USA 2016 Final Competition: Winner Deshauna Barber "Miss District of Columbia USA" and The EVENING GOWNS Recap!

Queen Deshauna: Deshauna Barber Miss District of Columbia USA wins Miss USA 2016, Las Vegas Nevada

Sunday night were the Finals of the 65th Annual Miss USA beauty pageant. Fifty-two contestants representing the 50 US states, District of Columbia plus a "Miss 52 USA" competed for the coveted title. In the end, it was 26-year-old Deshauna Barber "Miss District of Columbia USA" who got the crown, sash and all the fabulous prizes. This was the first time in 14 years (and only the third time in history) that Miss District of Columbia has received the Miss USA title. She will now go on to compete in the Miss Universe 2016 contest scheduled for later this year.

Crowning Moment: Deshauna Barber "Miss District of Columbia USA" gets crowned Miss USA 2016 by last year's Miss USA Olivia Jordan and Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach

5' 10" tall Deshauna Barber was born in Georgia and a military brat, she has lived in North Carolina, Minnesota, Nebraska, Virginia, as well as D.C.. She is an Army Reserve officer and IT analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce and holds a master's in management information systems and services from University of Maryland University College.

Deshauna Gorgeous: Introduction and Swimsuit--Miss USA 2016 Finals, Las Vegas Nevada

Deshauna was a standout during the Finals as well as the Preliminaries which were held earlier in the week. After seeing her during the Miss USA 2016 Preliminary Competition, she was definitely one of my top favorites--and this was only based on swimsuit and evening gown. During the finals on Sunday night, she basically clinched the crown during the interview portion of the contest when judge Joe Zee asked a question about women in the military and their roles in combat. Barber answered intelligently, with aplomb and very eloquently. It was definitely a "Go On Girl!" moment.

You Got This Girl: The final Top Two moment with Deshauna Barber "Miss District of Columbia USA" (left) and Chelsea Hardin "Miss Hawaii USA" (right). Miss Hawaii USA was a favorite to get the crown and you could tell from watching the Finals. She was a definite stand-out; gorgeous, perfect body and answered her controversial "Will you vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump" interview question well. In the end, Chelsea came in second.



OK, now it's time to discuss the Top Ten Miss USA 2016 Finals Evening Gowns, beginning with the eventual winner, "Miss District of Columbia USA":

Miss District of Columbia USA/Miss USA 2016 Deshauna Barber: Deshauna wore a gold and silver shimmery gown that really made an impact onstage. The gown featured long sleeves, a lace sequined applique torso and "Liza With a Z"-like bugle bead sequined fringed bottom section. This was a gown change from what she wore during the Preliminaries...

Golden Girl: Gown designed by Juan Carlos Pinera worn by Deshauna Barber at the Miss USA 2016 Preliminary Competition. I liked both choices and can understand her dress change; the second fringed one was more "Stage Impacting". In addition, there were SOOOO many of those overskirt/overlay gowns during the Preliminaries that she probably decided that she didn't want to be part of the Gown Trend crowd. I am sure she probably could have still won the title wearing the golden gown above.



From Best to "Uh Oh", here is my Gown Recap of Miss USA 2016 Finals:

Miss South Dakota USA Madison McKeown: Out of the 10
Semi-Semi Finalists during the Miss USA 2016 Finals--in terms of evening
gowns--Miss South Dakota USA SHUT IT DOWN. When she appeared onstage, I
immediately knew that we had gone into non-Sherri Hill Couture Territory!
Madison wore an ivory silk crepe gown that had an attached dramatic cape. She
OWNED the stage and runway. The gown featured a hand-painted dip-dye of blue
and silver. The gown was created by Lebanon-based Couturier Tony Ward and it
was from his Tony Ward Couture Fall/Winter 2015/2016
collection. It is worth $50,000. I still want to know if she bought it or if
the Tony Ward P.R. people allowed her to borrow it...for free.

Miss Hawaii USA Chelsea Hardin: Chelsea was a definite stand-out at the Miss USA 2016 Finals. I honestly thought she was going to be the winner. Until Miss District of Columbia answered her interview question. It sure felt as though the audience was all "Team Hawaii" for sure. I liked her gown. It wasn't my all-time favorite but on Chelsea, it looked amazing. It was very Zuhair Murad Couture-like. If there was any critique, it would be those nude platform heels. Those were #tacky. Especially with such a gown. Silver strappy heels would have been more "Red Carpet/Fashion Week" perfect. Chelsea is already very tall, I just didn't understand the need to wear those. Other than that, her gown looked like a Winter's Storm Couture Icicle!

Miss Georgia USA Emanii
Davis: One of my favorite gowns
of the Miss USA 2016 preliminaries was this ivory design worn by Miss Georgia
USA. And I am glad she didn't change her gown for the Finals. Emanii wore this
crepe column gown that had a sequined shoulder detail and chiffon cape. I
thought she looked regal and goddess-like. If there was any criticism, the bust
had awkward fit issues and the plunging-ness was a couple of seconds from
hoochie-licious. The gown was from Sherri Hill Fall/Winter 2016 NY Fashion Week. But, overall, I
liked the design and cape /shoulder detail. Oh, and yes, Emanii was one of the
MOST BEAUTIFUL contestants of the night!

Miss Virginia USA Desi Williams: Desi looked amazing in her choice of a red halter silk jersey gown. The dress featured a fitted waist midriff and silver sequined trim. This gown fit Desi PERFECTLY! And she looked BEAUTIFUL. I am normally not a fan of the halter neck dress (it's very 1990s Pageant) but Desi worked this OVERTIME!  #Perfection

Miss Alabama USA Peyton
Brown: Peyton wore this white
with gold sequin trim "Grecian Goddess"-inspired gown. I thought it
was an impressive showing and great gown design. The fit was perfect and I
think she nailed the "Fashion" and "Pageant" components. This
was one of the best ones of the Top Ten.

Miss California USA Nadia Mejia: Nadia was a favorite coming into the Finals, especially with her Celeb father 90's rapper/singer Gerardo (famous for "Rico Suave") as part of her bio/lineage. During the interview portion, poor Miss California USA froze and didn't do so well. But in terms of her evening gown, she did OK by me. I loved the bright orange color and gathered Grecian Goddess style. But, what I really loved was the fact that she didn't style the look with some tacky platform "Stripper" heels...

 Instead, she wore the prefect gold strappy kind. Gracias Nadia!

Miss Arkansas USA Abby Floyd: Abby wore this ivory and silver lace gown with a very plunging neckline and long sleeves. This was a Gown Change from what she wore during the Preliminary Competition...

Both were nice styles. Which one do you guys like better? Personally, I would chose the one on the right, from the Preliminaries.

Miss Missouri USA Sydnee Stotlemyre: Sydnee wore a one shoulder white gown with insets of nude with silver crystals. It was very Versace circa late 1990's. I liked it except for the placement of that thigh nude/crystal inset section; this was dangerously close to showcasing her you-know-what. On another note, this was the same gown style she wore for the Miss USA 2016 Preliminaries but in a different color-way:

White or Blue: Miss Missouri USA at Miss USA 2016

Finally...

Miss Connecticut USA Tiffany Teixeira: Tiffinay wore this off-the-shoulder red satin overkirt/overlay gown with sequined bodice. Tiffany was very pretty and I didn't dislike this gown style even if it was a bit 1996. But, what I really was not a fan of were her shoes...

Tacky-Licious: UBER high Tacky Stripper Lucite Heels. This is a definite No. Sorry Tiffany. But, NO. Not Ever.

Miss USA Smiles: Miss USA 2016 Deshauna Barber with the rest of the Miss USA 2016 contestants

Congrats to Deshauna Barber! Our new Miss USA--Gorgeous, confidently beautiful,  intelligent and yes, FIERCE!

ICE STYLE.....ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016: Figure Skating Costumes Recap PAIRS and ICE DANCE!

ICE STYLE.....ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016: Figure Skating Costumes Recap PAIRS and ICE DANCE!

Pairs and Ice Dance Costume Fab: Costume Highlights from the 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Boston Massachusetts

In my last post HERE, I discussed my Figure Skating Costumes Highlights (and some not-so-cute!) of the LADIES and MEN from last week's 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, which were held at the TD Garden in Boston Massachusetts...

Well, now it is time for my Costume Recap of the PAIRS and ICE DANCE!!!

Let's begin with the...

Pairs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada: For their Short Program to Your Song by Elton John, performed by Ewan McGregor, I liked these costumes. Meagan shined with her silver sequined and red costume! It was breathtaking in terms of it's fab crystal work. Eric went for a red dress shirt with matching t-shirt underneath and black pants. I wish his look had more crystals than those buttons but oh well, I was OK with it! 

Free Skate to Hometown Glory by Adele: LOVE, Love, Love these costumes on Duhamel and Radford. The bold royal blue color, her halter jeweled sequin neckline, the gathered drape in her halter neckline...it's all sleek, chic and super! Oh, and how much do we LOVE Meagan's cheek-to-cheek smile in that photo above! Hashtag At-a-Girl #AtAGirl #GoCanada

Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia Short Program to Nagada Sang Dhol (Bollywood Selection) by Siddharth-Garima: I am a big fan of the costumes worn by Russia's Pairs Diva and Divo Volosozhar and Trankov for their "Bollywood"-inspired Short Program. Both their looks and designs are pretty much flawless. 

Free Skate to Bram Stoker's Dracula (soundtrack): For their Free Skate to "Dracula", they wore these semi-Period-like costumes in red and black. I like his faux leather pants and red velvet vest with gold trim. Her dress was elegant and a bit subdued. I appreciated the gold trim simulating a corset but maybe there should have been a sweetheart neckline somewhere in there.

Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot of Germany Free Skate to Sometimes by Wax Tailor: I have a theory. I think Aliona and Bruno are well...an item. It sure looks like it when they skate. Well, now that we have that out of the way, let's discuss their costumes. We know Aliona never met a Jumpsuit she did not like. Her "Pink Panther" look is iconic. This red'ish ombre look featured a heart-shaped back and sequins. His look of a mock-neck ombre top and black pants perfectly complimented hers. Overall, a very striking couple.

Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise of Italy Short Program to Magnificat by Mina: Elegant and beautiful; two words to describe these costumes worn by the Italian Pairs couple of Della Monica and Guarise. I loved her gold applique, nude illusion and white costume but I also liked his semi-matching very sexy top. 

Free Skate to Cosmic Journey ("Romeo and Juliet" by Abel Korzeniowski): These costumes were basically a different color-way of what they wore for their Short program with a slight design variation. I still liked them!

Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres of France: The photos above feature their costumes for their Short Program of I Put A Spell On You by Joss Stone (top photo) and Free Skate to Romeo and Juliet (soundtrack) by Craig Armstrong, Romeo and Juliet (soundtrack) by Abel Korzeniowski, and Oh Verona (Romeo and Juliet soundtrack) by Craig Armstrong. There were elements of both which I liked. I did love the wrapped belts of the Free Skate costumes but I have to admit that I LOVE Vanessa's 80's shoulder padded black and silver sequined jumpsuit costume for her Short Program.

Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia: Russia's Stolbova and Klimov wore these costumes above for their Short program to I Put a Spell on You performed by Annie Lennox and Free Skate to Man and Shadow (The Unknown Known soundtrack) by Danny Elfman. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the latter--from the Free Skate. And especially hers; the gray/blue gathered chiffon and strap cross-tied detail was chic and very Modern Dance fab!

Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia Free Skate to Nocturne, Prelude, and Revolutionary Etude by Frederic Chopin: I had to finish my Pairs Costumes Recap with these very nice costumes by the Russian Pairs of Tarasova and Morozov. I thought her costume was exquisite and very well done and I loved his tuxedo look and especially the music symbol detail brooch. 



Ice Dance-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada Short Dance to Waltz: The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss; Polka: Annenpolka by Johann Strauss; Waltz: The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss: I think these are probably one of my Top Favorite Ice Dance costumes of this 2015-2016 Season. I think Kaitlyn's blush and pearl sequined look is Couture Fab and Andrew looks like a Disney prince...and in a good way! Both of their costumes are elegant, haute and so gorgeous.

Free Dance to On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter, This Bitter Earth by Dinah Washington, Run by Ludovico Einaudi: These costumes are not as great as their Short Program looks (in my eyes) but I do appreciate the ombre lilac shading and draped stylings. I have to say that in these costumes, my top pick was his and the draped top he wears. 

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France Free Skate to Rain In Your Black Eyes by Ezio Bosso Build a Home by Cinematic Orchestra: I LOVE these costumes and this Ice Dance couple. The navy blue, red and black costumes are elegant, super-chic and Paris Fashion Week Runway Fab in terms of their design. Oh and did I mention how AMAZING they are in terms of their Ice Dance skate and presentation. J'Adore! 

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the US Free Dance to Adagio for Strings by Daft Punk: USA's Hubbell and Donohue wore these costumes for their Free Skate to "Adagio for Strings" by Daft Punk. This was a change of costume in terms of what they had worn before. I have to admit that I loved the previous costumes more, but she still looked gorgeous and overall I love the presentation of this team.

Costume Better--Hubbell and Donohue of Canada

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the USA: The Shibutani brother and sister Ice Dance team wore these costumes above for their Short Dance to Waltz: Coppelia, March: Coppelia, Waltz: Coppelia--all by Leo Delibes (top photo) and Free Dance to Fix You by Coldplay (lower photo). If I had to pick a favorite, I would say the latter. Only for its simplistic modern costume approach and design; there wasn't much there in term of creativity but it was right for the program.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA: Chock and Bates skated their Short Dance to Foxtrot: More by Andrea Bocelli; Waltz: Unchained Melody by Il Divo and Free Skate to Concerto No. 2 Adagio and Concerto No. 2 Allegro by Sergei Rachmaninov. I loved the second Free Dance costumes better than the Short Dance looks. I liked her "one shoulder" design and I especially loved his gathered/draped top; it was GORGEOUS!

Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin of Russia Free Dance to Rachmaninov's Revenge by Freddie Mercury, Montserrat Caballe: I loved these costumes worn by Russia's Stepanova and Bukin. They were modern, sleek and so sexy.

Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy: Cappellini
and Lanotte of Italy skated in these costumes for their Short Dance to Waltz: The Merry Widow by Franz Lehar Polka: The Merry Widow by Franz Lehar and Free Dance
to La Dolce Vita: Amarcord, Le Notti di Cabiria and Oto e
Mezzo by Nino Rota. Both looks were
quite exquisite. But I especially liked their Free Dance costumes and
particularly her black sequined dress.

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada: Canadian Ice Dance couple Gilles and Poirier are one of my favorite Ice Dance teams in terms of costumes. They did not disappoint this season and at the 2016 Worlds. This above is what they wore for their Short Dance (top photo) to Waltz: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by John Lennon, Paul McCartney; March: Norwegian Wood by John Lennon, Paul McCartney; Waltz: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Free Dance to She Said by Jorane Neverland by Takenobu. I loved both of these looks. Their Short Dance was very Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" costume fab and the Free Dance costumes were verging on late 80's/early 90's Versace HOT HOT HOT!

Thanks for reading my ICE STYLE Figure Skating 2016 Worlds RECAP! Hope you enjoyed it! XOXO